If you took my blogging class on Creative Live, you’ll know that one of the tools I often used to create content is Polyvore. For years, I used Polyvore as a tool to create outfit ideas that featured my jewelry, which I would then post to my blog.
It was a huge part of my content creation strategy.
So it came as a surprise to me when someone commented on my Instagram post the other day saying Polyvore had closed down. And sure enough, when I went to the site, you can no longer use it to create outfit roundups.
If you’re simply looking for an alternative to Polyvore, a good option (at least as far as I can tell) is the Stylebook app.
But in this post, I want to actually share what I’ve been doing instead. Because the truth is, I haven’t logged into Polyvore in months. So it really was a surprise to me that they had closed.
But I’ve still been creating massive amounts of content for my blog.
How? By styling and photographing my jewelry on myself. (Even though I swore in my Creative Live blogging class I would never do that!)
This change didn’t happen overnight for me. But I think it reflects a larger trend of what consumers want to see online.
You see, Polyvore was a good, quick option for creating content and giving people a sense of how they could style my jewelry. But I noticed that it became harder and harder to find great pieces that were actually photographed on a white background.
That’s because online retailers are getting wise to the fact that customers want to see products on real people.
And if we as independent makers and designers want to sell our wearable products online, we need to acknowledge that fact as well.
Which is precisely why I started photographing more of my jewelry on myself. (I’m the the most convenient model I have.) And from there, it was easy to transition to styling myself to create consistent content for my blog.
Which meant that Polyvore, while a great tool when it was around, was no longer a necessary part of my content creation strategy. Instead, I’m focusing on content that gives my customers a better feel for how my jewelry looks when worn and that helps build a deeper connection to me and my brand. No app required.
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I know it can be scary to put yourself out there and model your own products. I also know that it can be challenging to come up with consistent content ideas for your blog and social media. And that’s why I created Market Your Selfie. One part photography class and one part content creation strategy, it’s designed specifically to help learn how to use your camera better, feel more confident in front of the camera, and have an endless stream of content ideas. Class starts today, but there’s still time to join in! (And I’ve added a payment plan option to make it easier to join!) Click here for all the details!