The Little Book of Blogging Inspiration

THE LITTLE BOOK OF BLOGGING INSPIRATION
INTERVIEWS WITH UK BLOGGERS COMPILED BY THE UK BLOG AWARDS
CONTENTS
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Blogging Statistics ................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Further Reading: ............................................................................................................................................................................... 4 This eBook ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Blogging Statistics from our Interviewed Bloggers ......................................................................................................................... 5 On a Personal Level:.............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 And from a Business Perspective: .................................................................................................................................................... 6 Interviews with UK Bloggers .................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Rebel Angel................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 LilliesandLove ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 8 Perfectly Imperfect Beauty...................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Eclectic Enchantments........................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Cake Over The World ............................................................................................................................................................................. 12 Bambella Blog........................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 theOnlyCog ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 14 Life is Peachy ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 15 Beauty By Viks.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Miss Kristy Anna...................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Miss Jojangles ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Case Study: EmmaBelleFashion .......................................................................................................................................................... 21 EmmaBelleFashion ................................................................................................................................................................................. 21 Naaj Ronas Lifestyle ............................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Infusapalooza ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 25 Liberal Feminist Musings...................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Never Fully Booked ................................................................................................................................................................................ 28 A Life More Lived .................................................................................................................................................................................... 28 MakeUp Fun .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 29 Fitcetera ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Events Northern ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Lifes a Catwalk ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 33
The Little Book of Blogging Inspiration: Interviews with UK Bloggers - Compiled by the UK Blog Awards 2
Case Study: Yummy Mummy xo ......................................................................................................................................................... 34 Yummy Mummy xo ................................................................................................................................................................................. 34 Ladies what... ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 35 Dolled Up Beauty ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 37 Case Study: Vegan Vox Blog ................................................................................................................................................................. 38 Vegan Vox Blog......................................................................................................................................................................................... 39 cosmincernica.com - the finer things in life .................................................................................................................................... 40 Food and Drink Glasgow ....................................................................................................................................................................... 41 Clo Clo's Closet ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 42 OxGadgets .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 43 Sue's Trifles ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 44 Gold Dust .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 45 SocialBookshelves.com.......................................................................................................................................................................... 46 Fairy Blog Mother.................................................................................................................................................................................... 47 Buxton Web Design ................................................................................................................................................................................ 49 Veg Plotting ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 50 Girl, Meets Wolf........................................................................................................................................................................................ 52 The Swindian ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 53 Gingle Lists Everything.......................................................................................................................................................................... 54 FashionFixHunter.................................................................................................................................................................................... 55 The UK Blog Awards ............................................................................................................................................................................... 57 Words from our Expert Judges and Supporters........................................................................................................................ 57 Gratitude and Thanks ............................................................................................................................................................................ 58 Thank You to our Sponsors/Supporters/Partners: ................................................................................................................. 58
The Little Book of Blogging Inspiration: Interviews with UK Bloggers - Compiled by the UK Blog Awards
I NTRODUCTION
BLOGGING STATISTICS
A blog (web-log) is a website or page on which an individual writes posts (or posts pictures or videos) about topics which interest them. Blogging continues to rise in popularity each year, with 31% more bloggers today than there were three years ago. The most recent statistics we can find suggest that 40% of blogs are from businesses and professional bloggers and 60% of bloggers are hobby bloggers who blog for fun and do not report any income from it. The most active blogging age group are aged 21 to 35 years but there is contradictory evidence whether more men or women blog. Most blogs are updated 2-3 times a week and the majority of bloggers admit to devoting 1-3 hours of their weekly time to maintaining it. Hobby bloggers often use blogs to speak their mind on an area of interest (31%) and express their personal musings or simply to share their passions. Their main success metric is personal satisfaction (61%). As it business a blog is a great opportunity to reach out more naturally to your customers and also to address any questions or issues that they may have. It is also a great way to establish your organisation and staff as experts in their field and set you apart from the competition. Businesses that blog 3-5 times a month have twice as much web traffic and inbound leads compared to those who dont blog? Encouragingly small businesses with less than 10 employees actually see the biggest gains in terms of web traffic and inbound leads when they post more articles, so it is a great leveller in terms of small businesses competing with larger corporations. Blogging has become a big part of many peoples internet browsing with 77% of internet users claiming they read blogs and 46% of people reading blogs more than once each day. People like the personal voice and accessibility that blogs offer. Individuals often believe blogs over direct sales information and 26% admit making final purchasing decisions based on the advice of influential bloggers. Nowadays people can find blogs on every topic imaginable and use them to decide whether to visit local restaurants, where to visit or go on holiday, what car or product to buy, how to solve a technical issue and even to provide inspiration for their wedding day. On a personal level it is reported that blogging can have a positive impact on your life and boost self-esteem. 54% agree that they have made friends through their blog and we have heard many positive stories about people battling depression, illness and low points in their life through the therapeutic power of writing. Blogging can also be a great career move and there are examples of people securing paid work as a result of their blog. Who knows what your blog could lead to, perhaps one day you could be one of the 14% of bloggers report earning a salary through blogging.....
F URTHER READING :
http://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics http://technorati.com/social-media/article/state-of-the-blogosphere-2011-introduction/ http://socialmediatoday.com/mikevelocity/1698201/blogging-stats-2013-infographic
THIS EBOOK
The UK Blog Awards are passionate about blogging and so we decided to create this free ebook to celebrate some of the fantastic bloggers we have in the UK. Through our weekly #BlogHour Twitter Chat (Tuesdays 9-10pm GMT) we know how supportive the blogging community can be and how willing many bloggers are to share their expertise and help others. We invited bloggers to complete an online interview sharing details of their blog, their motivations for blogging, highs and lows and their top blogging tips and we are excited to share their insights with you over the coming pages.
BLOGGING STATISTICS FROM OUR INTERVIEWED BLOGGERS

In terms of our own blogging survey results these are our own findings (38 respondents).
ON A PERSONAL LEVEL:
AND FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE:
I NTERVIEWS WITH UK BLOGGERS R EBEL ANGEL

Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://www.rebelangel.co.uk/ Sian Thomas
Brief Description of Your Blog: Rebel Angel is a personal style and life blog where I feature my daily outfits, reviews, recipes, books I've recently read and stories of the awkward/awesome things I've been up to recently. Year Blog was Established? 2010 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 15-20 hours Why is Blogging Important to You? It's given me the confidence to wear what I like to wear and not feel scared to do so. Before I started blogging, I owned clothes that I was too scared to wear out of the house, but by blogging them and receiving so much positive feedback, I've felt more confidence to go out and be myself in what I wear. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I'd been reading other style blogs for a while and decided that I wanted to try posting my own outfits too. Seeing the success of other bloggers was really exciting. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? Every day my blog goes from strength to strength. Some days it can be hard work, but seeing the numbers going up and the response I get from readers proves that it's all worth it. The style blogging community is amazing too I feel as though there's always someone there to help out or just to talk to.
The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Being invited to events where I've met other bloggers has been amazing. I went to Aintree a couple of years ago with Matalan which was a fantastic day and I got to spend the day with one of my best blogging friends. I've also been able to use blogging in my career now which is fantastic. I studied Classics at uni and wasn't sure which direction I would go. I went into teaching because I didn't know what else to do. I realised after 8 months it wasn't for me and started to look into what I could do in the world of the internet. My experience in blogging managed to get me a job in less than a couple of weeks doing exactly what I love - writing and blogger outreach. I now create content for a number of different sites in various niches (bathrooms, fashion, travel and health for example) and talk with bloggers on a daily basis about how we can work with them. I'm now doing a job which is perfect for me that I didn't even know existed before. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Discovering the internet trolls such as Get Off My Internets. It can be hard to ignore them but it's just something you learn to expect when you're putting yourself out on the internet. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Try to integrate yourself into the blogging community - find similar people in your niche who you aspire to be like and talk to them! Leave them genuine comments on their blog and interact with them on Twitter. Having those people around you will make blogging an enjoyable experience. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? Continue to grow my blog, along with the other I am currently setting up (lingerie blog - Big Cup Little Cup) and eventually make blogging a full time profession. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Girl Next Door Fashion Wish Wish Wish Selective Potential Delightfully Tacky Someone Like You Forever Amber Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: http://www.rebelangel.co.uk/2013/10/early-autumn.html @xrebel_angelx
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebel-Angel-UK-Style-and-FashionBlog/197647023612787?fref=ts Google+: Bloglovin' profile: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+SianThomas/posts http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3929445/rebel-angel-uk-style-fashion-blog
LILLIESANDL OVE
Blog Address: http://www.lilliesandlove.co.uk Blogger Name: Penny Fordham
Brief Description of Your Blog: Lifestyle blog of a 20-something (pushing 30) from Essex with champagne taste and lemonade pockets. A little piece of my world.
Year Blog was Established? 2012 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 5+ hours Why is Blogging Important to You? Writing has always been my passion, so my blog is an outlet for that. It's hard to explain what blogging means to me, but it really does make me genuinely happy. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I started blogging after I found myself single following a 7-year relationship then a following 2-year relationship. I wanted to document my way through life as a newly single lady, but soon enough I found my current boyfriend and LilliesandLove became less of a dating blog and more of a lifestyle one. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? The enjoyment it brings me, simple as that! The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Blogging makes me very happy in general, but making some new and wonderful friends through it is definitely one of the best things about it. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? I don't like seeing some of the negativity that can be brought into the world of blogging - I've seen people on forums slating other bloggers for no reason, that I can see, other than that they are jealous or intimidated by then. It's true that there are lots of bloggers in the world, but there's nothing wrong with a bit of healthy competition and if we are all blogging in our own voice, then every blog is going to be a little bit different and therefore nobody should feel threatened by anybody else. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Don't try too hard, don't try and replicate other and just be yourself. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? To carry on enjoying it as much as I do now. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Sera McDaid of The Agoraphobic Fashionista - she is an incredible woman and I have nothing but respect for her. Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://www.lilliesandlove.co.uk/2013/03/lilliesandloves-first-giveaway.html @lilliesandlove http://www.facebook.com/lilliesandlove.co.uk https://plus.google.com/u/0/100128450552184679697 http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3734545
PERFECTLY IMPERFECT B EAUTY

Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://taras-imperfect-perfect-beauty.blogspot.co.uk/ Tara Ryan
Brief Description of Your Blog: My blog is a place where I ramble about all things from beauty to fashion to life with tips, tricks and advice
thrown in the middle. Its a place for me to express myself through many of my loves. I write for people to prove that its okay to be imperfect and accepting it makes you the perfect YOU. Year Blog was Established? 2013 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 10 hours Why is Blogging Important to You? Blogging is important to me because when I started I just needed a little escape from the big bad world; a place where people dont judge each other. I have big dreams and I feel that starting my blog has made me more able to accept that Im not like everyone else but people will accept me for that and there are people like me. It's helped me to control my thoughts and be able to make sense of them. It also gives me a distraction from my own personal life and I feel that after starting my blog I have become more happier so blogging already has started to change my life after just a few months and it has made me notice the beautiful things in life. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I started blogging because I felt that I needed a distraction that didnt cause me stress and a place to put down all my thoughts and know that people are actually taking the time to read them; blogging is my escape. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? Blogging makes me happy. Having just one person tell me that my post was good just makes me want to carry on and seeing how it has affected other bloggers lives makes me think that it could be me one day if I carry on. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? I aim to go to meet ups & meet other bloggers, I would love to work with other bloggers aswell. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? I would have to say CoutureGirl: http://x-couturegirl-x.blogspot.co.uk/ Tattooed TeaLady: http://www.tattooedtealady.com/ My biggest inspiration is The ugly face of beauty: http://www.graciefrancesca.com/ Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://taras-imperfect-perfect-beauty.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/primark-haul.html @ImperfectBeautx https://plus.google.com/u/0/102300207815692132996/posts http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10496663/perfectly-imperfect-beauty
E CLECTIC E NCHANTMENTS
Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://eclecticenchantments.co.uk/ Erika Holt
Brief Description of Your Blog: My blog is an eclectic mix of all the things I love! Beauty, fashion, shoes and bags, making jewellery and dresses, with my love of vintage inspiring most everything I do. I'm giving my life a make over and Eclectic Enchantments is helping me to do this, sharing my struggle to have a life that isn't determined by my illnesses. Year Blog was Established? 2013
Blogging Platform Used:
Wordpress
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 30 hours Why is Blogging Important to You? I adore writing and blogging means I can combine that love with my passion for other things. It is a way for me to connect with the world at large, people from all walks of life and with stories of their own. Blogging is building a community, sharing what excites you and learning new things everyday! What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I have been ill for eight years and realised that my illness was basically ruling my life. I didn't care how I looked as I felt that being ill meant I did not deserve to looks nice or feel good about myself. One day I decided to change that, I realised that I can still be me, I might still be ill but that shouldn't mean I can't wear a nice dress or have fabulous make up. So, I started to write about what I was doing and suddenly I had a blog. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? My passion for life inspires me to keep blogging, to keep making those changes that have a positive impact on my life, but it also means I can share those experiences with others. If I hadn't started to blog, I would still be that person who let her illness rule her life. That alone is inspiration enough to keep going. I also feel that the community around blogging and Eclectic Enchantments is a fabulous inspiration. So supportive and encouraging, it would be hard to thank them adequately. Those people make me want to write and to learn what they think. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? I have only been blogging for a few months and already feel like so much has changed. I feel that there are quite a few highs, not least of which is finally realising that being unwell doesn't mean I'm worthless. Blogging gave me the courage to be me. Another high point is still something I can't quite believe. I was asked by the magazine BEAUTY The Guide editor, to write an article for their March 2014 edition. A life long dream of mine has been to be a published writer and it is because of my blog that in March I will be able to cross it off of my wishlist! The Lows of your Blogging Experience? The only real low that I have experienced with blogging, is someone who was not particularly nice, who was dishonest and used that deceit to gain following, PR opportunities and people's money. I was quite shocked at what I witnessed and it really disappointed me, making me think more carefully about who I interact with. Lying by saying that they are selling for charity, or saying they have children when they don't, but the worst was seeing this person say they had a disability when they didn't. It was definitely an eye opener. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Write about things that you are passionate about. It is more fun to write that way and people will enjoy reading a post more if they can feel your energy leaping from the 'page'. Stick at it, at first I felt extremely overwhelmed and confused. Bloggers have a great community and if you engage with people, they will engage with you. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? To continue writing and feel how I do about it right now. Excited and with a smile of my face. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? David from This Is Me. He has a very insightful, brutally honest and emotional blog about him and his fight with terminal cancer. David is funny, witty and intelligent. Mellissa from Diary of a Jewellery Lover Leah from 30 Something Curvy Me.
Any other comments or information you would like to share? Blogging is now part of my everyday life and I feel it always will be. I read as much as I write, I love to look at other blogs and interact with the fantastic bloggers out there. It has changed my life and given me one that I feel is my own! Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://hometohomecook.blogspot.co.uk/ @LacunaRaven https://www.facebook.com/ErikasEclecticEnchantments https://plus.google.com/u/0/114547280318238527476/posts http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/10789319
C AKE OVER T HE WORLD

Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://www.cakeovertheworld.com Eleanor Crossland
Brief Description of Your Blog: I adore baking and my blog revolves around recipes that make traditional, decadent desserts a little bit healthier. I am on a quest to bake the perfect macaron (ongoing) and share pictures of my handmade sugar-craft flowers. I also post regular 'finds' and top tips. Year Blog was Established? 2012 Blogging Platform Used: Wordpress
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 1 hour Why is Blogging Important to You? It gives me a creative outlet for my writing and baking as well as making me feel connected to others with similar interests to myself. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I wanted to keep my mind sharp just after I had moved to a new area and was searching for work. Combining my interests of writing and baking into a blog seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? I just like writing and creating I think! The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Being asked by a friend if she could guest-blog for me Also being asked to bake for an event by Chobani and then blogging about it The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Writers' block! What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Be creative and be yourself. Everyone has their own voice and style so never try to be anything you're not. Don't be afraid of scary-looking blogging platforms - you'll soon get used to them
Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? I'd like to continue writing regularly but also improve my skills in using food photography. I also want to keep more in the loop and apply what I learn to my cake decorating business and its promotion. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? I love www.livelifelovecake.com for their dedication to eating and reviewing cake and sweet treats! I also like http://teawithmeandfriends.blogspot.co.uk Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: http://cakeovertheworld.com/2013/02/28/yoghurt-in-cakes-healthier-bakes/ @cakeoverworld http://www.facebook.com/elegantrosecakes https://plus.google.com/u/0/105466948636290195679
BAMBELLA BLOG
Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://www.bambellablog.com Alexandra Maceachern
Brief Description of Your Blog: Bambella Blog is a place for me to share my money saving fashion ways and DIYs, with a small dose of my day to day life, beauty, food, and home decor. Year Blog was Established? 2012 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 45 hours Why is Blogging Important to You? Blogging isn't just important to me, it's become a key component to my life now. I spend quite a lot (read 'stupid amount') of time on it each week, perfecting posts, the layout, my collages and anything else I can think of to make it that little better. I have other creative outlets in my life, but blogging is 100% my favourite. I feel that I can be completely myself on it and people will accept me for who I am, which is an amazing feeling. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? After seeing a few friends that had blogs and helping them occasionally with things like photographing, I thought that it would be so much fun to start my own. I found it really exhilarating sharing my looks and opinions online where people would comment how much they liked this or that, which just spurred me on to keep going, and here I am now! What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Don't give up. It's easy to think that you're not getting any followers or no one's commenting so you might as well give up, but if everyone thought like that then there would be no blogs! Blogging is about different things for
different people, personally I love having followers as it inspires me to keep going and keep getting better, but other blog simply to get their opinions written down. Just make sure you do it for the reason you really want, but don't get disheartened if you feel you're 'failing' straight away. Good things come to those who wait (or in this case don't give up!). Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? Just like anyone with a hobby, ideally being able to make a living out of it would be incredible. I know this can be a bit of a controversial subject between bloggers, but I always think - if it were something else like dance, music, singing, painting, etc, making it your profession is the dream and I feel the same about blogging. Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Bloglovin' profile: http://www.bambellablog.com/2013/10/goldie-london-jacket-and-lv-lord.html @alexmaceachern https://www.facebook.com/BambellaBlog http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/3931455
THEO NLYCOG
Blog Address: http://theonlycog.com Blogger Name: David Jamieson
Brief Description of Your Blog: A technology blog, trying to focus on issues affecting people in the UK rather than a US centric blog. Year Blog was Established? 2011
Blogging Platform Used: self developed
Bespoke -
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? several hours but lots more researching Why is Blogging Important to You? I enjoy writing, and blogging is a good vehicle for this. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I could not find a blog which was UK focused and regularly updated with good content. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? The ever changing landscape of technology and wishing to share this with others. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Having people share my work with others. Receiving good feedback and interaction for readers. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? When people do not interact with the blog
What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Be unique. Your blog needs a different angle and it is hard work. Don't be disheartened when you think no one is reading. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? More user engagement Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: @theOnlyCog http://facebook.com/theonlycog https://plus.google.com/u/0/107249015019284591964/posts
LIFE IS PEACHY
Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://lifeispeachytales.blogspot.co.uk Emma Berry
Brief Description of Your Blog: a creative lifestyle blog by a new mum who is searching for the 'you' in mummy. Life is Peachy covers all means of crafting, recipes, fashion, styling and lifestyle with passion for creativity and creating a homemade life conscious of sustainability, ethical shopping and self-sufficiency. Founder of #CraftBlogClub on Twitter, eager to learn more in the crafting arena, yearning to publish first novel. Doesn't have chickens, would very much like some! Year Blog was Established? 2013 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? at least 10 hours a week Why is Blogging Important to You? Blogging is my permanent platform for my writing and my haven for publishing posts on whatever I want! I love writing and I want to use my blog to highlight some of the issues I feel are important - whether it's positivity about motherhood, crafting, creating new recipes or my challenge, The Frugally Fabulous Year, in which I steer clear of high street clothes shopping for one year - for both frugal and ethical reasons! Blogging is a chance to showcase my writing skills and create fun and, hopefully, inspiring posts about every day life - it makes me feel good to write it and I hope it makes others feel great to read it! What Motivated you to Start Blogging? When I was pregnant, I couldn't stand the amount of negativity that I heard from people about impending motherhood meaning my life would be over. It really was just the start of it and I have never felt more fulfilled than I do now! This fuelled my desire to start a blog and prove everyone wrong! I wanted to create something that surrounded the importance of finding 'you' and youtime - whether that meant baking, crafting or just indulging in your favourite TV programme. My blog has developed so much since then - I'm not writing about parenting but I am sharing my experiences of learning new things and wanting to raise awareness, and my motivation is still at the very heart of Life is Peachy. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? The constant change in my blog keeps me interested! I have far too many interests and I'm constantly finding new things to write about and explore - I enjoy challenging myself and stepping out of my comfort zone - hence the Frugal challenge and the feedback I've had has been incredible.
It really is rewarding to know that there are people out there who are reading your blog and are continually inspired by what you do - that is motivation enough to keep blogging. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Creating #CraftBlogClub and having a great response to the twitter chat was brilliant - proof that an off the cuff idea can really transform - we currently have over 30 people regularly joining in! I always get really excited about developing new ideas for the blog - my frugally fabulous year has been tough and has required a lot of research, but it's also been one of the best experiences of my life so far! Meeting other bloggers through social media etc has also been lovely - I've met some truly great bloggers and it's, on the whole, a lovely community to be part of. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Probably my first 'trolling' experience - I had some negative feedback on Reddit from two people who picked my Frugally Fabulous Year challenge apart and it really stung. I think to be a blogger and put your ideas out there, you have to learn to be thick skinned and accept that not everyone will agree with you, but that shouldn't change your opinions and the way you write. I turned it into a positive and put it down to a great experience that will toughen me up for future work! What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Be honest - if you don't write about something you are passionate about, people can see right through you! Don't try to be like anyone else - I am continually striving to be unique and I am inspired by bloggers who are the same. Find your niche and go with it - it doesn't matter if you stand out, in fact, that's the best possible place you can be in! Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? To keep going and, in the near future, switch to a self-hosted site that will give me even more freedom to explore and try new things! I hope to take my challenge further and produce a book on a similar theme too! I am ambitious enough to want Life is Peachy to become a household name in the blogging world! Overall, I want Life is Peachy to continue to promote great small businesses, ethical shopping and continue to inspire through my own homemade creations. If people still love what I do a few years from now, I'll be a happy woman! Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Rock and Roll Bride is absolutely brilliant and very innovative of her time. she has a consistent voice and her photo galleries are just to die for! Made Peachy is so creative, her blog is addictive! Top Blog Post: year.html Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://lifeispeachytales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/peachy-challenge-frugally-fabulous-
@LivePeachy http://www.facebook.com/lifeispeachytales https://plus.google.com/u/0/115820853632417536882 http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/8078519
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BEAUTY BY VIKS
Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://beautybyviks.blogspot.co.uk Vikki-Leigh Crowther
Brief Description of Your Blog: My blog is a beauty, fashion and lifestyle blog though predominantly beauty. It features posts on what I am loving, what I have been trying and what I want to try out in the future. Year Blog was Established? 2013 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 5 Hours Why is Blogging Important to You? I absolutely love blogging. It allows me to talk about things that I love and share my thoughts and opinions on things with other people who have similar interests. It is really great to have something like this to really work on in my spare time. I love developing my blog. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I have read beauty blogs and watched beauty bloggers on YouTube for a while now and I decided that I could definitely get involved and start my own beauty blog. Make up and beauty is something that I really love and I didn't see why I wouldn't be able to write about something which I love so much. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? The people that read my blog inspire me to keep blogging. I love seeing that people are reading my blog and I like to read the comments from people who are enjoying reading my blog. It is great to see that I am able to write about things that other people are interested in too. It is really nice to be able to share my passion for make up and beauty with other people. It is such a great way to meet new people as well. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? The high of my blogging experience so far has been seeing more and more people reading my blog and enjoying the posts which I write. It is great to think that people like what I have been writing about. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? I haven't yet experienced any lows of blogging. My blog is only around 2 months old, so maybe it is too young to have experienced many lows? All I know is that I am loving writing the blog and I want to carry on writing it for a very long time. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? As I am still quite a new blogger myself, the main tip I could give to even newer bloggers is to always plan out your posts. I like to keep a list of posts which I am going to write in the future, that way I don't run out of ideas and inspiration. I also like to write out and draft each of my posts on paper. I used to just sit straight down at the computer and try to write, but planning it all first makes it so much easier. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? My blogging aims for the future at the moment is really just to get a bigger following on my blog. I would like more people to be regularly enjoying the posts which I write. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? I have two bloggers which I admire the most and these are Tanya Burr at http://tanyaburr.co.uk/ and Fleur De Force at http://fleurdeforce.blogspot.co.uk/. These two girls are just fantastic and their blogs are amazing! I have loved them for so long and they really inspire me to blog.
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Any other comments or information you would like to share? If anyone is thinking about starting up a blog, but isn't too sure if it is really for them, all I can say is definitely give it a go! You will love it! Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://beautybyviks.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/october-favourites.html @VikkiLeighC https://plus.google.com/109085925113486719113/posts http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10635075/beauty-by-viks
M ISS KRISTY ANNA

Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://www.misskristyanna.com Kristy Barber
Brief Description of Your Blog: Journalism graduate and marketing geek blogging about friends, fashion and fun whilst spreading the word about local talent one artist at a time. Year Blog was Established? 2011 Blogging Platform Used: Wordpress
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 5 hours Why is Blogging Important to You? Blogging is a way I can be creative and write whatever I want when I want and how I want. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I was looking at taking Journalism at uni and on the open days people recommended I started a blog so I did and I've never looked back. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? Honestly it's the views. If you don't get views then you have no motivation to carry on. I've had so much great feedback from my blog from people I didn't even know read it. It's a great feeling logging and seeing you've got thousands of views in one day! The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Being contacted my MoneySupermarket.com to enter a road trip competition- I also met a few members of the TOWIE cast too. One of the biggest highs from my blogging experience is my job. I would not have the job i have now if I didn't have my blog. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Blogging in VERY time consuming and if you don't put the hours in you simply don't get the views.
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What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Make friends with other bloggers, join blogging networks and always blog about companies. If you get a good company share your blog you get lots of views. Also blog on things that are relevant- I got over 1000 views on a post in one hour before just because I wrote about something that was trending on twitter! Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? I would love to win some blogging awards and I think the dream would be to blog for a living! Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Freya Hill and Liberty London Girl - there are hundreds more that have amazing sites but can't name them all off the top of my head! Top Blog Post: range/ Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: http://www.misskristyanna.com/2012/10/04/geordie-shores-charlotte-has-own-dress-
@_kristybarber or @misskristyanna http://facebook.com/misskristyanna https://plus.google.com/104649721432424194993/posts
M ISS JOJANGLES
Blog Address: http://www.missjojangles.com Blogger Name: Jojo Rickart Brief Description of Your Blog: My blog is where I share all things crafty. From sharing DIY tutorials of how to make this and that to current projects I'm working on. I love all things handmade and this blog is a celebration of just that. I dibble and dabble in all sorts, crummy hand sewing, painting and glueing stuff to other stuff with a hot glue gun. I am in no way an expert and most of my creations are lopsided and funny looking but that is just the charm of making something yourself instead of buying it. Year Blog was Established? 2012 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? Too much time! The average of one whole day. I dedicate Sundays to writing the week's blog posts Why is Blogging Important to You? Blogging is important to me because it's my own personal voice and place on the Internet. We are bombarded daily with mainstream and manufactured produce all the time that the unique voices of bloggers is a welcome change. You can pick and choose to read what interests you and it's a fantastic way to meet like minded people.
What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I started blogging after I discovered fashion blogs. I began to read avidly and then realised that there were more blogs out there with different topics. I quickly became engrossed in many craft blogs. I soon read so many and loved them all so dearly but I thought to myself 'Why aren't I doing this? I could do this too!' What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? It becomes your life. You put so much effort into it that you want to keep making it better and better. I also love to interact with my readers. If I didn't post regularly, I'd feel like I was letting them down! The Highs of your Blogging Experience? I was nominated for 'Best Craft Blog' in the 'Cosmopolitan Blog Awards 2013'. I was blown away from the support of my friends, family and complete Internet strangers who voted! It meant I got to go down to London (which is a big deal for a small town girl like myself) and meet some amazing bloggers. It was so fun and a fantastic experience. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Oh dear! Of course there are a few but they are all very much behind the scenes. You never know what's going on behind someone's blog. I actually started blogging at a rather 'low point' in my life. I'd just dropped out of University, come home and wasn't all that well. I didn't know what to do but I took to making things and subsequently blogging about them. Blogging has brought me so many opportunities but I will always be grateful that it helped me through a difficult time. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Like any good blogger, of course, I've written a post about this! But my real advice is just go for it. You won't learn about how to blog by not actually doing it. It's self-taught and very much a trial and error thing. Be yourself, of course, and don't copy what others are doing. May your personality shine through, be creative and unique. But most of all enjoy it. It's only a bit of fun! Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? I love blogging so much that I now want to do it as career. That's the dream, anyway. I love the idea of writing ebooks, magazines etc. I'd love to push myself to do YouTube videos also. I've just opened an Etsy shop of my crafty makes - I'd love to expand on that! I'm currently studying Graphic Design and I would love to create my own business designing blogs, teaching about blogging in workshops and hosting blog meet-ups/festivals. My head is buzzing with blog plans sometimes it's hard to sleep. I think that's what is great about blogging. There are so many opportunities and paths it can lead you to. Sometimes, somewhere you least expect! Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? This is so long now and is ever growing. My idols are Elsie and Emma of A Beautiful Mess. They are the pinnacle of crafty bloggers. I also adore The New Craft Society and Trends With Benefits - who I was lucky enough to meet at the Cosmo Blog Awards. One of my heroes is Claireabellemakes. She has mentored me along my blogging journey and recently helped my start up my own Etsy shop. She is an inspiration for a crafty little thing like myself Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://www.missjojangles.com/2013/08/candy-crush-knitted-necklace-pattern.html @missjojangles https://www.facebook.com/MissJojangles https://www.facebook.com/MissJojangles http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10555923/
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C ASE STUDY: EMMABELLEFASHION

I discovered the beauty blogging community on YouTube aged 12 when I was searching on Google for tips to get long, luscious lashes. Since then I have been mesmerized by the incredible effects that makeup can give your overall appearance and I spent every penny of my pocket money on new makeup to try out these new skills! When I was sorting out my college choices I had no idea what I wanted to do so I took a 9-5 office job until the company went into administration recently and I became unemployed. With all my friends going off to uni, I felt lost. What was I going to do with my life? So one day I sat down with my Mum and we talked for hours about what Im good at photo retouching, writing, teaching, graphic design a jumbled lot of talents. My Mum also told me that shes overwhelmed by how much I know about makeup and the beauty industry and suggested that I do something with that. This was when the idea of starting a blog sprung to mind I can mix all these passions into one! How cool is that?! My Mum and I wrote my first post a fashion wish list. Since then I have fallen in love with blogging and the community that comes with it! When Id found my feet, I started to Google for tutorials to create Blogger templates and began experimenting with my own blogs HTML (weve had some cockups, believe me!) to create multiple different designs that are constantly changing as I discover new techniques. My favourite pastime is now writing new articles for the blog & playing around on Photoshop to create free downloadable Blogger templates for others to enjoy! Blogging has inspired me to get back into my passions in life and teach other people new things. Its honestly given me a purpose in life again and I want to grab this opportunity with both hands to spread my new found happiness with as many people as I possibly can! The growth that my blog has had since then is absolutely overwhelming Im almost at 10,000 views and I have over 500 followers across all platforms. For 3 months of blogging adventures, I think I must be doing something right. My confidence is also at an all-time high thanks to EmmaBelleFashion. I feel comfortable in my own skin and I feel as though I am helping others. All I want to do in life is to be happy and wherever that path may lead me, I have total faith in myself to get to where I need to be. Without blogging, I think I would believe that my life is worthless.
E MMABELLEF ASHION
Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://emmabellefashion.blogspot.co.uk/ Emma-Jane Saunt
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Brief Description of Your Blog: My blog isn't just another run of the mill beauty blog - it's a place to experience new things and learn new skills. I'm really passionate about teaching people and encouraging them to try something new. I only talk about brands that really inspire me and have affordable, high quality products. All the opinions on the blog are balanced and honest to create a trustworthy and very friendly atmosphere! EmmaBelleFashion also offers free Blogger templates - both premade & custom - to help other bloggers to find their feet and stand out from the crowd. These days your blog layout is so important and I understand that many people aren't too confident with graphic design, so that's where I step in! For those that do want to learn a thing or two about Photoshop I create regular tutorials to teach readers the basics of photo retouching as I know it can be very overwhelming! I take requests for tutorials too & offer full technical support via email so learning something new will never be out of a person's reach. Year Blog was Established? 2013 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 20 hours including promotion Why is Blogging Important to You? Blogging is important to me as it allows me to channel my creative energy into something that other people like me will find interesting and useful. I love to teach people and express my opinions so running EmmaBelleFashion is the perfect way to do so! Plus blogging gives me that chance to try out heaps of new beauty products, what's not to love about that? What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I started my blog when I was unemployed and feeling very lost in the world - I knew that I wanted to create something that I could cherish and inspire people with but I had no idea where to start. For years I have watched beauty & fashion clips on YouTube but I knew that wasn't for me as public speaking is my idea of a nightmare! However when I was watching these, I always had strong opinions about products/brands and I thought that others might appreciate hearing my voice about something. Not that I'm particularly interesting, obviously, just because I like to think that I'm very trustworthy! Another passion of mine is photography, retouching & graphic design so I really wanted to improve my skills in these areas while sharing my progress with others. Alas, my beauty come fashion come photoshop come lifestyle come whatever else springs to mind blog EmmaBelleFashion was created! I was and never will be looking for fame and fortune with my blog, just a place that people can come to relax, laugh and learn. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? Feedback. Hearing such lovely comments or suggestions for improvements are what keeps my blog running. Every time I see a tweet, email or blog comment about EmmaBelleFashion I get that warm, proud, fuzzy feeling inside that is so overwhelmingly beautiful! I know that for as long as I have the passion, I'll be blogging, which I'd like to be forever! The Highs of your Blogging Experience? My biggest most unbelievable high came just a few weeks after EmmaBelleFashion was created when a fellow blogger, and now friend, emailed me just to tell me how much she enjoyed and appreciated my blog. She told me that the Photoshop tutorial I had created to show her how to create smooth, airbrushed skin gave her the confidence to show close up photos of herself online. This email in itself is enough to keep my blog going, I'm still so, so happy that me sharing a skill that I've perfected for years has done that for her!
The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Everything in life has lows and blogging is no exception. My biggest low was when my Nan died a little while ago and I just couldn't concentrate for long enough to write blog posts for a week or so. I watched my blog being neglected and that hurt me, as I built up a little space on the internet that I'm very proud of yet I couldn't bring myself to improve it. Since then I have channeled all my energy into my blog and I am now blogging everyday. I know my Nan loved what I do as she adored makeup and fashion herself so I know she's very proud of me. Even if she was an 83 year old woman who didn't really understand what a blog is, bless her! What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? My best tip would be to be yourself in every situation! It's painful to see bloggers trying to be something they're not and it doesn't make for a good read. I'd also say to only write when you're feeling inspired and passionate about what you're doing as a blog with a few thorough and fun to read posts is so much better than one full of heaps of half-hearted blog posts. Another tip I would give to a new blogger is to know your motives - are you doing this for internet fame or are you doing it to spread your wisdom and passion? Is it's the first, stop now. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? I want EmmaBelleFashion to inspire as many people as possible to learn about something new! I don't really care about views or followers, I care about readers and there's a huge difference. I want to teach people and give my honest, trustworthy opinions to others. My blog doesn't have a plan, it's just a rolling adventure! Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? I admire lots of bloggers and I understand the amount of effort that goes into starting up & running a blog alongside other commitments. The blogger that I admire the most would probably be Miss Budget Beauty (www.missbudgetbeauty.co.uk) as she started off her blog/YouTube when she was unemployed, like myself, and looking for a way to start her own business. Slowly but surely over the years she has created a fantastic blog with heaps of tips and tricks along the way that is now her full time job! She also has two young children which must be very hard to juggle on top of blogging, she must be superwoman or something and deserves a medal for her success. I find this kind of success to be very moving and this is why I admire her so much. Top Blog Post: smoothing.html Twitter handle: Bloglovin' profile: Glipho Platform: http://emmabellefashion.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/photoshop-blemish-removal-skin-
@EmmaBelleBlog http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/10313117 http://glipho.com/emmabelleblog
NAAJ RONAS LIFESTYLE

Blog Address: http://naajronaslifestyle.blogspot.co.uk Blogger Name: Naaj Rona
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Brief Description of Your Blog: Life and Style blog filled with Fashion, DIY, Motivation and Inspiration. A bit of everything. Year Blog was Established? 2012 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 8-10 hours Why is Blogging Important to You? Blogging is like stress relief for me, kind of detox. Helps me get away from the hustle and the bustle and just relax. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? My friend introduced me to blogging and that is how I started. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? My readers. when someone says that I inspire them and gives me the motivation to continue. Getting inspired is one thing but inspiring someone is just the most amazing feeling ever. It doesn't matter if it is just one person. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Getting to connect with people from all over the world. I have made some really good friends through this new hobby of mine. Most importantly I have learned a lot of things especially tech wise. Blogging has also helped me go outside of my comfort zone and try new things which I would have never done before. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Doing everything myself. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Never Give up. Blogging takes time and needs a lot of patience. Write from your heart, give it a personal touch. Do not copy because your readers will notice it. Make sure you are consistent, it doesn't matter if you can blog only once a week. Quality over Quantity always. Interact with other blog in your community. Comment on their blogs. But no spamming. Meet up with other bloggers in your niche (I need to do this as well) Blog because you love, not because you have to. Have the will to learn and improve. If you think you know everything, you are wrong. Don't be disheartened when you get negative comments, you cannot please everyone. Take on board the negatives and see how you can improve. Do not compare your blog to others please. This is not going to help you at all. Be yourself and your readers will appreciate it. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? Be outgoing and meet other bloggers Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Wendy from Wendyslookbook Ella Catliff from La Petite Anglaise The Blonde Salad Song of Style
Any other comments or information you would like to share? Be true to yourself. It may take longer to achieve your set targets but you will get there. If there is a will, there is always a way. Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://naajronaslifestyle.blogspot.com/2013/08/love-my-figure-love-my-fashion.html @Naaj_Rona https://www.facebook.com/pages/Naaj-Ronas-Lifestyle/372230609562585 https://plus.google.com/110297950646452738836/posts http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6301867
I NFUSAPALOOZA
Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://www.infusapalooza.co.uk Dawn Aston
Brief Description of Your Blog: A place to share my interests and passions whilst learning and networking within the drinks industry. Living in the UK means that drinkers do not get the vast array of choice available in the US, and after realising this, I set out to create my own versions, and the blog was born. Year Blog was Established? 2013 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? Blog - 8hrs. Social Media to promote it - 1-4hrs. Why is Blogging Important to You? Blogging is important to me as it helped move my career back in to the food and drink industry, and therefore opened my eyes to the power of socialising and networking through interests. I have always had a career that required networking within a business capacity, but networking within a group of people with similar passions is a whole different beast to play with, and I have learnt so much, grown, and met some amazing people, through fantastic events, none of this would have been achieved without my blog, and that is the reason for my blog being so important to me. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? My previous role had developed my business development and marketing skills, however, it left me in an industry that didn't ignite my passion nor sparkle my eyes. I found it difficult to link my past experience of food and drink and redirect my career back to this, and so whilst exploring avenues to enter the industry, I discovered Twitter and my friends and family encouraged me to create a blog to share my creations and passion, and it helped open a number of doors. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? My blog is about having fun with flavours, and so I personally find it also prevents myself from living the same each day, drinking the same drink. It pushes me to try new flavours, new brands, be creative, and stay tuned to
the market, my like-minded contacts and friends, and continue to learn about something I love. I then create and share, and the feedback and praise received is something I am hugely proud of, knowing that the content and imagery is solely managed by myself, and hearing positive thoughts of my work is absolutely the best feeling in the world! The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Hearing that readers have tried your drinks, liked your photography, or make requests for you to try a new creation. Positive feedback is an amazing feeling. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Not having enough time to give readers regular updates, nor being able to dedicate the time to socialise and network as much as I'd like to. I am sure some harsh feedback would be hugely disappointing, but I am lucky enough to have not yet experienced this yet. I know it will one day show it's ugly face, but if given as constructive criticism, then I would certainly take on their opinions and direction, whilst considering the pros and cons to improving the blog. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Try to set aside time daily and weekly for social media and blog updates. Read lots of blogs, it's what you want on your blog, and so understand how the big boys (and girls) draw in the crowds. Do it for the love! Follow your heart, your passion will make you a success! Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Gin Fuelled Bluestocking - This women is an incredible inspiration to me, she has a fantastic appraoch to blogging, works full time yet finds the space in her life to experience, judge, bake, drink, make, and enjoy life......and then she somehow also has the time to write it all up for her blog! After only being in the blogging scene herself for just over a year, then if I can be just halfway to her success in the next year, then I will be extremely happy! Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: http://www.infusapalooza.co.uk/2013/05/homemade-lemonade-is-my-sunshine-in.html @Infusapalooza http://www.facebook.com/Infusapalooza http://plus.google.com/118278889893712786842
LIBERAL FEMINIST MUSINGS

Blog Address: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/salma-haidrani Blogger Name: Salma Haidrani
Brief Description of Your Blog: I single-handedly expose and report on the appalling, rampant sexism and gender inequality both at my very own University of Sheffields Students Union and on university campus nationally through my online blog on the Huffington Post UK. I use the platform to report and publicise this to both a national and global audience, where my blog posts have since reached as far as the United States, Canada and Australia.
Year Blog was Established? 2013 Blogging Platform Used: Huffington Post UK
What Motivated you to Start Blogging? Having observed that the appalling, rampant sexism and gender inequality both at my very own University of Sheffields Students Union and on university campus remained largely unreported in the mainstream media, I used the platform to report and publicise this to both a national and global audience. Through my online blog, I aimed to make a positive and tangible impact to the female student population both in encouraging my very own university as well as universities in the UK to tackle such endemic sexism, arguably a daily reality for female students at university. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? I have selected three of my blogging highs below: 1. In recognition of my commitment to raise awareness of the appalling sexism and gender inequality on university campuses nationally, I was selected as Student Blogger of the Week by the Editor of Huffington Post UK, a prestigious accolade that is only rarely awarded to a select number of student bloggers. 2. Since I launched my online blog on Huffington Post UK in February 2013, it continues to attract record numbers of web traffic and generating an enormous impact on social media, most notably on Facebook and Twitter, where my blog posts continue to receive record numbers of likes, shares and comments from both a British and International audience. The phenomenal audience response to my online blog is among the highest of the student bloggers who also have their own blog on Huffington Post UK. 3. In response to the original and high quality content of my blog posts, I was twice selected by the Editor of Huffington Post UK as Splash/Front Page Story worldwide for the week, a prestigious accolade as the site receives record numbers of blogs per week and is rarely awarded to the existing student bloggers on the site. This generated an enormous impact on social media. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? My blog posts frequently divide public opinion, which can encourage many to tweet abusive and threatening messages. It can be disheartening but it allows you to develop a thick skin! What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? To use Twitter effectively to promote your blog posts and to connect with fellow bloggers and industry professionals. Twitter can be a fantastic tool in providing you with a platform if used effectively! Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Jezebel, the American feminist blog, is a fantastic blogging site, continuing to inspire me through their groundbreaking commentary on contemporary American feminist issues. Top Blog Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/salma-haidrani/lads-mags-have-no-place-in-studentunions_b_3344870.html?utm_hp_ref=uk Twitter handle: @its_me_salma
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NEVER FULLY BOOKED

Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://neverfullybooked.blogspot.com Amy Sefton
Brief Description of Your Blog: What began as a blog about books became a mix of all things travel, food and lifestyle! The name, Never Fully Booked then refers both to the original purpose of the blog as well as to the hotels and restaurants that are, hopefully, never fully booked for when I visit! Year Blog was Established? 2011 Blogging Platform Used: Blogspot
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 1-2 hours Why is Blogging Important to You? It is a way for me to combine two loves - writing and travelling! It means that I can capture more detailed memories and reflect on my experiences without just letting them pass me by. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? Watching the stats page of my blog inspires me to keep at it. When you think that you are just talking to yourself and then numbers keep popping up in the page views section, it is really inspiring! It is a true example of how if you put effort into something, you'll get something out of it! The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Getting posts recognised and re-posted onto websites really does give me a rush! I was also once sent a book to review by the author himself - this was definitely a high! What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Focus on what it is you are trying to write about and who you are trying to reach. Successful bloggers really target their posts to their audiences and then interact with them. That's the beauty of blogging - it breaks down the barriers between you, your writing and the reader. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? To write more often and for more people. I love getting assignments because it really encourages my creativity and puts me under that all important pressure! Twitter handle: @Sefasaurus_Rex
A LIFE MORE LIVED

Blog Address: http://www.alifemorelived.co.uk Blogger Name: Sarah Cruickshank
Brief Description of Your Blog: It's about Family Life, Learning. Home working and Wellbeing Year Blog was Established? 2010 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? An hour or so
Why is Blogging Important to You? It's a great way of working with brands and writing about the things that are important to me. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I wanted another way to share my knowledge and passions with readers. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? I enjoy it. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Being recognised as a "expert" The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Believing no one actually reads what I'm writing What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Be really clear about why you're blogging and who you're blogging for. Keep at it and don't get disheartened if you think nobody's reading. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? Keep blogging Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Jo Middleton Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://www.alifemorelived.co.uk/2013/09/whats-on-your-fridge.html @SarahCru https://www.facebook.com/alifemorelived https://plus.google.com/u/0/+SarahCruickshank/posts https://www.bloglovin.com/sarahcru
M AKEUP FUN
Blog Address: http://makeupfun.blogspot.co.uk Blogger Name: Erika Agostino Brief Description of Your Blog: My blog is about beauty and fashion in general, full of tips, news, reviews and so on! Year Blog was Established? 2011 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 5 hours
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Why is Blogging Important to You? Blogging is important to me because I love to share my opinion and I feel important to the people who read my blog; they trust me and they think I give useful advices. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I think I had lot of things to share - and I still do. So I told myself "why don't you start a blog? Maybe you can be helpful to people." What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? My followers have grown faster without me even realise it. This motivated me to keep blogging more and more. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Blog about your passions and things you know. Blog with consciousness, honesty, positivity. Do it for fun, do it to be useful to people. Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://makeupfun.blogspot.it/2011/06/novita-make-up-for-ever-smoky-color.html @Stellausit https://www.facebook.com/pages/MakeUp-Fun-fan-page/312861032064537 https://plus.google.com/u/0/104312903040455939940/posts https://www.bloglovin.com/makeupfun
FITCETERA
Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://fitcetera.co.uk Georgina Spenceley
Brief Description of Your Blog: The health and fitness blog for fitness junkies, written by a fitness junkie. Forget prissy 1kg dumbbells and watery low fat yoghurts. Exercise is about working hard and pushing boundaries, and health is about eating real, natural food, with the odd slice of cake. No fads or frills, just no nonsense training, reviews and fitness... etcetera. Year Blog was Established? 2012 Blogging Platform Used: Wordpress
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 2-3 hours Why is Blogging Important to You? It's a way of expressing myself. I often find I have so much to say and my blog is my way of getting that out there. I'd love for people to read it, but even if they don't it's almost therapeutic to me! What Motivated you to Start Blogging? Whenever I had a question about health or fitness I would Google it and nine times out of ten it was a blog that would give me the answer. I wanted to help add to that resource. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? Reading other blogs and interacting with other bloggers is my main inspiration and motivation. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? I love the interaction when you post a blog that people can relate to. Comments, tweets, retweets or even emails. Just to know that someone has read your blog and something has resonated with them is a great feeling.
The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Again it's to do with interaction. Either a post that you felt really passionate about that just didn't make the impact you wanted it to make, or a post that people actually responded negatively to. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? You can't please everyone and blogs are meant to be about you and your thoughts and opinions. People won't always like that or agree with you. You have to stay true to yourself and not let yourself be swayed or distracted into becoming someone you're not. Write, a lot, and stick to what you believe. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? To have influence and impact I want people to not just read my blog, but to interact with me and be active in engaging with my blog. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Muireann Carey-Campbell of Bangs and a Bun & Spikes and Heels, Charlotte Thomas and Emma Lax of Lunges and Lycra. Any other comments or information you would like to share? If you're thinking of starting up a blog to talk about what you think and feel but you're having trouble taking that leap of faith then all I can say is just go for it! You won't regret it... and if you do, there's always the delete button! Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: http://fitcetera.co.uk/2013/10/24/confessions-of-a-health-and-fitness-blogger/ @fitcetera http://facebook.com/f1tcetera https://plus.google.com/103688222903846238402/posts
E VENTS NORTHERN
Blog Address: http://eventsnorthern.wordpress.com/ Blogger Name: Becki Cross
Brief Description of Your Blog: As a small business we cover the topics we are passionate about: event management, hints and tips about running successful events, social media, presentation skills, business learning for SMEs and other varied topics including innovation, technology and customer service. Year Blog was Established? 2011 Blogging Platform Used: Wordpress
Why is Blogging Important to You? I have read a lot about the benefits of blogging for businesses in terms of SEO, visibility, thought leadership, being regarded as an expert in your industry, etc. Obviously it would be great if these things come about, but in reality I blog for the love of writing and sharing my thoughts with the world!
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What Motivated you to Start Blogging? Blogging was both an appealing and a scary prospect to me and it was Gemma, Founder of the UK Blog Awards who encouraged and helped me to set up the blog originally. I found that blogging is something that I actually really enjoy and I am learning, developing and improving all the time. Not many UK event managers seem to be blogging currently, which is surprising. I am sure this will change in the near future though. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? Feedback, comments, likes and views are encouraging. I love reading blogs and that inspires me to keep writing and improving. You can learn so much from bloggers whatever their niche. Inspiration is everywhere, I just need more hours in a day! The Highs of your Blogging Experience? When people I respect such as other event managers, bloggers and industry magazines read a post and take time to interact. Taking part in Blog Every Day in November (#BEDN) taught me a lot: (http://eventsnorthern.wordpress.com/2013/11/30/what-have-i-learnt-from-bedn/) The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Prioritising blogging when running a small business and multiple event projects is never easy so there are times when my blog has been neglected unfortunately, including during my maternity leave. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? If blogging appeals to you then you should definitely give it a try! You need to be passionate about your subject area to succeed. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? To blog more regularly, to encourage more guest posts and to guest blog for others too. I am also keen to explore further the relationships between bloggers and live events. I also want to explore the potential of video blogging (vlogging). Which Blogs do you Admire the Most? Event Manager Blog (Julius Solaris is one of the expert judges for the events category of the UK Blog Awards by the way!) Michael Heipel Event Marketing Blog Plannerwire Evolero Liz King Events Velvet Chainsaws Midcourse Corrections Top Blog Post: worthwhile/ Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://eventsnorthern.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/are-event-management-degrees-
@eventsnorthern http://www.facebook.com/eventsnorthern https://plus.google.com/+EventsnorthernCoUk/posts http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10937101/events-northern-ltd

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LIFES A CATWALK
Blog Address: http://www.lifesacatwalk.com Blogger Name: Gemma Dorling
Brief Description of Your Blog: Fashion blog featuring interviews with brands/up and coming designers as well as honest reviews. Recently branched out to covering fitness. Year Blog was Established? 2013 Blogging Platform Used: Wordpress
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 10 hours Why is Blogging Important to You? Having given up my job of 8 years to become a Freelance Writer I now use my blog to promote myself. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? My love of fashion and writing first made me want to start a blog. I think it is a good way to express yourself. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? Other bloggers, its such a great community. I am also a perfectionist and want my blog to be the best it can be. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? When I was approached by a designer who liked my writing style and asked to be featured. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? When I feel I don't have enough time to dedicate to my blog or when I get bloggers block! What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Write about things you would like to read, you should blog for yourself not for anyone else. Don't just write want you think others will want to see. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? Of course I would love my blog to become well known but really I would just like to keep enjoying writing it. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Paula who writes The P-Ho Diaries, she always has interesting content and is so lovely! She has given me so much brilliant advice. Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: http://lifesacatwalk.com/2013/10/14/sleek-technique/ @lifesacatwalk86 https://www.facebook.com/lifesacatwalk86 https://plus.google.com/b/118358575607926169747/118358575607926169747/posts
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C ASE STUDY: YUMMY M UMMY XO

After the National UK Blog Awards asked me to write a case study on my blogging experience, I got very excited, such an amazing opportunity. I started my blog on the 2nd Sept 2013. When I started out I was unsure on what the blogging world would entail, I started off as Yummy Mummy a diary blogger whose identity was unknown. I wanted to secure the secrecy of my private life. Within a couple of weeks, I was enjoying blogging so much I decided to heck with it, and revealed my true self. A 20 year old full-time working mummy with a little almost 3 year old son. I now have ventured blogging into all things parenting, lifestyle, beauty and fashion related. It is a hobby alongside my daily life, but one of the best things I have ever done! I was starting to get depressed with my personal life, romantic issues, possible redundancy etc it wasn't the easiest time of my life. I was actually off sick recovering from surgery so I started blogging to pass the time. Now I have something to concentrate on, put all my energy into plus now I feel a part of the Blogging Community, with daily chats via Twitter etc. I honestly couldn't even explain the world of difference in how my mood has improved, I no longer am border line depressed. I am a very cheerful person, I get so excited about little things etc. Sometimes, I have down days though, I question myself and my beliefs. In blogging, in particular I wonder if actually I am good enough. Do people enjoy my posts? My train of thought is why would people follow or read if they were not interested (I hope anyway!) I guess I will never really know the answer to these questions. I put a lot of time and effort into my blog so far which in my eyes is paying off, I currently have gained over 5,500 page views, 420 twitter followers, 21 GFC followers and over 100 BlogLovin followers, all in such a short period which is crazy! Makes me feel so proud and like I have achieved something amazing. BUT I do not blog for all this, these are little extras. I blog for myself and only myself, it makes me happy. When I am angry and just want to go crazy, I let out that frustration by writing! I get the excuse to use my fancy camera to take some pictures for each post. I go into a little world of mine, where I am care free and able to express my own views. The great things about blogging, is that not many are judgemental, most are genuine honest friendly individuals which makes some very great friends. As you can see a whirlwind of emotions, but in the end for all the best reasons. I have no doubt that there will be more to come in the future, but currently Blogging makes me happy and I finally have a passion that I can set my mind too.
Y UMMY M UMMY XO
Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://www.yummy2010mummy.blogspot.com Gemma Collins
Brief Description of Your Blog: A 20 year old full-time working mummy with a new found interest in Blogging :) All things parent, beauty, fashion and lifestyle related, you name it and you'll find it on my blog! Year Blog was Established? September 2013 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? Most evenings
Why is Blogging Important to You? Blogging is a new hobby of mine, but it has really helped me as a person develop, as well as help my writing skills which are essential as a teacher. I was previously emotionally feeling down due to personal problems and blogging has helped concentrate my mind and all round improved my daily moods. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I have followed blogs for a couple of years, a local friend had a blog, after all her advertising via social media sites, I realised how fun it looked and decided to give it a go. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? It inspires me to keep blogging, by the help other bloggers and shopping I have lots of inspiration to blog about all things. I do a lot of research into my blogs to achieve the best of my ability in what I end up publishing. I rarely do off the top of my head posts, but sometimes they are fun when I do a Diary post. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? The highs are obviously improving my personal emotional moods as stated before, as well as being a part of the lovely blogging community. I am very proud of my work that I have done so far in my blog and the amount of people who seem to have an interest in my blog. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? The lows are very limited, mainly the fact that there has been some recent nastiness to other bloggers - not everyone is nice! What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? As a newbie blogger, I am probably not the best at giving top tips and advice, but one thing is to be consistent, once you start stick at it even if you think you aren't going anywhere. Second is you MUST use social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to advertise your blog - this is the main way most bloggers get their views and reputation from. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? My blogging aim is to keep enjoying myself, I am not in it for the prizes in competitions or awards etc as some bloggers are - don't get me wrong, they would be a lovely extra! But I blog for myself, a hobby I enjoy. Twitter handle: Bloglovin' profile: @yummymummyblogx http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10513505/yummy2010mummy
LADIES WHAT...
Blog Address: http://www.ladieswhat.co.uk Blogger Name: Emma Stuart
Brief Description of Your Blog: Unique, quirky and original - those are the things we love here at Ladies what... A lifestyle blog with a difference, we aim to provide you with fun and interesting stories about everything from crafting and cooking through to travel and style. Its not just the usual blogging fare - we look to cover the more weird and wonderful aspects of our work, hobbies and passions. So whether it unusual crafts, weird hobbies, off the beaten track adventures or the best of lady geekery, weve got it covered. As our tagline highlights, theres much to modern ladies than just lunch.
Year Blog was Established? 2012 Blogging Platform Used: Wordpress
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? Two of us run it and we both spend around 10 hours a week on various aspects of running the site. Why is Blogging Important to You? We love finding out about everything that's going on in the local area, the UK and across the world. There's some really amazing people out there and we love finding them and telling our readers about them. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? We started the blog as an excuse to go and try out all of the things on our 'to-do' list - we thought having the blog would make sure we actually did them rather than them getting lost amongst work and day-to-day life. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? We continue because we get to try out things we'd never otherwise do and also because it makes us really evaluate and pay attention to the things we get up to - you can't do anything half-heartedly if you want to give a good account to your readers! And our 'What's your passion' series lets us talk to people who put such dedication into their work and hobbies they are always such an inspiration. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? We've had so many so far - we recently spent the day on a truffle-hunt in the woods, we've been on tea-tasting and chocolate-tasting events and we're off on a cruise next month. We've also met some people who've become proper friends - online and off! The Lows of your Blogging Experience? I deal with the operations side of Ladies what... so my personal lows are whenever WordPress decides to misbehave! What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Write about what you love and don't worry too much about following all of the rules - the amount of do's and don'ts online can be overwhelming and often contradictory. So sure, do some planning (an editorial calendar is a must for us!) but don't get too caught up in it. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? Over the next year, we just want to continue developing the site and look at developing some of the many ideas we have for the site. And hopefully find time for a road-trip or two! Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Our top blogger friends are: Molly at The Move to America - she's a veteran of long-distance relationships and has recently emigrated to Ohio to live with her husband. Carla at Ducking Fabulous - she reminds us how important it is to sprinkle our lives with glitter and happiness Twitter handle: Facebook page: Bloglovin' profile: @ladieswhat https://www.facebook.com/theladieswhat http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/8097335
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DOLLED UP BEAUTY
Blog Address: http://www.dolledupbeauty.co.uk Blogger Name: Charlotte Maye
Brief Description of Your Blog: Dolled Up Beauty is a product review based blog, I blog about anything related to beauty, makeup, haircare and Skincare. I like to review products that are easily accessable, so mainly products that are affordable to most people, and available from the highstreet Year Blog was Established? 2011 Blogging Platform Used: Wordpress
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 15 hours per week Why is Blogging Important to You? I got into blogging after being made redundant, I have always worked in Marketing in the Health & Beauty Industry, so although it was my work, it is also my passion. I decided I wanted a new challenge, so I started up this website and learnt how to build a website, SEO, and all the background work which was a whole new learning experience for me. Blogging is important to me because I know I help others, and by writing reviews, it helps people make decisions about trying or purchasing products, and gives them the opportunity to hear about new brands. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? My love and passion for makeup and beauty. Beauty related products are something everyone grows up with, and having a career in that Industry it has been a huge part of my life. I have always liked reading other peoples reviews of products, just as you would review a holiday or hotel, so thought why not start up my own blog, and let people know my thoughts and reviews. The blogging community keep me motivated, we all have bad days, blogger blocks etc, but no matter what, the spirit within the bblogger community keeps me going as much as my followers. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? New products, products that make a difference to your life, that can make you feel just that little bit better. Family and friends, and the unconditional support. The blogging community. I really enjoy blogging, although a hobby, and it takes up a lot of my time, I wouldnt change it for the world, and I'm proud of my little corner of the internet! The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Friends you make, the support you receive. Brands supporting you. The knowledge you pick up, the things I have learnt about websites, SEO, social media, the list is never ending! Every day is a new challenge. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? The time and effort it takes to write a post. Sometimes you get bloggers block and have no idea to write, and everyday life takes over! Time is the only low of blogging that I have had so far! What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Blog for yourself, and no one else. Do it because you enjoy it, and you want to help and advise other people.
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Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? I give myself personal milestones, with regards to followers on Facebook and Twitter, but my personal aims are to improve my writing skills, actually go to a bblogger event and meet some other bloggers. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Terri Lowe - as she is a total all-rounder and always makes me laugh! Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://www.dolledupbeauty.co.uk/beauty-secrets-sudocrem/ @dolledupbeauty1 http://www.facebook.com/dolledupbeauty1 https://plus.google.com/108276415310676810958 http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4287001/dolled-up-beauty
C ASE STUDY: VEGAN VOX BLOG

My name is Vegan Vox. I am a relatively new blogger. I started my blog in July, 2013. I started my blog as a way to share my vegan journey with others; share my recipes, review vegan products I had found, promote vegan business and share vegan events. My blog took off faster than I was expecting and I now have around 2500 unique visitors per month to my blog and I have around 2000 followers across my social media platforms as of October 2013. This is growing every month. I am always surprised and delighted when readers contact me with pictures of the food they have cooked from my recipes and when I receive emails from happy readers who have found a product or recipe on my blog which is vegan which they thought they couldnt have again. Through my blog, I have connected with and made friends with many other bloggers, vegans and vegan businesses, discovered new foods and products and been to visit new places. Blogging has given me a platform to showcase my passion for vegan food, lifestyle and for writing. As a result, I have been approached by other vegan organisations and publications to write for them and have been able to leave my day job as an Education Library Manager and make writing and blogging my career! I have some exciting opportunities coming up in the near future collaborating with some household names outside of the vegan world to share my vegan lifestyle with a much wider audience. I am also planning much more for the blog in 2014 including online booking for vegan workshops, online courses, downloadable recipes, vegan cookery books and a merchandise eshop. I am collaborating with other vegan bloggers, organisations and publications over the coming months and will even have a stall at some of next years vegan festivals and events. Blogging has really changed my life for the better and who would have thought that this time last year, I wasnt even vegan (although I have been vegetarian for nearly 26 years) and now Im a vegan writer and blogger. A lot can happen in twelve months. My advice for new bloggers or people thinking about starting a blog is to write about something you are genuinely passionate about as it will take up a lot of your time.
Also, connect with other bloggers in your field and make time to go online and answer questions in the field you are writing about. Giving your time and expertise for free will go a long way in gaining peoples trust in you and your blog and ultimately write your blog for yourself and because you have something to share, not for monetary gain. If money comes along as a result then that is the icing on the (vegan) cake!
V EGAN VOX BLOG

Blog Address: http://veganvox.co.uk Brief Description of Your Blog: A vegan lifestyle blog featuring recipes, food, reviews, events, beauty and more. Year Blog was Established? 2013 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 10-15 hours Why is Blogging Important to You? I have a passion for food and love to show other people how easy it can be to reduce or eliminate meat and dairy products from their food and still create simple yet tasty meals and snacks. I love showing others how you can use health and beauty products without cruelty to animals, animal tasting or animal by-products. Finally, blogging is a way of sharing my journey as a vegan and helping others who may be vegan or thinking of going vegan. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I had been a vegetarian for 25 years and found it confusing when going vegan as to what I could and couldn't use, buy, cook with and eat. I looked around for a positive UK based blog with a range of healthy and non-healthy food, treats, indulgences, beauty products, events and interviews. I couldn't find one blog which covered all of the areas of veganism I wanted to read about in an informal and non-judgmental manner, so I decided to start one! What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? Since I started blogging, I have met a whole blogging and vegan community online and in real life who are so welcoming and I feel like writing my blog connects me to all of this new 'family' and also the feedback I have had from readers who have been inspired by my blog inspires me to continue my blog. The main reason is I love writing and sharing my vegan life with others. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? The best part of being a vegan food blogger is all of the lovely food I get to sample! I go out to interview vegan businesses, restaurants and events and get given so much delicious vegan food to try which then inspires me to create lovely vegan recipes of my own. The other high has to be the amazing community of vegan people I have connected with through my blog. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Sometimes when dealing with a ethical and emotional subject such as veganism, there are people who object to the lifestyle choices I make or who do not understand them. This sometimes causes negative comments, tweets or feedback. I try to educate people in a positive way by showing the positive aspects of veganism and do not rise to negativity. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Network, network, network! Getting your face and name out there through forums, social media, events and emails is a great way to promote your blog and connect with other bloggers and companies. Start off with a realistic number of posts and stick with it rather than trying to blog every day and then dropping down when you can't maintain that level of blogging.
Blog regularly and interact with your readers through social media and comments. Blog about something you love, that way it is never a chore. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? I would love for my blog to become the 'go-to' blog for vegans and 'not yet vegans' in the UK looking for a resource for everything vegan. I would love to release a cookery book featuring the most popular recipes from my blog. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Veggie Soup for the Soul www.veggiesoupforthesoul.blogspot.co.uk To Happy Vegans www.tohappyvegans.com Full Bellies on a Budget www.fullbelliesonabudget.tumbler.com I share a lot of photos of my vegan food creations, events and more on my Instagram account: www.instagram.com/veganvoxblog Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://veganvoxblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/the-ordinary-vegan-toby-carvery.html @veganvoxblog http://facebook.com/veganvoxblog http://google.com/+VeganVox http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/9745229
COSMINCERNICA.COM - THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE

Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://www.cosmincernica.com Cosmin Cernica
Brief Description of Your Blog: A lifestyle blog which aims to share the cult of luxury, delicacy and beauty superfluity with all the finer things in life lovers in the blogosphere. It's all about the latest fashion trends, luxurious travel destinations, fine dining and interesting people. All those things which add flavour to your life. The blog is currently written by myself, a PR and Marketing student at Birmingham City University. Year Blog was Established? 2013 Blogging Platform Used: WordPress
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 10-15 hours Why is Blogging Important to You? Blogging is part of my routine now. I am not sure I can live without blogging. Attending a super glamorous event and not blog about it...? No way! The blog for me has now two attributes : hobby and business.
What Motivated you to Start Blogging? My passion for all the good things, mixed together with my pleasure for writing, made me realise that some people might really enjoy reading all about my experiences. I consider that I give a voice in the luxury segment from an unusual perspective - as that of a student. I think this is the main reason I started blogging; I wanted to be different and stand out of the 'student blogs crowd', showing people there is something more than assignments and cheap booze in a daily student life. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? It is a joy for me to source interesting information and portray it in a way that interests and excites my readers. I can say that I am inspired by all the people I meet, by all the events I attend and all the wonderful places I discover travelling. It is my love of new experiences that makes my writing powerful and of course, I always use my experiences to inspire and advise others. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? After eleven months, my blog highlights include: press coverage in national fashion magazines (http://cosmincernica.com/media/), more than 13.000 followers on Twitter and of course all the accreditations for fashion events, including the recent London Fashion Week , Style Birmingham 2013, Harvey Nichols fashion events and the latest press accreditation I received for CLOTHES Show Live 6-10 December. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Be genuine, be honest and readers will love your blogs. Don't try to imitate and don't expect to get invites and products to review from the first week. Top Tip: Be nice and polite with the PR people. They are the link between you and all the brands you dream about! Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? I intend to take my blog to the next level, building up a stronger Social Media presence, create awareness ...and once cosmincernica.com has an even stronger established readership, I want to create Members Only events. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? In my opinion, Bryan Boy is creme de la creme. He started blogging at the age of 24, and now after 8 years, his blog has become one of the most recognized and he has been named as one of the most influential internet celebrities by the New York Post. Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: http://cosmincernica.com/there-is-a-heaven-called-fashion/ @cosmincernica https://www.facebook.com/CosminCernicaCom
FOOD AND DRINK GLASGOW

Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://www.foodanddrinkglasgow.co.uk Emma Mykytyn
Brief Description of Your Blog: Glasgow based food, drink, accommodation and product review site. Year Blog was Established? 2009 Blogging Platform Used: Wordpress
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Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 20 hours plus Why is Blogging Important to You? After becoming ill with M.E I found blogging a great way to keep motivated and sane! I find it satisfying to share information that I have found. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I found a gap in the area for reviewers who concentrated on imagery rather than yards of prose. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? The quickly changing food and drink environment, as well as the vibe of the hospitality industry is hard to ignore The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Meeting new friends and getting to meet those I admire such as James Martin - or is that lust after ;) The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Clique feeling at times, and the abuse by internet review sites of using bloggers as a free filler. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Keep sane, keep on top of your game, and have fun. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? Hoping to develop more links with other information providers. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Dooce in US who has a fun but informative blog. I used to follow la petite anglaise, made my life look quiet! Top Blog Post: pa34-4xg/ Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://www.foodanddrinkglasgow.co.uk/loch-melfort-hotel-arduaine-by-oban-argyll-
@glasgowfoodie https://www.facebook.com/FoodandDrinkGlasgow https://plus.google.com/105388188181799660096 http://www.bloglovin.com/glasgowfoodie
C LO CLO'S CLOSET
Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://www.chloepierre.com Chloe Pierre
Brief Description of Your Blog: A Fashion PR with a love of beauty and entertainment documents her journey through the niche industry, her lifestyle, work, diet and wardrobe.
Year Blog was Established? 2009 Blogging Platform Used: Blogspot.com
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 10 hours plus Why is Blogging Important to You? It is a hobby for me and allows me to share with my readers and site visitors all the fun things I have uncovered working in Fashion and PR and also the best bits of London. I also feel it gives a number of people a voice to say what they think of fashion, music, events, people, and food, not just me. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? The blogging came as a natural progression as I had always kept diaries so as I got older and my network and party schedule grew, creating a blog was just a matter of time. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? I hate to give up something, it's been a pet hate from when I was very young, so discontinuing the blog at any stage is not an option for me. Gaining hits on new posts, interactions through social media and comments inspires me to keep blogging, along with brand collaborations as it shows my reach and that I'm doing a decent job and reaching my goals for the blog. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Working with brands like Timberland, Paige Denim and Warehouse more recently really helped boost my confidence in my blog and style. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Receiving low views on posts I really loved writing. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Draft loads of great posts before going live and promoting the blog. Be open to criticism no matter how harsh but believe in yourself and come to terms with why you have created a blog and your goal for maintaining one. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? I hope to be invited to Q&A's via the blog and also to work more closely with high end fashion brands that I love. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? I love FashionFoieGras, Songs Of Style and also Persnl Uniform Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: Bloglovin' profile: http://www.chloepierre.com/2012/04/happy-20th-anniversary-sh-womenstore.html @chloepierreldn https://www.facebook.com/pages/ChloePierreLDN/155653217806304 https://plus.google.com/113745214040708071797/posts http://www.bloglovin.com/chloepierreldn
OXGADGETS
Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://www.oxgadgets.com Sami Mughal
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Brief Description of Your Blog: Reviews, news, and consumer advice for all things gadget and technology related. Special attention to the crowd sourced projects, as well as local items. Year Blog was Established? 2013 Blogging Platform Used: Wordpress
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 20-30 hours
Why is Blogging Important to You? It helps me express my love and passion of new technology, and it is something I really enjoy What Motivated you to Start Blogging? My love of gadgets, as well as wanting to try it. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? The daily basis of returns I get in the form of views, news, people getting in touch about my work, etc. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Getting invited to visit Braun's R&D facility in Germany based on some of my reviews. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? See what your core skill is, and it will take some time, but keep at it. Slowly, it will start to come together. If your blog is focused around a certain area such as food, beauty, tech, see if you can find people who deal with these and ask them for advice. Use Twitter. It is the best networking tool. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? Turn it into a magazine on the internet, and do it full time. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Too many to name! Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: @oxgadgets http://Facebook.com/oxgadgets https://plus.google.com/+Oxgadgets
SUE'S TRIFLES
Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://suestrifles.wordpress.com Susan Sanderson
Brief Description of Your Blog: This is my second blog, which has the purpose of taking part in challenges and blogging for fun on any topic. Topics include craft, books, words and some real life stories. I try to entertain and inform. I also include my verse.
Year Blog was Established? 2013 Why is Blogging Important to You? I enjoy writing. Blogging allows me to practise my writing skills. I am able to try out various types of writing. Regular posting schedules keep me motivated. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I began blogging in July 2012 as I had an idea for a writing project. It began mainly as sayings used in our family, but has widened to include other aspects of the English language. I wanted it to be available to my grown-up daughter. Having it as a blog seemed a good way of allowing her to look at it if she wished to. My first blog is http://suesconsideredtrifles.wordpress.com What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? I learn something new everyday. There are interesting blogs to read from bloggers all over the English-speaking world. My own research gives me new knowledge. I enjoy taking part in challenges, such as the Daily Prompt on WordPress, Blogging from A to Z in April and Blog Every Day in November. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? I was thrilled when Arlee Bird, the founder of the Blogging from A to Z in April Challenge visited my new blog early in the month and left an encouraging message. I have since written a guest post for Blogging from A to Z in April. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? There is a wealth of documentation available. While it is impossible to take it all in at once, most problems may be solved by reading and applying the information. If not, there are forums and most bloggers are happy to help if they have the time. If people comment on a post, it is friendly to reply. If they do not feel welcome, they may not return. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? I intend to keep both my blogs active for the foreseeable future. I have plenty of material for my English language blog. For my second blog I use the prompts and challenges, which are a regular feature of the blogosphere. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? I have a links page to some of the bloggers I follow: http://suesconsideredtrifles.wordpress.com/links/ Top Blog Post: pincushion/ Twitter handle: Facebook page: http://suestrifles.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/cathedral-window-patchwork-
@suesconsideredt https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sues-considered-trifles/149688428537835
GOLD D UST
Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://golddustk.blogspot.co.uk/ Katie Atkinson
Brief Description of Your Blog: UK Beauty, fashion and lifestyle blog. Generally I blog about anything I love! Year Blog was Established? 2011
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 12 Hours Why is Blogging Important to You? Socialising with other bloggers is a great way to get to know people What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I moved over 100 miles and knew nobody, blogging was a great hobby to make friends What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? Other bloggers The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Lots of lovely samples to review The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Bloggers not getting on with each other What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Use social networking platforms they are your best friend. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? Keep blogging as long as I love it Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? LLYMLRS, Sailor Jennie, Vivianna Does Make up, Tanya Burr Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Bloglovin' profile: http://golddustk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-hardest-post-ive-ever-written.html @Katieatki http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/3967567
SOCIALBOOKSHELVES.COM
Blog Address: http://www.socialbookshelves.com Blogger Name: Dane Cobain
Brief Description of Your Blog: This is just one of several blogs - my book review blog. I'm in the process of reviewing every book that I've read - each review is comprised of as many words as the book has pages, so a 500 page book gets a 500 word review. I also cross-post all of my reviews to GoodReads and Amazon, and I run regular competitions for book vouchers. Year Blog was Established? 2013 Blogging Platform Used: Self-hosted Wordpress
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 6-8 hours
Why is Blogging Important to You? I work in social media and I've always been a passionate writer (I studied creative writing at university and have written several novels), and blogging just gives me another creative outlet. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? My love of writing. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? My love of writing. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Writing guest articles for SocialMediaToday, AllFacebook and Memeburn. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Losing over 100 unpublished reviews due to a database failure. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Don't try to publish daily - start weekly, and work your way up. Also, learn basic SEO techniques and create social media pages, and try to write a half dozen articles before your site goes live so that you don't run out of content straight away. Always have at least one unpublished article ready to go in case your life becomes too busy for you to write another article. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? To make more money through affiliate sales on Amazon than I spend on competition prizes for the site. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Tina Bailey (The Mother Geek) - she's awesome. Top Blog Post: review/ Twitter handle: Facebook page: http://www.socialbookshelves.com/lynne-reid-banks-the-indian-in-the-cupboard-
@SocialShelves http://www.facebook.com/socialshelves
FAIRY BLOG MOTHER

Blog Address: http://fairyblogmother.co.uk Blogger Name: Alice Elliott
Brief Description of Your Blog: Fairy Blog Mother trains, explains and creates awareness about blogs and WordPress using ordinary, everyday language within easy to understand educational resources. We also create WordPress websites from the non-technical user's point of view, without jargon or coding and helping the owners to develop their website to its fullest capacity. Year Blog was Established? 2009 Blogging Platform Used: WordPress.org
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Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? Every day Why is Blogging Important to You? I passionately believe everyone should have the opportunity to understand and appreciate blogs and blogging, whether for personal or business use. Blogging is a fabulous way of expressing yourself, showcasing your expertise, setting yourself up as a thought-leader in your industry or enabling your readers to understand your point of view, find out more about your niche or providing extra value that could make a difference to someone's life. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I wanted to promote my graphic design business online, and someone suggested starting a blog. I found blogging to be more fascinating than graphic design, and wanted to tell everybody about it. After being met by blank stares, I realised it was necessary to blog about blogging to educate everybody about its virtues, uses and facilities, so hence the Fairy Blog Mother was born. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? There is so much to say! I'm constantly on the web reading and learning new stuff, and when I'm out and about I'm hearing new information that is valuable and should be shared. Blogging is an excellent medium that allows new content to be published, shared, commented on and spread virally to other readers. A blog is like the mothership of digital and content marketing, everything comes from it and goes back to it, and it supervises what happens to that content through relevant links and other interactive procedures. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Whenever I hear from a client who is succeeding in their blogging career. Whenever I get an email from someone thanking me that they have achieved such-and-such through blogging, or the penny has dropped and now they understand what I've been saying all along! Whenever someone who was sceptical about blogging in the past has given it a try, find they like it, has read up on my posts and lessons and is now blogging every day! Whenever someone is so pleased with the WordPress website I have created for them and their clients are just pouring in! The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Having writers block (though that's not often), looking at my stats and finding they have dropped, getting an annoying comment by someone who really hasn't understood what you've been trying to say, finding a competitor on the web that appears to be doing better than you or has copied something you've done. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? First, work out who your readers are. Select a niche that people are truly interested in, and that you know enough to write lots about. Work on your writing style, primarily to make it as conversational as possible so people can relate to what you say and the content flows easily so it's quicker to read. Don't worry about quantity, concentrating on quality is far more important to set up your status and expertise. Blogging consistently and regularly is much better than a flurry of activity and then leaving it for a while, not only for your readers but for the search engines as well. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? I would like to write enough content to compile a series of books about the various aspects of how to blog successfully. This is a huge subject on many levels, depending on what objectives or purpose the blogs and their authors have, but I would like to be seen as a blogging guru for digital and content marketing, and be recognised all over the world. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Sarah Arrow (I'm also a bird on Birds on the Blog), Amy Harrison, Andrea Vahl, Karen Skidmore - and probably loads more I can't remember at the moment! Any other comments or information you would like to share? Here are some other posts that might be of interest: http://fairyblogmother.co.uk/rant-struggling-outdated-hosting-package/
http://fairyblogmother.co.uk/banishing-blogging-myths-its-too-technical/ http://fairyblogmother.co.uk/about/ Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Facebook page: Google+: http://fairyblogmother.co.uk/what-stops-people-from-commenting-on-blogs/ @alice_elliott http://www.facebook.com/FairyBlogMother https://plus.google.com/u/0/100940357104503787842/posts
BUXTON WEB DESIGN

Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://ww.buxtonwebdesign.co.uk/blog/ Andrew Wearden
Brief Description of Your Blog: I am the owner of a small (but busy) web design company and use the blog to showcase new projects, company news and testimonials but also to offer advice to other small business owners about the benefits of blogging for business. I encourage guest blog articles as long as they are relevant and offer practical tips advice to smaller business/website visitors looking to increase their online visibility and credibility. Year Blog was Established? 2010 Blogging Platform Used: WordPress
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 2-5 hours per week Why is Blogging Important to You? As a web designer and marketer of sorts, I am a massive advocate of blogging and feel that maintaining a blog for your business offers massive search engine benefits, helps you to position yourself as an authority within your industry or field, works well with social media and encourages links to your site What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I just wanted to keep clients and visitors to my website engaged, I started by writing blog articles which might prove helpful to my clients like; 'Email marketing with MailChimp' and 'How to create a Facebook page for your business' What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? I love to see the response to blog articles, and it's nice when they lead to genuine enquiries, phone calls and orders. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Actually getting very profitable orders from blog posts! The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Not really a low as such, but my account sent a general email newsletter about what can and cannot be claimed as tax expenses which I thought would make a very interesting (and helpful) blog article: http://www.buxtonwebdesign.co.uk/2012/06/business-expenses-tax-deductible/ This drives so much traffic to my website, as the article answers so many questions that people are searching for in Google and other major search engines, but the traffic is completely irrelevant!
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What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Write about what you know, your blog posts are easier to write, and you can go in to a lot more depth. As a result they will have a sense of truth about them readers will appreciate. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? I'm on a mission to help more small businesses discover the benefits of blogging! Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Graham Jones, Internet Psychologist and Katy Cowan of Creative Boom Top Blog Post: http://www.buxtonwebdesign.co.uk/2013/05/the-best-way-to-grow-your-business-begood-at-what-you-do/ Twitter handle: Facebook page: @BuxtonWebDesign https://www.facebook.com/buxtonwebdesign
V EG PLOTTING
Blog Address: http://vegplotting.blogspot.co.uk/ Blogger Name: Michelle Chapman Brief Description of Your Blog: A blog about gardening, allotmenteering and my life based in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Spiced with a sense of humour, but also insightful, it reflects my wide ranging interests. It started when I was poised on the cusp of a life shift, Im a Jill of all trades, interested in everything that happens along my path. Year Blog was Established? 2007 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 10 hours Why is Blogging Important to You? It's good to focus on what interests and grounds me at a time when life can be hard sometimes. I enjoy the connection with like-minded people at home and abroad, some of whom have become firm friends. I've also been lucky enough to turn a creative outlet into a new career as a freelance writer. What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I started the day I resigned from my last job! Distance carer responsibilities (3 relatives, 300 miles apart) meant I could no longer combine them with a demanding job. I was looking for something new to try, found blogging and was instantly hooked! What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? A lot of what I write is about me trying things out, or things I've found out. My blog is my way of sorting out the information, so it makes sense in my head. Since I started blogging, I also realise I have a strong desire and need to communicate and explain things. It's a common thread to all the jobs I've had, whether they were the civil service, environmental education or as a business analyst in IT. Now I have the opportunity to put all the skills I've learned through life into a subject I'm passionate about.
The Highs of your Blogging Experience? There's lots! Raising over 1,000 for charity by opening my garden over the internet in the form of a blog in 2008 Arranging the first ever get together of 30 UK gardening bloggers at Malvern Spring Show in 2010 (bloggers from the UK, Netherlands, Poland and USA attended) Being a 'Blog of the Year' finalist at the Garden Media Guild Awards in 2009 and 2012 *crosses fingers for this year* Getting a Press Pass to the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show on Press Day and mingling with the stars (from 2011 onwards) Meeting my blogging pals across the pond at their annual Fling in Seattle in 2011 Being asked to look after a company blog, which documents the charity fund raising they do. Over 250k raised in 3 years Interviewing David Attenborough last year Being told by Michael Jamieson (silver medal at last year's Olympics and Team GB's top swimmer there) that the motivational tweets I'd sent him after a bad performance in the 2012 Olympics trials, had helped him come back and qualify for his main event Arranging a 'virtual event' for this year's Chelsea Fringe, which covered the whole of mainland Britain The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Being severely criticised by a member of the conventional gardening press on his blog for arranging the UK garden bloggers get together. It wasn't so much the criticism of me that rankled, but the criticism of 30 good folk, some of whom were travelling thousands of miles to be there. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Just do it. If you can write an email and include a picture in it, then you can blog. Be yourself and always treat people like you would like to be treated. Don't worry about 'blogging rules'. There are hardly any (though plenty of 'advice' out there tries to tell you there are) - that's why it's so great and such a fun way to express yourself. Don't worry about pleasing others, the most important reader of your blog is you. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? To increase the freelance writing opportunities I've enjoyed through blogging and I'm looking to publish a book about the '52 Week Salad Challenge' a fun project which I host on my blog. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? It's a moveable feast as I read lots of blogs - not just gardening ones. Anything well written with great photography gets my vote as well as anything which is written from the heart. If I have to single out one blog though, it's my fellow Chippenham blogger, Mark Charlton (http://viewsfromthebikeshed.blogspot.com/). His subject matter and writing style is so different to mine, yet we can jabber on for hours when we meet up for a glass of wine or three. Our annual exchange of quince (his) and apple (mine) jelly is a tradition I look forward to. Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: http://vegplotting.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/oots-wheres-our-public-planting-legacy.html @malvernmeet and @vegplotting
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Facebook page: Bloglovin' profile:
https://www.facebook.com/VegPlotting http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3961323/veg-plotting
GIRL, MEETS WOLF

Blog Address: http://www.girlmeetswolf.co.uk Blogger Name: Victoria Grantham Brief Description of Your Blog: Adventures in handmade and high heels. Tales of a girl, a wolf and a cat, living sustainably on a shoestring Year Blog was Established? 2010
Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 8-10 hours (minimum) Why is Blogging Important to You? Creative outlet, practice with writing, a way to expand my contacts, get paid writing and designing work What Motivated you to Start Blogging? Accountability - I wanted a way to see how my life/style/choices changed What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? Wanting to make it the best it can be, as food for my love of photography and as a kick up the bum to make and do the things I want to do The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Being contacted by Refuge after a post I wrote about domestic abuse and asked to work with them as a spokesperson The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Burning out, finding your own way and sticking to it What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Don't be afraid to experiment, readers will come and go whatever you do so you may as well do what you love regardless of the trend Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? To work on creating relevant and interesting content, to work with brands that fit my blog's niche (sustainable, ethical) Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Bleubird Vintage - Miss James shares her family with the blogging world in an informative and entertaining way, plus some fabulous photographs!
Twitter handle: Google+: Bloglovin' profile:
@girlmeetswolf http://google.com/+torsgrantham https://www.bloglovin.com/girlmeetswolf
T HE SWINDIAN
Blog Address: http://www.theswindian.com Blogger Name: Kiran Kishore
Brief Description of Your Blog: I am a Swiss-Indian (Swindian) who has been living in London for just over a year. I used to be an incredibly fussy eater and was happiest with plain rice, or pasta with a bit of butter. Over the past few years, this has changed profoundly as I have discovered the joy of eating and cooking, and this blog is part of that. I love cooking for others, eating out and I also enjoy writing, so I decided to combine all those things in a blog. I love experimenting with different cuisines: Indian, Chinese, Western, Middle Eastern and one of my favourite things to do is to take a recipe and modify it based on what is in my kitchen and how I feel. The results are often surprisingly good! I also love buying exotic ingredients, so my kitchen is filled with things like fenugreek powder, truffle oil and green bean noodles. I have also recently started to try out more vegetarian recipes. If Im not cooking, Im eating, which is why I also decided to include reviews of my favourite restaurants! I like places that are good value but dont compromise on quality, and I dont hold back in my reviews - you will always see both the good and bad experiences. Education is never finished, so whilst I learnt a lot of cooking from my parents, the Internet and other friends, I am constantly on the hunt for ways to expand my culinary knowledge. You can find some of my adventures on the foodie experiences page. Year Blog was Established? 2013 Blogging Platform Used: Wordpress
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 3-4 hours Why is Blogging Important to You? I like having something that I love outside my day job, and something that just fits perfectly into my normal dayto-day life. I feel it enhances my cooking and restaurant experiences even more, and that is why it's important to me. It has never felt like a burden, and I hope I will be able to do it for many years to come! What Motivated you to Start Blogging? Since leaving university and entering the world of work, I've noticed a significant decrease in the amount of time I spend writing about things I truly care about. I decided to start my blog in order to keep up writing, but also in order to share recipes and restaurant reviews. My love of food is a somewhat recent development, and I felt a
blog was the best way to harness it and also a way to share my cooking with friends, family, and the wider space. Too often have I cooked for someone and when I am asked for the recipe, I struggle to remember it or I have to write it down multiple times. This blog has also helped me become more aware of what I am cooking and eating, which is really useful! It's my humble contribution to the foodie blogosphere, which is absolutely enormous, but always has room for one more. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? I am always on the lookout for more food to eat, whether it's made in my home or somebody else's, and so I will never run out of things to write about. This is strangely empowering, as I never lack inspiration - this is what motivates me to continue blogging far into the future! Unless the Internet destroys us all... The Highs of your Blogging Experience? I get a high whenever somebody tells me they cooked a recipe that they found on my blog, or visited a restaurant that I reviewed. I love bringing joy to other people via food - I firmly believe that the way to somebody's heart is through their stomach, as my current relationship also started with food and strongly continues that tradition! The Lows of your Blogging Experience? I don't think there have been any! I never lack inspiration, as food is something that occupies me at least 3 times a day, and whilst I am slightly addicted to my stat counter on Wordpress, I don't see a small number of views as a deterrent. I like to think that even if only one person sees my blog, that they receive some sort of inspiration from it, and that's all that matters! What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Be yourself. Don't try and blog because you want to impress others. It should be something you do because YOU enjoy it and receive satisfaction from it. Read other blogs to see what kind of thing you'd like to do. Be inspired, but don't try and imitate - find your own voice! Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? I would like to become better at food photography, as my cooking skills are far superior to my photography skills at the moment! I would also like to learn how to cook for more people and possibly host supperclubs for fellow bloggers - but this can only be done once I have a bigger kitchen and dining area. I would also love to attend some courses on food writing to further my editorial skills. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? Rasamalaysia.com, as she just has the most incredible recipes and beautiful photography. krissyhunter.com, whose cakes make me want to learn how to bake properly. Top Blog Post: Twitter handle: Bloglovin' profile: http://theswindian.com/2013/11/20/10-kitchen-items-i-cant-live-without/ @kirankishore21 http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/7376971/the-swindian
GINGLE LISTS EVERYTHING

Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://www.ginglelistseverything.blogspot.co.uk Jamina Ward
Brief Description of Your Blog: A blog chronicling the places I go and things I do in London. I cover food, drink, clubbing and things to do. Year Blog was Established? 2011 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger
54 The Little Book of Blogging Inspiration: Interviews with UK Bloggers - Compiled by the UK Blog Awards
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? One to two hours Why is Blogging Important to You? It helps me document all the things I do in London that I don't want to forget - I used to keep a diary but that became more and more of a chore, however I wanted to keep track of all the things I did, so a blog seemed like the logical next step. It also helps me keep a record of all the places I want to go to - if I didn't write them down, I'd forget! What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I moved back to London after living in New York and started keeping a list of things I wanted to do to help me fall back in love with London. After coming across some other blogs, I thought both that I could do it and also it would help me document the things I did. What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? Keeping my blog for posterity, the fact that the number of people reading my blog keeps growing - that really inspires me to keep going. The Highs of your Blogging Experience? Hitting 50,000 page views and also being asked to feature in Time Out's Secret London blogger tips. The Lows of your Blogging Experience? Every now and then it does feel like a lot of effort and you wonder how many people are reading it. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Get on to Twitter - it helps me discover new things to blog about and I doubt I would have any readership at all without it! Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? Just to keep going. Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? I really like Hollow Legs - she does a food blog without making it too wanky! Twitter handle: Facebook page: @ginglesnuff https://www.facebook.com/GingleListsEverything
FASHIONF IXH UNTER

Blog Address: Blogger Name: http://www.fashionfixhunter.blogspot.co.uk Samantha Fergy
Brief Description of Your Blog: I blog about anything fashion, beauty, celeb, nail art, gadget related. I love sharing my stories with people all over the world. Year Blog was Established? 2011
Blogger
Approximately how much time do you spend on your blog each week? 4 hours?.. Maybe more or less depending on how much coursework I have. Why is Blogging Important to You? I started blogging when my Nan died, it is a nice way to express myself and share my stories and work with other people. I can be creative, silly, random etc because it's my blog, my space and I'm just being myself. I write like I am talking to the readers, because that's exactly what I'm doing. I also love how I can help promote causes, businesses and other peoples blogs, YouTube channels etc. There is so much you can do with a blog when you are thinking of others too. :) What Motivated you to Start Blogging? I needed something I can do in my spare time to take my mind off of losing my Nan and other things going on too. I do modelling and catwalking (I've catwalked at the 02;) so I am into fashion, I'm inspired by the way celebrities do things, like styling and designing so I thought why not put this to use? I looked into it and thought, lets start a blog. simple! What Inspires you to Keep Blogging? I'm enjoying just sharing my stories, helping to promote businesses - smaller ones too! I have seen other bloggers who have gone far with their blogs and I want to follow their lead. Then I could be really influential and help out people, I've already done quite a bit of fundraising but I'd like to be able to help more charities and make a difference to more peoples lives. Some bloggers dress as a 'fashion blogger stereo type' I've seen some around London and at London Fashion Week and I don't think that's necessary. What's necessary is to be yourself, and that's what I am, I won't wear things if I don't like them, just because they're 'in fashion'! The Highs of your Blogging Experience? I get to communicate with so many brands, I can help them out. I have made so many new connections with other bloggers, we help each other out, give advice - its nice to connect with people who have similar interests :) The Lows of your Blogging Experience? I haven't really had lows, but one bad thing would probably when I wrote about a celebrity and then you can get haters coming in and writing nasty comments about the celebrities. Which I delete because there's no hate. But still, dogs gonna bark. What Top Tips and Advice would you give to New Bloggers? Just enjoy yourself, don't pretend to be someone youre not. Your Blogging Aim(s) for the Future? To be well known, to be bigger and better. Maybe a design re-vamp - although I'm not sure how to do all that I want to go out and people recognize me, as either a model or blogger I dont mind Which Bloggers do you Admire the Most? http://fuckyeahnailart.tumblr.com/ http://fashionista.com/2013/01/influential-fashion-style-bloggers-2013/ Twitter handle: Google+: @sammigirl1994 https://plus.google.com/107270867331460693647/posts
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T HE UK BLOG AWARDS
The UK Blog Awards is the first cross industry blog awards set up to recognise individuals and organisations that blog from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is FREE to enter your blog and in 2014 there are 12 industry categories and two sub categories including the most innovative blog and best young persons blog. For more information go to: http://www.blogawardsuk.co.uk. Entries have closed for the 2014 awards but we still hope that you will discover new blogs to follow and cast your vote via the website. If you would like to be added to our mailing list sign up here. Follow us on Twitter @ukblogawards. You may also be interested in our #BlogHour Twitter Chat which take place every Tuesday 9-10pm UK time. This is an opportunity for bloggers to come along to share advice, blogging hints and tips, promote your recent blog posts and to network virtually!
WORDS FROM OUR EXPERT JUDGES AND SUPPORTERS

This is what some of the Expert Judges and Supporters of the UK Blog Awards had to say: Were excited to be a sponsor of the inaugural event and helping to spread the word amongst the blogging world. Its such a fast changing environment and at times it can seem like the wild west out there with so many blogs fighting to tell their own stories. For a scheme to recognise the craft and dedication of the very best individual and business bloggers across many sectors is a welcome move. We cant wait to learn and share our own experiences of blogging with the community and no doubt discover a raft of new and talented content creators. Rick Guttridge, Managing Director, Smoking Gun PR http://smokinggunpr.co.uk/ I think the Blog Awards will help promote the profile of the seriously-talented bloggers out there who dedicate their spare time to sharing, connecting and promoting all sorts of different things. Eleanor Crossland, E-Commerce Executive, Square Meal http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/ Im sure the UK Blog Awards will make a great contribution to recognising and celebrating the expertise and experience that is now available online in so many formats thanks to the passion and commitment from those giving their time and offering their knowledge to the sport, leisure and culture sector and beyond through the power of blogging. Jonathan Ives, Editor, The Leisure Review http://www.theleisurereview.co.uk/ I believe the blog awards is a great idea. It is clear that so many people have now found a voice via the internet and the awards recognise what is said and how it is said across a wide range of industries. Im pleased there is an automotive category because cars are part of everyday life and whether they be fast or slow, new or classic, nearly everyone has an opinion about them. Perry McCarthy Formula 1 and The Original Stig from Top Gear http://www.perrymccarthy.co.uk/ Without Innovation, the skills and lessons of true journalism will not expand to reach to a new kind of reader, one still hungry for information but from sources entirely different to those who have traditionally provided it to the masses. So Im delighted to be judging a category thats all about creating engaging and informative content in a variety of new and exciting ways. Jonathan Weinberg, Freelance Journalist and MD of Ten14 Media http://www.ten14media.com/ Blogging is a great way of bringing ideas to life. Sometimes in the writing will come new ways of being able to explain thoughts/concepts. In an industry as fast moving and competitive as events, bloggers can stand out and make a difference to the future of the industry. Paul Cook, Creator and Editor, Planet Planit http://www.planetplanit.biz/
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The blog awards are a fantastic idea and Im looking forward to seeing some of the best that the internet has to offer! The education sector is undergoing a lot of change at the moment. Blogging gives an opportunity for anyone with something interesting to say to influence this debate and the power of that cant be under-estimated in something thats as formative as learning and skills. Elliot Simmonds, Panel Manager, VoicED http://www.educationmarketresearchuk.com/ Blogs are important because they provide a means of expression, and give a voice to those education professionals and organisations who might not otherwise be heard or reported on in the mainstream media. Julian Stanley, Group Chief Executive, Teacher Support Network http://www.teachersupport.info/ I come into contact with hundreds of websites and blogs a year so having the opportunity to judge the Blog Awards especially the art blogs section to reward what for many people is a passion is something Im looking forward to immensely. Richard Moss, Editor, Culture 24 www.culture24.org.uk People still underplay the value of art and culture in society. Shining a light on intelligent and informed comment take the arts out of the shadows and place them centre stage. Claire Barlow, Regional Manager, Arts & Business North West http://artsandbusiness.bitc.org.uk/
GRATITUDE AND T HANKS

Thank you to every single one of the fantastic bloggers featured in this book. You are amazing and truly inspirational!
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS/SUPPORTERS/PARTNERS:

Special thanks go to the following:
58

The Little Book of Blogging Inspiration

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THE LITTLE BOOK OF BLOGGING INSPIRATION

INTERVIEWS WITH UK BLOGGERS COMPILED BY THE UK BLOG AWARDS

BLOGGING STATISTICS FROM OUR INTERVIEWED BLOGGERS

AND FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE:

I NTERVIEWS WITH UK BLOGGERS R EBEL ANGEL

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebel-Angel-UK-Style-and-FashionBlog/197647023612787?fref=ts Google+: Bloglovin' profile: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+SianThomas/posts http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3929445/rebel-angel-uk-style-fashion-blog

Year Blog was Established? 2012 Blogging Platform Used: Blogger

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT B EAUTY

Blogging Platform Used:

C AKE OVER T HE WORLD

Blogging Platform Used: self developed

@LivePeachy http://www.facebook.com/lifeispeachytales https://plus.google.com/u/0/115820853632417536882 http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/8078519

M ISS KRISTY ANNA

@_kristybarber or @misskristyanna http://facebook.com/misskristyanna https://plus.google.com/104649721432424194993/posts

C ASE STUDY: EMMABELLEFASHION

@EmmaBelleBlog http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/10313117 http://glipho.com/emmabelleblog

NAAJ RONAS LIFESTYLE

LIBERAL FEMINIST MUSINGS

NEVER FULLY BOOKED

A LIFE MORE LIVED

@eventsnorthern http://www.facebook.com/eventsnorthern https://plus.google.com/+EventsnorthernCoUk/posts http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10937101/events-northern-ltd

C ASE STUDY: YUMMY M UMMY XO

Year Blog was Established? 2012 Blogging Platform Used: Wordpress

C ASE STUDY: VEGAN VOX BLOG

V EGAN VOX BLOG

COSMINCERNICA.COM - THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE

FOOD AND DRINK GLASGOW

@glasgowfoodie https://www.facebook.com/FoodandDrinkGlasgow https://plus.google.com/105388188181799660096 http://www.bloglovin.com/glasgowfoodie

Year Blog was Established? 2009 Blogging Platform Used: Blogspot.com

FAIRY BLOG MOTHER

BUXTON WEB DESIGN

Facebook page: Bloglovin' profile:

GIRL, MEETS WOLF

Blogging Platform Used:

Twitter handle: Google+: Bloglovin' profile:

@girlmeetswolf http://google.com/+torsgrantham https://www.bloglovin.com/girlmeetswolf

GINGLE LISTS EVERYTHING

FASHIONF IXH UNTER

Blogging Platform Used:

WORDS FROM OUR EXPERT JUDGES AND SUPPORTERS

GRATITUDE AND T HANKS

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS/SUPPORTERS/PARTNERS:

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