Making Blogging Social

Last weekend was BritMums Live, some 600 bloggers were in the City of London. If you weren’t there, you might be feeling that everyone was, except you. Actually, while 600 is a lot, it is only a small part of an ever expanding community, there are many who didn’t make it to BritMums Live.

Conferences are frenetic, there is constant conversation and social networking. Combined with learning opportunities that flex the mind and speakers that flex emotions. Rooms packed with people all with blogging on their minds. It is, in many ways, the polar opposite to blogging which can feel like a very lone experience. Friends and family don’t always understand. Staring into a computer screen, face glowing from the reflected light, just you and the internet, pouring heart and soul into a post. Fingers hesitating for a moment before…. ‘publish’. Only for the return to be a bit of a zilch. Then a week later click ‘publish’ without much thought and hey presto! The world loves it.

Any established blogger will tell you, blogging is a process of continually putting it out there, with varying degrees of return. Maintaining enthusiasm is sometimes equivalent to banging your head against a brick wall. Meeting other bloggers, sharing why you started, what made you fall in love with blogging, exchanging highs and the lows casts a rosy glow and leaves a smile.

That’s the appeal of BritMums Live, coming together with other people who ‘get it’, sharing it all in proper sentences, face to face. Making blogging social is a wonderful thing.

OK, so conferences aren’t for everyone, factor in the cost of tickets, transport and accommodation. Add that, for many, London is a long way, it is an unfamiliar and expensive city. Arriving in central London with plans to meet people you may previously have only spoken to via the medium 140 characters is daunting. There are plenty of posts that reflect those emotions and how quickly fears melted and the positives of being surrounded by people who share a passion.

For me, my inspiration comes as much from other bloggers as it does from the sessions. There are many reasons to buy a ticket for BritMums 2015 and there maybe reasons why you don’t or can’t. That doesn’t mean that blogging can’t be social. BritMums organise regular events around the UK. Or make your own, it takes a minimum of two and a cup of tea. Apart from the social aspect, meeting other local bloggers can be an opportunity to share skills, develop ideas, swap contacts. Working collaboratively can bring many benefits. Pitching to a local business as more than one person offers extra coverage and additional expertise. Perhaps working with others to support a local cause appeals. There are Facebook groups out there for different parts of the UK, it’s just a case of finding them or go on, set your own up. What’s stopping you?

About Gemma M

Gemma blogs at Helloitsgemma, see link below She is an older not wiser, mother of one small boy. Gemma always has painted toe nails and enjoys cake.

• Mail
|
• Web
|
• Twitter
|
• Facebook
|
• More Posts(16)