This week’s blogger networking week at our Customer Experience Centre in Soho.
The man behind both events is Andy Bargery, a passionate blogger himself who has been a fixture on the UK’s digital scene for some time.
We caught up with Andy ahead of the networking events to get his thoughts on why blogging is important, what advice he’d give to wannabe bloggers and why face-to-face meetings are still important in the digital age.
If you’re a blogger or small business owner who’s interested in coming along, you can find out more and register here.
TalkTalk Blog: When did you start blogging and why do you like it so much?
Andy Bargery: I started blogging in 2006 after hearing the story of a blog called EnglishCut. I’m a big believer in blogging because it allows individuals and businesses to demonstrate their passions and expertise and to foster conversations. I’ve met some incredibly interesting people since I started blogging and I’d recommend it for anyone who is keen to express their opinions.
Why would you recommend people start blogging?
It’s great for demonstrating expertise, passion, knowledge and for creating relationships.
What tips would you give to newbie or wannabe bloggers?
OK, a few tips. First of all, decide what you want to get out of the blog before you get started as this will affect the blog platform you use and how you set up your blog. Then just get started. Don’t worry if you are unsure about your writing skills, you will soon improve as you practise. Also, use a mixture of words, pictures, video or sound to make your blog stand out from the crowd.
Why are face-to-face meet-ups important for bloggers?
Our regular events provide a platform for bloggers to meet up in the real world, share tips for how to write a good blog, get inspiration for content and to simply meet other interesting people. Bloggers tend to be passionate people, whatever it is they write about, and are generally therefore really good to meet and chat with over a beer or two.
What do people get out of these meet-ups?
Conversation, inspiration, enhanced networks, work, job opportunities, prizes and importantly a couple of beers.
How many bloggers are there in the UK? How many are making enough money to survive through their blog?
I honestly couldn’t tell you but I would guess the number is hundreds of thousands if not millions of bloggers in the UK. There are very few people making enough money to live on through their blogs alone; rather it is the services / products they sell which are supported by a good blog that earn their crust.
Is there still scepticism about the value of blogging?
Yes, I believe some businesses are yet to be convinced of the value of a blog, but this applies across other social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook too. As with any business communication channel, it needs to be right for your business and integrated with other communications. That said in my opinion you would have to look hard for a product or service that couldn’t be supported by a good blog.
What’s your stance on anonymous blogging? Is it better to be open and transparent about your identity?
This really depends on the objectives for your blog and the content you are writing about. If you would prefer to keep your identify secret, then that’s absolutely fine.
What do you see as the future for blogging?
I suspect we’ll see the growth of new blogs to slow down as people realise the work that goes into maintaining a quality blog. Companies will look to engage more with bloggers as they become increasingly influential in how consumers and businesses make purchasing decisions, whether this is through influential amateur bloggers and microbloggers, or the many professional blogs out there.
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