Things I learnt about myself at Blogcamp

I attended my first blogging event last week. It was one of the smaller ones, so an ideal place to dip my toes into the physical side of my online world. I’ve got a few more coming up in the next year and now can’t wait.

Blogcamp was run by the friendly folks at Tots100 and sponsors Vibe Israel. You can find out more about them and what they do in this film.

The theme of the day was: taking your blog to the next level. There were presentations from entrepreneurs about turning innovative ideas into successful businesses, as well as tips from other bloggers.

It was a long and thought-provoking day.

On my train journey home I had a bit of time to reflect on what Blogcamp had taught me. I came to the conclusion that the most important lessons were about myself and what I want from my blog.

I’ve been blogging properly for about a year now. I enjoy writing – that’s why I started Tin Box Traveller – and I’ve been enthusiastic about putting more time into my posts. The rewards have been seeing my hits go up and my social media following grow.

Unsurprisingly, this has increased the number of approaches I have had from PR companies. How exciting! But to be honest, I wasn’t sure how to deal with this. Do I accept every offer that comes my way? How much is my blog worth? And will people snigger at my requests for cash in return for content?

I work in PR and have freelanced as well, so I’m not sure why I’ve had such a brain fart about this.

Blogcamp helped me get my head around these important questions and to understand a few things about myself. Here’s some of them:

Contents - jump to what you'd like to know

I do want to make money from my blog

Not because I think I’m going to make a living wage out of it but because I think I’m worth it. Brands can get a lot of value from bloggers and it’s only right that we are compensated appropriately. A very basic blog post that I’ve spent time writing, proof-reading and sharing on social media takes a couple of hours of my day when I could be relaxing in the bath or catching up on housework (like that’s going to happen).

I’ve already put this more ‘ballsy blogger’ approach into practice and was upfront about my rates with the first PR who contacted me after Blogcamp. The answer was no, but that’s also OK. By being up front no one’s time has been wasted.

I’m a ‘work in progress’ when it comes to Instagram

One of my favourite presentations of the day was by Lucy from Capture by Lucy. I’ve been haphazardly using Instagram since the beginning of the year, without much thought about what my posts say about me. Lucy is great at explaining Instagram and how you can make it work for you. Add to that, she’s a great speaker. You can’t help but feel inspired.

I’m not totally socially inept after six months on maternity leave

While I love spending time with Tin Box Baby and going to a variety of mummy groups, I have started to wonder whether I can hold a conversation with other grown ups without talking about poo.

It was so nice to chat with the people I’ve met online over the past year. I’ve heard others talk about this being the best part of blogger events and thought it sounded a little bit too good to be true. However, everyone really is very welcoming. Thanks to Lindsey at Boo and Maddie, Claire at Claire Justine, Victoria at Words and Pictures (also the face behind the Tots100 Twitter account), Cathy at Mummy Travels, Denise at Around the World with a Highchair, and Karen at Mini Travellers for their company. And sorry if I did mention poo!

I can’t have it all, all of the time

There was quite a lot of talk about work-life balance and if you want to combine being a parent and running a successful business you have to find the right balance for you. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution.

For me this means: enough with the mummy guilt. I need to be realistic about how much I can fit into my day and accept it. If that means turning off my social media notifications when I’m with the kids then that’s what I need to do. I’ve already given myself a good talking to a few times since Blogcamp when I’ve felt like I’m not doing enough in my home or blog lives. I am only human.

I like cake

OK, I already knew this. But the afternoon cake at Blogcamp was yummy!

Were you at Blogcamp? Are you going to any other blogging events in the next year?

I love hearing what people think about my blog so feel free to leave a comment below or browse around. You can also find me on Bloglovin’, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and LinkedIn.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

you baby me mummy

Monday 2nd of November 2015

I am so sorry we didn;t get to chat and I love that it was a positive experience for you. Thanks for linking up to #TheList x

Helena Ashworth

I like the sound of blogcamp and it sounds very informative. Maybe one day I'll pluck up the courage to go.

sam Rose

Sunday 1st of November 2015

It is good to hear your experience and sounds like you got a lot out of the event. I understand about balance with blogging and life etc it always feels like a ongoing battle to fight the pendalent X

Janette Davey

Friday 30th of October 2015

I've never been to a blog event and my blog is about the same age as yours. I think I would love to go to a blog event as it sounds as though you have gained a lot from it and I feel my blog is static at the moment. I really need to have a focus. Thanks

Sally Akins

It really sounds like it was a fab day - I'm gutted that I couldn't make it but I fell ill a few days before and lost my voice! :-(Still, write ups like your one help to make up for it a little bit! #TheList