JJ Miller is the author of Love London, a city-centric blog that covers all aspects of the London life including travel, lifestyle and of course, fashion. Over the past seven years, JJ has not only built herself a successful career in blogging but has used the strong network of bloggers and brands she has worked with to venture into event management. On 7 May, JJ is bringing some of the UK’s top bloggers and brands to Le Peep Boutique in Mayfair, London to tell audiences how they can make blogging work for them.
And unlike most blogger meet-ups, this evening comes with a social tag. JJ will be raising funds for Trinity Hospice in Clapham in memory of blogger and author Lisa Lynch. Lisa is best known for her candid blog Alright Tit, which led to a book and a BBC drama starring Sheridan Smith.
In this interview JJ talks us through what the Love London Blog evening will be all about, what it takes to organise an event from scratch and how will it benefit bloggers who attend.
What is the Love London Blog event about?
The #LLBlogEvent is a blogger and brand networking evening, aimed at sharing knowledge, tips and tricks, meeting some friendly new faces from both the blogging world and the agencies who work with us, and generally having a fun evening! There’s also a more serious side, as we’re raising money for a charity that’s very close to my heart, The Trinity Hospice in Clapham. Trinity cared for fellow (super-star) Blogger Lisa Lynch during her final battle with cancer, and I wanted to thank them by raising some money in her memory to help them continue their briliant work.
How did this idea come about?
I have hosted blogger events before in the hope of bringing our community together and creating better relationships between bloggers and agencies – although not for a couple of years. I’ve been wanting to raise some money for Trinity for a while now, and thought this was a fitting opportunity. Bloggers supporting Bloggers!
How does this benefit bloggers? How will it benefit you (as a blogger)?
This event offers many benefits to Bloggers. We have four incredible speakers giving informal talks. Hayley from London Beauty Queen, Muireann from BangsandaBun and Katy Horwood from All Sweetness & Life, Metro and Huffington Post, are all hugely successful, award-winning bloggers who will be sharing their stories and some of their top tips. Rebecca Brown from the Bloggers Lounge, specialises in giving bloggers advice on improving their blogs and getting better relationships with brands. Personally, I don’t think you can ever stop learning as a blogger as the “industry” changes and grows so quickly, so I can’t wait to hear some new points of view. Plus, we’ll have a room packed with bloggers of all genres and levels, and representatives of plenty of brands to meet and connect with. And there will be cupcakes. And wine. And a fuzzy feeling from helping such an amazing charity.
How are you working with brands/PR?
I’ve been blogging for around seven years and have built some fantastic relationships with certain agencies and brands who really take the time to get to know my blog, my interests and me as a person. As I write about London, which is such a fast moving city, I rely on their information to create content on a regular basis. I do still think there’s a long way to go though – many agencies still contact me about topics we have never, and would never write about. Great blogger outreach is so important now, and not just for us, but for brands too! It saves so much time in the long run and can prove hugely beneficial.
What advice would you give to someone trying to organise a blogger networking event?
Plan plan plan! Research is essential. And try not to do it all on your own. Having great relationships with bloggers, being part of blogger communities and also recognising exactly what people want to hear and learn about is essential. I’ve also reached out to the brands I’ve been working with for a long time to help with goody bags and extras. Also – some of the feedback I’ve received is that a lot of these events are held in London, so maybe look at other areas of the country – as there are lots of bloggers outside the capital too!
What are the challenges?
The challenges have been an interesting learning curve. The blogging community is definitely very split these days – between those who want to help, learn and contribute for all the right reasons, and those who unfortunately have mainly got into blogging for “free stuff”. Despite the event being for charity, some bloggers have decided they won’t come unless they are given free tickets, which is disappointing. Not all bloggers are like that by any means, we have lots of talented influencers coming along. And also – planning an event on election day was an error on my behalf, although most people are managing to work around that!
Le Peep Boutique in Mayfair, where the event will be held
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