Support (or lack there of) is a word that's thrown around a lot in the fashion and beauty blogging community. We should support each other, we should help each other and should  really try and make the community a better place.  I think it's VERY easy to get stuck in the "me me me" culture of blogging. Throughout my time blogging I've been stuck both in the "I share and support loads but got nowhere" and the "I want everyone to show me support (but not really doing enough myself)" camp. The feeling of a "sisterhood" is something we shouldn't expect from the community but come as standard.

Lack of support is a whole community issue not just a "size" issue. Big Blogger/Small Blogger as a tag line that throws me into a mini rage… personally I think by labelling yourself as a "small" blogger you’re making it sound as if you are less than bigger bloggers - which you are not. It also makes it sound like you’re saying you are not good enough, which again is not true. Numbers are the kryptonite of the blogging world - Try not to fall into that trap. We're all in this together no matter how many followers we have on that silly little widget on the side of our blog. 

A bit of drama went down in the community yesterday which triggered a out pour of overwhelming positivity and blog love. It’s funny how the darker moments within out community moments draw out and embrace the positives. Today I thought I’d share some of my ways on how as community we can show our support to other each other and hopefully make the community a little brighter day to day rather than every once in a while.

  • COMMENT: Little things like commenting and responding make a HUGE difference to how you and your community feel. Even now after blogging for five years (yup - it’s been five years) I still read every single one of my comments across all platforms. All bloggers read their comments - no matter how many they get. We all crave that feedback! Never underestimate the power of a comment, sometimes I get comments that put a huge smile on my face and ones that stick with me all day. Remember how much effect your words can have on the way someone feels. 

  • ASk, ANSWER and thank: Asking for help is something I think a lot of people shy away from, because they are embarrassed or worried about looking dumb. That ol' saying "theres no such thing as a stupid question" still stands today. And on the opposite side while sometimes it's easy to come back with the answer “just google it” it’s not always the best way to help someone else out. Obviously you might not have time to go into detail or even know the answer but little questions like "What camera do you use?" or "Where is X from?" are quick and simple answers - you can reply in seconds and it will really help that other person out. And say thank you when they do reply! 

  • link back: Seen a item on another blogger you like? Bought a product off another ones recommendation? Got inspired by someone else's post? Link back to the blogger and let them know your thoughts! I love knowing what people think of products I've recommended or talked about and seeing link backs on my Google Analytics or Twitter @'s always prompts me to take a peek. It's great knowing other peoples feelings on different topics and products.

  • Share: If you see a post you really love and want share with your community then go ahead and do it! I dont know why people shy away from this so much. While it'd be ridiculously hard to share every single thing you enjoy online but once a week or twice a week is a great place to start. Another fab way is to round up your favourite blogs/items/posts of the week/month/whenever - It's a fun and friendly way to share love and they might even link you back.
  • Collaborate: Collaborating within the blogging community seems to be something we haven't quite grasped fully yet. Youtuber's realised a few years ago that the best way to grow is to collaborate with one another. Sharing audiences is a simple but effective way to grow your own. An idea might be to do a joint posts with another blogger or even guest post on other persons blog. Swap stories, share two different opinions and or take on a themes with another bloggers. There are so many ways to collaborate with another blogger and I really hope as a community we take this a step further!

While I'll freely admit that Im not quite "there" in terms of showing total blog love. I know I could do SO much more with the network I have behind me and from now on I pledge to do so.  I'm going to make a conscious effort to reply more, comment more and most importantly share more new and exciting posts with my community.

Frankly though - try not to get annoyed or disheartened when others don't help out as much as they could do. Making little steps to being more positive with your outlook on blogging rather than feeling disheartened by it all is the first step on the ladder to building a supportive base. I think we should give a little love and hope it comes back to you. Every positive action as a reward.