As soon as I read on twitter that Company magazine’s Blogging Forum was going to be coming up soon, I bought my ticket straight away! I knew this was an opportunity not to be missed, with the likes of top fashion bloggers Susie Bubble from ‘Stylebubble’ and Rhiannon Ashlee from ‘Fashionrocksmysocks’ revealed as part of the panel – it was set to be a fantastic night. I find that events like this are brilliant for networking with other bloggers and getting your name “out there”.
The event did not dissapoint. It was held at King’s College London, from 6:30pm until 8:30pm and it certainly proved the saying “time flies by when you’re having fun” right. What felt like only half an hour, was in actual fact two hours of being fed invaluable advice and tips from the hugely inspirational panel.
The panel was made up of the editor of Company magazine – Victoria White, fashion blogger – Susie Bubble (stylebubble), style blogger/youtuber – Rhiannon Ashlee (FashionRocksMySocks), PR and Social Media Manager of OhMyLoveLondon – Sally Burlison, Boohoo Clothing Company – Roxanne Nejad and Managing Director of Handpicked Media – Krista Madden.
Greeted at the reception with a complementary glass of champagne, it was off to a good start.
It was filled with bloggers who were there to make a statement – in terms of their outfit choice – and I couldn’t settle my eyes on the one outfit. From clashing prints to sky scrapper heels to a more laid back vintage look, it was overwhelming yet brilliant. After mingling with a few other fashion/beauty and lifestyle bloggers, we were welcomed into the lecture theatre which is where the Q&A session was to take place. As soon as I walked into the room, I spotted my favourite fashion blogger and biggest inspiration – Susie Bubble – looking phenomenal in all blue with holographic brogue style shoes.
Amor writer Yasmine Gibson and fashion blogger Susie Bubble!
The two hour Q&A session then began. First off, Victoria White (Editor of Company) asked questions she had already prepared before offering the audience to ask their own questions. The panel offered deep, insightful advice on everything from how they started up their blogs to how it can lead to a career and so much more. how to promote your blog, how important it is to have a unique view point to the design of. There was so many amazing tips and advice given for all types of bloggers out there, not only fashion bloggers, so I have picked out my top ten that I thought would be most useful to share with you…
TOP 10 TIPS AND QUOTES OF ADVICE:
1. “The blogosphere is very crowded, so you really need to think about your content. Focus on a niche” – Susie Bubble.
2. “I went into blogging as a hobby. You can’t get into it purely for money” – Rhiannon Ashlee
3. “Design is really important nowadays as everyone is really savvy and there’s lots of competition” – Susie Bubble.
4. “I love creative word play but can’t stand bad grammar” – Victoria White.
5. “Quality of content will keep people coming back over quantity” – Susie Bubble.
6. “You don’t need to be buying new stuff to blog. You can be inventive on little to no budget” – Sally Burlison.
7. “Interact with people on twitter and network, rather than just pushing your links out all the time” – Krista Madden.
8. “It’s up to you on how personal you want to be on your blog. Don’t feel pressured.” – Rhiannon Ashlee.
9. “Use hashtags on twitter to reach a bigger audience and use Pinterest to showcase your inspiration” – Roxanne Nejad.
10. “It’s not necessarily about your follower numbers, it’s more about how engaged your followers are” – Sally Burlison.
Overall, it was a very successful event. I was able to interact with other bloggers and also met Susie Bubble and Victoria White who were both extremely lovely. As a bonus, I came away with a Company magazine goodie bag which included lots of treats such as an aztec clutch bag with a detachable diary inside and a few essentials for festival season – make up wipes, leave-in conditioner and Batiste dry shampoo.
I would definitely recommend going to the next Company Blogging Forum event that comes up as it is certainly worth it!
Amor magazine writer Yasmin Gibson and Editor of Company magazine!
Words: Yasmine Gibson
