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I’ve never been one for New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve made them in the past, however, they never seem to last longer than January. Not because I give up easily. It’s simply because I forget or end up having something more important to focus on. Regardless, at the start of this year, I set myself 5 blogging resolutions to help me grow my blog and make the most out of 2017. Now that New Year’s Eve is upon us once again, it’s time for me to look back and see whether I achieved these…
I have summarised my 2017 blogging resolutions below, but for the full version click here.
1. Stick to Content Calendars
“I have been creating content calendars for a while now, however, my guilty confession is that I don’t always stick to them.
Due to work and social commitments, as well as other circumstances such as my current broken phone, I end up either in a last minute rush to write something (never a good idea), posting at a time which isn’t appealing to my audience, or just not posting anything at all.
None of these solutions are going to help me build my blog or keep readers engaged, so therefore this year I have decided to commit to sticking to my calendar and planning and scheduling more content in advance.”
Review:
In short – no. I am ashamed to say, as much as I tried putting together content calendars at the start of 2017, this is one of those resolutions which only lasted about a month.
I do now, however, use a scheduling app to plan my Instagram posts in advance (well, most of the time), and a list of upcoming blog posts with a brief plan of the content so I don’t forget anything.
Becoming more organised and using content calendars will definitely be one of 2018’s resolutions – fingers crossed that next year it sticks!
2. Do More Collaborations
“Towards the end of last year, I organised my first collaborative piece with other bloggers. Collaborating with bloggers and brands is something I really enjoy doing and definitely plan to do more of this year. It’s always great to make new friends in the blogging community, as well gaining extra exposure for my own site.”
Review:
This was a resolution that took a very different turn than I expected it to at the start of this year. Instead of simply reaching out to individuals to collaborate with, as I did in the past, I started the group ‘London City Calling – Blogging Family’, for which I reached out to some other London bloggers and Instagrammers and asked if they’d like to join.
From here I contacted a few of my PR contacts and asked if they would like to work with us as a group. This has been a great opportunity for both the bloggers and brands involved.
Us bloggers have had the opportunity to meet other talented people with similar interests and work on collaborations, whilst brands have been able to work with a group of London bloggers and receive more content for their events.
But my absolute favourite part of creating this group has been making some amazing new friends who share my love of London!
A small group of us from the community at the Winterville launch night
3. Attend More Networking Events
“Events are great for meeting bloggers and influencers with similar interests to yourself, as well as getting yourself known to brands who might want to work with you. I love how much I leave these events having gained – in freebies and in knowledge!
I have also just booked my ticket for the Traverse conference at the end of April. This is a global gathering of digital influencers and brands coming together in London for a week of masterclasses, events, tours and parties.”
Review:
I can safely say that attending the Traverse conference back in April set me up for a crazy year of networking. After a fantastic 6 days spent meeting new people, attending classes, chatting to brands, and taking part in all sorts of amazing experiences around London, I was rearing to take my blog to the next level, make the most out of everything I had learnt, and get myself to as many networking events as possible.
So it was lucky that within a week of Traverse finishing I was invited to the week-long #MustSeeMenorca blogging conference and press trip in sunny Menorca in May.
Since these two conferences, I have been to plenty more events and meet-ups, including the massive World Travel Market in November, which may have been one of the most intimidating yet amazing experiences of my life. I am also looking forward to heading to Rotterdam in May for Traverse 2018.
4. Take a Photography Class
“I’ve always loved photography, and I like to think I’m not too awful at it. Anyone who knows me can tell you how annoying I can be to go out with due to my inability to walk more than 5 minutes down the street without stopping for a photo op (what can I say, London’s a beautiful city!).
However, up until now, these photos have just been spontaneous snaps on my iPhone camera. This is why I am now the proud owner of a Nikkon 3400! The problem is, I don’t really know how to use a DSLR.
I want to learn how to take beautiful night shots of the city lights, and long exposure shots of the buses and black cabs passing down Oxford Street. This is why I desperately need to take a photography class and learn how to become a pro.”
Review:
Having such a busy and hectic year, I haven’t yet had the chance to make it to a proper photography class yet, however, back in August, I did get to go on a photography walk around London with my new friend and talented photographer Brendan van Son. I finally learnt how to do long exposure shots with my DSLR, as well as figuring out what half of the settings on my camera do. There’s still a long way to go, but it’s a start!
5. Do More Things Worth Writing About
“This year I refuse to spend entire weekend’s laying on the sofa, but instead, I will make sure I am out exploring cool new places. I will stop going to that one same restaurant at the end of my road, but rather travel about the city trying more new food experiences.
My bank account may take a bashing, and I may have to sacrifice a few Saturday lay-ins, but I started this blog to write about everything I get up to in London and therefore the more I do the better it will become. I’m always open to suggestions and recommendations so please feel free to drop me a message in the comments!”
Review:
This is the resolution I believe I achieved to the fullest extent in 2017. Looking back on the last 12 months, I can’t think more than a handful of days that I spent on the sofa doing nothing. Whether it was going to conferences, attending launch events, trying new restaurants, checking out pop-ups, jetting around Europe, or simply exploring London and taking photos of my beautiful city, I can truly say I made the most of this year!
What were your resolutions this year? Did you achieve them? Let me know in the comments below…
Emily is a born and raised London girl, starting life in the north of the capital then moving down to Fulham in the southwest. She has a master’s degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology from University College London and now works full-time running this blog and as a freelance travel writer, splitting her life between London and travelling the world as a digital nomad.
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