7 Things You Need For a Great Blogging Event

ad // Although sadly the days of regular blogging events seem to be over, thanks to COVID, there is still the need for blogging and influencer events and they can be a great way for bloggers to socialize and network and for brands to gain traction and awareness of their products.

When the pandemic was in full swing and everyone was working from home, there were lots of blogging events happening from the comfort of our own homes. I think that shows how wonderfully this industry can adapt to unforeseen circumstances but still be able to put on fun and professional events and workshops that have industry value.

I attended an event with ARK Skincare during the Winter of 2020 and it was a lovely, cozy little event which introduced us to some new products and also had us performing our own hand massages with the help of the brand representative with the products we were kindly sent before the event itself.

But now that the world is ticking along like the pandemic never happened in the first place (does anyone else feel super weird about that, like it was all some big dream?) it’s likely that we will continue to see in-person events again much more regularly. Although I do hope some brands continue to consider online events too, as they are great for a wider range of bloggers.

A topic and structure

Obviously all blogging events (or events in general) need a point. You don’t want to just be jumping from random topic to random topic, with your guests having no idea what’s coming next. A structure to your talk or presentations is always good and this can be planned well in advance to avoid any slip ups

Guests, industry experts or motivational speakers

Regardless of whether your event is online or in-person, you might want to consider getting other industry experts or motivational speakers on board to share a wider range of advice and stories with your guests. You also might want to consider using booking agents for motivational speakers, to find the right kind of speaker for your event.

Find the perfect time and place

If it’s online, ensure that the platform you’re using for the event is suitable for the amount of people who are likely to attend. If it’s in person, then that’ll be a bit more personal as to where you’re based and where your audience or perspective guests are based as to the most convenient place to hold the event.

Accessibility (both online and offline)

Accessibility is SO important and one of the main pitfalls of blogging and influencer events I read about. If you’re online, ensuring that deaf guests can be catered for with subtitles or if it’s an in person event, ensure the venue you choose is accessible to those who might need mobility aids. At this point, it’s really the least you can do.

Activities for attendees

All events will want some sort of activity. But obviously the activities will depend on the kind of event and the kind of brand running the event. If it’s a learning workshop via Zoom, you might slot in writing or drawing activities for attendees to do throughout as part of the program and if it’s in person then, well, you’re open to so many possibilities! You could consider:

• Drawing or painting
• Candle making or bath bomb making workshops
• Flower arranging
• Cocktail making
• Yoga or meditation sessions

The right kind of guests

It’s important for brands to invite the right sort of guests to their events and whilst all events will have a different need of what they hope to gain from it, inviting a car blogger to a beauty event probably isn’t going to get you the required coverage you need.

Freebies, gift bags, discount codes, exclusive access etc.

Obviously this isn’t the be all and end all of blogging events but it IS always nice to include something exclusive for attendees to take home, whether that’s something physical from an in-person event or digital downloads or discounts for those online events.

Have you ever been to a blogging event? What made the event stand out to you and what would you avoid? Let me know!