The lovely Donna from What the Redhead Said has kindly written a guest post giving Ten Reasons Why BlogOn is the perfect conference for bloggers we might be a bit biased but we totally agree!!
I have been going to BlogOn for years now and it’s the one blogging event where I go to without any worries and leave with a smile on my face – and an epic goodie bag as well. It’s a conference I rave about to anyone who will listen and it’s a highlight of my blogging calendar twice a year.
If you haven’t been to a conference yet and haven’t ever considered going to one or are debating going this year or, on the other hand, if you’re quite an established blogger and don’t really see the point of going to conferences anymore then this post is for you. I’ve put together a few reasons why BlogOn would be worth the investment this year:
- Every BlogOn is different. You may think that you’ve been to one so you don’t need to go again in six months time – or the following year – but you’re wrong. The brands vary between conferences, there’s always varying entertainment – from giant ball pits to festive elves, not to mention the BlogOn party too. The sessions are always different to the time before and they are aimed at lots of different levels within blogging – from the very newest of bloggers through to those that already know their stuff but still have things to learn.
- BlogOn is the most welcoming and social place in the blogging community. For me, it’s like having a work do twice a year. You get to catch up with blogging friends, make new one, take selfies, chat, drink, laugh and have the very best social experience – regardless of how long you’ve been blogging for.
- The sessions are great. I have been blogging for years yet I always manage to learn something at BlogOn. Whether it’s Alex teaching me about video editing, Emily showing me how to be confident on camera, Cerys delving into SEO, Mel helping with time management and organisation or Sara-Jayne helping people to take the very best photos. There are so many sessions throughout the day with multiple sessions running at once. I guarantee that if you go to sessions you will learn something regardless of your blogging experience.
- Around the sessions there are regular breaks for lunch, tea and coffee, to catch up with friends, buy raffle tickets, try the tombola, to talk to brands or to see the cake being cut – and it’s always an epic cake.
- The brands at BlogOn are varied and although there are some familiar faces there are always new brands too. Plus, even the familiar brands have new products and campaigns coming out all the time. The brand den is a great place to chat to brands, network and make new connections or even just put names to faces, introducing yourselves to the PRs you’ve only ever spoken to over email.
- BlogOn hosts the BlogOn Community Fund. The event has always been none profit making on purpose so costs are as low as they possibly can be. But, any raffle ticket and tombola sales go into the Community Fund after the event. This is a fund which gives back to bloggers in the community and helps people who really need it. When bloggers’ partners or children have passed away, when bloggers have been sick or when bloggers have just been having a really tough time – the Community Fund is there to support them. It’s always nice knowing when you go to an event that they’re not just trying to make money – they are organising the event with bloggers truly in mind and at the heart of everything they do.
- The BlogOn raffle is amazing. Brands donate products, usually their newest toys, to the raffle and it’s a great opportunity to fill your present cupboard – or stock up for birthdays and Christmas. I now drive to BlogOn purely so I have my car boot to fill with raffle proceeds and the goodie bag!
- The goodie bag is a thing of legend. It has a real mix of products from toys and games to beauty products, food and drinks, cleaning products and stationery. Not everything in it suits everyone but I love getting it, sending some bits to the food bank, saving some things to gift, giving the children a few treats and even having some treats myself.
- BlogOn always leaves me feeling inspired. Whether that’s inspired to take pretty photos, get out and about with my camera, try something new or to battle with SEO and other stuff behind the scenes on my site. I always come away with a list of things to check out and try and a list of things to buy to help with blogging too. My Amazon wishlist is getting longer and longer. But, the main thing is that I come away with a bounce in my step and a real feeling of being able to make a change and do something with my blog or social media channels that I hadn’t felt like doing or even known about before.
- BlogOn is a happy place. It’s full of great people and above all else it’s a time to connect with other bloggers and celebrate this world that we are a part of. BlogOn always makes me step back and appreciate blogging for what it is – a pretty amazing hobby or career, one that works around family life and even compliments family life in many cases. BlogOn reinforces the fact that blogging makes us happy – if it didn’t, we wouldn’t do it. It takes so much of what we have – time, energy, focus – but it brings to much positivity too. Sometimes you need BlogOn to make you appreciate that.
So, I will be at BlogOn in a few months – and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I can’t wait to be surrounded by like-minded people, having so many hugs, laughing a lot and learning stuff too. If you’d like to find out more about my favourite conference take a look at the website – tickets are on sale now