The Blogger Union: Blogger Communities, Education, Networking & Collaboration

The following article has affiliate links. Starting a blog for the first time is an amazing yet daunting experience. To be honest, I didn’t realize that I would be in this position. But starting a blog gave me the freedom to write about the things that interest and excite me, which makes me love blogging even more.  The best part is, I can also share photos, videos, and audio, to make my blog posts visually appealing. But before you get too excited, I’d like to share some vital information to give you an idea of what goes down in starting a blog.  1. A new blog hardly receives visits at the beginning  Your posts will have very few readers for a long time. Although these entries initially don’t get traffic, you can still benefit from them if you create content with no expiration date. The more content you build on your blog, the better. Part of your blog’s success will be due to how long you can keep readers on your site. If you have lots of good content, the longer you can keep them there. RECOMMENDED: Get new readers to your blog using SEO 2. You have to be …

Video Tutorial: How To Create Your Own Linktree With WordPress What can I use instead of Linktree? I am going to show you how to create your linktree with WordPress by creating a page on your blog. If you like to take action and get started without reading the introduction click here and jump to the Steps to Create your linktree on WordPress. What Is Linktree Used For? We started using linktree because we wanted to share the many things we do on our Instagram profile, but Instagram only allows a single link. To promote an upcoming event, a new blog post, or video we use services like linktree and tapbio to create a simple page with various links our visitor can pick from. This page, basically an Instagram links landing page, is a brilliant idea. We just forgot we could make the exact same thing on our WordPress website easily and with all the additional features for FREE. What Is An Instagram Landing Page? An Instagram landing page is a single page on a website giving visitors several options to continue their interaction with your brand. These options can be links, videos, testimonials, shop products, newsletter signups, paid offers, and …

So, you’re thinking of starting a blog? Woohoo! We’re so excited for you! Obviously, all of us at The Blogger Union are advocates for blogging. We believe it’s a great way to express yourself + create a business and life you love. We know the techie part about getting your site up can be totally overwhelming. We get it. And the reason we do this free class is because we don’t want that fear to stop you from starting your blog. Why do we want you to start your blog? Mainly for selfish reasons: because we know that your message and you living your purpose can change the world. And we would would like that. So let’s change the world, shall we? STEP 1: Believe in Yourself! For all our Latina friends out there, this saying sounds pretty awesome in Spanish: Si se puede! Yes you can! Why are we cheering you on with the cheesiest slogan ever? Well, because you need to hear this. The main reason people don’t jump over the technical hump, is because they don’t believe they can actually do it. For some of us, the techie stuff automatically has us checking out. Seriously, you need to believe …

Hello 2022 and welcome! We started 2022 with a bang at our South Florida Bloggers Meet-Up! On March 19, 2022, we found ourselves back into the swing of things with our March Meetup. The event was centered around women empowerment and self-love and was hosted by food hall Doral Yard (@doralyard). Lunch and cocktails were provided by the restaurants you’ll find at Doral Yard: Della Bowls, Yip Miami, Un Pollo, and Santo Dulce Churros. It was hard to pick just one place to dine, as all the options were equally delicious and amazing! Founder, Paola Mendez, initiated the event with a warm welcome to all our current and new members. A panel was held shortly after which included Paola Mendez (@coralgableslove), Annie Vazquez (@anniethealchemist), and Gabriela Ortega (@girlsgoneboss). The panelists discussed techniques to practice self-love so that all our attendees could step into their magic! Panelists shared what self-love meant to them and how they practiced sharing self-love with themselves. After the panel and a little self-guided meditation, our members had the opportunity and were encouraged to interact and mingle with our sponsors, Chevrolet, Café la Llave, Baptist Health, Luz Flora, and others. The Chevrolet team brought along with them …

We’re back! We celebrated our return to in-person meetups this past Saturday and it was a success! The event was hosted by food hall Doral Yard in their gorgeous new outdoor area. If you’re ever looking for an event space in Doral, take a look at Doral Yard. Their new outdoor space is covered by an enormous awning so you can enjoy the weather while under the shade from the sun. Our lunch and cocktails were provided by the restaurants you’ll find at Doral Yard: Della Bowls, Yip Miami, Un Pollo, and Santo Dulce Churros. Everything was so delicious! I kicked off the meetup with a warm welcome to all of our members. Then, Barbara from Jovē Water, introduced herself to the attendees and shared a little about the Jovē brand. Jovē is a smooth, easy drinking alkaline water that goes deep to hydrate your skin & cells. Their team is excited about potential new partnerships with our members. Make sure to reach out with your ideas. Jovē is a brand that is excited about supporting the local community. Then, we had a lovely discussion about how to work with travel brands with two special guests: Mitchell Nover – Director of Public …

Let’s celebrate our first South Florida Bloggers Meetup of 2021! The travel industry has changed in the last year. Learn what hotels and tourism boards are looking for when it comes to influencer partnerships in 2021 and beyond. Join us, Mitchell Nover from Four Seasons Resort Nevis and Luz Castillo from PR agency FINN Partners who’s worked with Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Jamaica Tourist Board, Seatrade Cruise, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Visit Panama and more. Plus, meet the PR team of our sponsors Jovē Water & The Doral Yard. The first 50 attendees will receive a gift bag with goodies from our sponsors. RSVP Your Spot Powered by Eventbrite Speakers Mitchell Nover (Director of Public Relations and Communication at Four Seasons Resort Nevis) Mitchell Nover is a travel and hospitality PR professional and the co-founder of the blog Mitch and Mel Take Miami. A native of the DC Metro Area, Mitchell has lived in Miami since 2005. Since moving here he’s really grown to love the city, so much so that he’s even adopted the distinctive Miami accent – literally! In addition to co-managing Mitch and Mel Take Miami and constantly on a quest to discover the ins and …

February 9th, 2020 was a beautiful day for the South Florida Blogger Awards, with a cool breeze at the lovely grounds of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. We’re excited every year to celebrate the achievements of our bloggers and the constant support and collaboration amongst those in our community is truly great to see. All of our work throughout the year culminate in this fun event celebrating our love for the creatives who inspire and amaze us. Scroll to the list below to see the award winners who’ve inspired us in 2019. Ceremony Excitement Indoors As attendees arrived, they strolled the Montgomery Garden House lawn to a large sailcloth tent housing food stations, tables and floral arrangements. This, with sponsor booths, creative backdrops and the garden house itself all made for a beautiful indoor/outdoor setting. When it came time for the awards ceremoney, Paola Mendez, our founder, kicked off the excitement on stage and talked about her admiration and gratitude for our community’s achievements in 2019.  She has worked hard to grow the South Florida Bloggers and The Blogger Union nationally and it shows. Keep an eye out for more blogger awards shows around the country in the future! By the …

Are you earning income from your blog? Join us to hear how to set rates and get paid as a content creator and influencer in 2020. Veteran blogger and monetization coach Danielle Faust of OKDani.com will offer tips on earning income for your content from ads, affiliates and sponsored work. Join us at Her Power Space, the new coworking space in Sunrise by Michelle Talbert. Photo branding experiences also available by Unforgettable Entertainment. RSVP to Save Your Spot Date: Saturday, March 7th, from 11 am to 1 pm Location: Her Power Space, 4300 N. University Drive, Suite F-100, Sunrise, FL 33351 Free with RSVP. Guest Speaker:Danielle Faust Danielle Faust is an intuitive life and wellness coach and freelance writer based in South Florida. She candidly creates written and video content for OKDani.com, a positive lifestyle blog focused on wellness, manifesting and travel. She has partnered with numerous brands during her decade making a living as a blogger and now coaches bloggers, influencers and small business owners on how to monetize their digital presence as well. The mom of two also hosts the “Manifest It, Sis!” podcast and writes a monthly column in Birth of a Woman magazine.  Find her on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, Facebook. Sponsors: Thank …

Beauty blogging is a big category for our local bloggers, so we’re especially excited to welcome BoxyCharm as a sponsor of the 2019 South Florida Blogger Awards. BoxyCharm is a pioneer of monthly beauty subscriptions and works closely with bloggers and influencers on social media. So it’s no surprise they’ll be presenting the Best Beauty Blogger award, with CEO Joe Martin doing the honors himself. Join us at the award ceremony to meet CEO Joe Martin and to find out who will be named Best Beauty Blogger in South Florida. And there will be goodies too! BoxyCharm is providing every attendee with a box of full-size beauty goodies! Follow @BoxyCharm Follow @BoxyCharm on Instagram or Facebook and visit them online at boxycharm.com. Get Tickets Be sure to get your ticket for the South Florida Blogger Awards. Tickets are $25 in advance and $50 at the door. And Vote! Have you voted for your favorite Beauty Blogger? Voting closes January 30.

On Saturday. August 13th, The DC Bloggers gathered at La Cosecha in Union Market to hear Peyton of @peytonjohnsonnn talk about Everything You Need to Know About Blogging. She gave us facts and figures that many don’t talk openly about and we all learned so much about industry standards. Here’s what we learned: Follower count + engagement rate + brand partnerships + why they would pay your rates. For brand collaborations, brands pay attention to your follower account and engagement rate. Brands want good engagement to pay you your rate. Numbers are really complex.For example, if you have 10 followers and a 7-10% engagement rate, brands will work with you. Budgets vary from brand to brand. Consider the company’s size and whether they are local or large. Video content requires more work by the creator, so you should charge more for this. Some charge the same for Instagram stories because of the amount of work involved (and some don’t). Brands come at you with their lowest amount first. Negotiate higher. Ask them to make it mutually beneficial. When replying, start with gratitude, know you’re worth, and don’t be afraid to ask for it. Decide if you want to invest your …

On Saturday, March 19th, the DC bloggers gathered at the Tanger Outlets in National Harbor to hear Jenee’ Naylor from @highlowluxxe share all her tips and tricks on blogging. Jenee opened the floor for questions from the get-go and communicated that she wanted it to be more of an open dialogue rather than waiting for questions at the end. She kept the afternoon fun and productive! Here are some of the key takeaways: 1.       Stick to the platform that you’re best on and create a consistent routine to share with your following. Make the sacrifice now, it won’t be forever! 2.       Grow and glow! Challenge yourself with fresh ideas to figure out your value. 3.       Be authentic! You just need to show up to reach your audience. Those who feel they can relate best to your routine and what you share, will stick, while others pass by. 4.       You may not see growth right away when you’re first starting off, but that shouldn’t discourage you, keep showing up as your authentic self and you will attract a following that A special thanks to Tanger Outlets National Harbor for hosting us, our photographer, @kathleenmariephoto, videographer @outoftimeproductions. Special thanks to Tanger Outlets National Harbor for hosting us! Floral Backdrop …

On Thursday, November 18th the DC Bloggers gathered at Macy’s at Pentagon City Center to hear Lisa and Liz of @occasionallyluxe and @espressofied speak about Important Tips of Blogger Etiquette. Lisa and Liz kept it real and gave us the 411 on how to continue to authentically grow our brands. Here are some of the key takeaways:   Blogger Etiquette: 1) Always say thank you to PR brands that gift you and shout out to brands  2) Be responsive to emails from brands and respond as soon as you can, write thank you notes to brands who send PR invites and for gifting opportunities 3) If you are invited to a PR event and can’t make it, suggest another content creator to go in your place  4) Pitching-Keep pitches to 3 sentences or less, and keep DM’s short  5)  Be YOU! Working together with other creators: 1) Tag and mention all photographers  2) Give credit to where credit is due  3) When invited to PR events as a plus one, ask who invited you how you can support them and post for the brand  Rates and contracts:  1) Do not share contact with others without asking for permission  2) Get back to all …

We kicked off the new year with an exciting presentation made by Sian and Lorna from The Roman Guy and Katie from The Hostel Girl at the brand new hostel, The Rome Hello, located in the center of Rome, just a short walk from Repubblica metro station. February’s meetup was all on brand and influencer collaborations with Katie sharing her tips and advice on the influencer side and Sian and Lorna sharing their advice on the brand side. They spoke about their experiences working with brands/influencers, the right way on approaching collaborations, and do’s and dont’s. The evening started with a brief introduction by everyone. We had a full house this evening with a total of 25 people present! The Rome Hello was kind enough to offer those attending complimentary wine and prosecco to start the evening off. After the initial introduction, we went straight into the presentation with Sian, Lorna, Katie, and Estrella answering questions and speaking on their previous experiences with collaborating. Some of the points discussed during the meetup were: The Different Ways to Collaborate in return for product/service testing sponsored posts and affiliate programs social media takeovers co-creating content together How to Find One Another How …

We had such a great time during our April meetup with journalist & public radio professional, Katy Sewall, as she spoke on the topic of interviewing. The meetup took place on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Rome at the Alembic restaurant in the neighborhood of Trastevere, as we welcomed a packed house full of bloggers, writers, and photographers. During the presentation, Katy gave us practical tips & tricks we can use for interviewing- not only in a professional setting, but also when having day to day conversations with others. To become a better interviewer, Katy spoke to us about how to bring out personal stories of the people we encounter, how to mine for more depth in their answers, how to create a narrative arc in our questions, and even find out about the common mistakes interviewers make. Katy Sewall is also the host of the internationally known podcast, The Bittersweet Life, alongside co-host Tiffany Parks. Together the duo discuss expat life, repat life, travel, and try to answer some of life’s biggest questions, with some guest interviews along the way. To tune in and subscribe, click here. To summarize the conversation on how to be a good interviewer, here are …

To kick off the end of the year, Rome Bloggers hosted a fun, interactive aperitivo meetup at the Peaky Blinders cocktail bar located right in the center of the city, between Piazza Navona and Castel Sant’Angelo. Peaky Blinders cocktail bar is the perfect place to go sit down and enjoy a drink from their carefully crafted menu. During the aperitivo, they provided us with drinks, cheese, and curated meat while chatting about holiday plans, travel, work & more. Although many of our Rome Blogger members were traveling during this time, we were able to keep the meetup small and intimate to really get to know one another and chat about ideas for future blogger meet-ups. Having this time to chat was well-needed to settle into the end of the year. We plan on having very exciting events to come in the new year and can’t wait to have everyone participate. If you are new to Rome Bloggers, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on events which are hosted monthly. Also, a huge thank you to Peaky Blinders for hosting us in their beautiful space. If you’d like to check out Peaky Blinders while in …

One of the most beneficial things about being a Blogger Union member is having access to successful content creators in the community who are willing to share their knowledge. Last Sunday, an intimate group of Houston Blogger Union members gathered at Wisteria for a special blogger brunch. Over light bites and mimosas, our members got to ask Anastasia Hansen and Natalie Harms about their accomplished careers as bloggers. Anastasia and Natalie recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of their thriving blog, It’s Not Hou It’s Me. The two hosted our blogger roundtable at Wisteria, Houston’s newest destination for home decor. Wisteria offers traditional furniture and home decor featuring unique designs and one of a kind items. Before the informative workshop took place, we had a full tour of the Wisteria showroom. From a rainbow-hued pillow wall to holiday decor and gifts, the location has all you could ever want for decorating your space. When we finally sat down to chat with Anastasia and Natalie about their exciting five years in the industry, we pressed them on everything from their favorite tools to how they manage their busy schedules. Here are a few of the key takeaways from our conversation: It’s Not Hou …

Vibrant, colorful, fun, and informative—there are too many ways to describe the blast we had at our June meetup. Our June 8th meeting was held at STORY at Macy’s inside of Memorial City Mall. We had the privilege of learning photography tips from Maritere Rice, Houston’s very own the color queen and professional photographer. If you don’t know Maritere, you’ll want to follow her ASAP. Maritere Rice is a contemporary portrait, travel, fashion and lifestyle photographer and content creator located in Houston. She has a passion for inspired living, travel, and color—all of which you’ll see on her vivacious Instagram page. The morning began with members browsing STORY, dining on breakfast from New York Deli & Coffee Shop (catered by Houston Catering Concepts), and indulging their sweet tooth with themed cookies from Dessert Gallery. When the workshop kicked off, Maritere and Chapter Officer Jillian Goltzman kicked off a lively Q&A on all things photography related. Following the Q&A, Maritere gave one-on-one advice to each Blogger Union member so they could perfect their photo game. When our bloggers weren’t striking a pose or staging products at our flat lay station, they were connecting and making new relationships with local content creators. …

Join us for a Q&A session and hands-on tips with Houston photographer Maritere Rice (@mariterec) to learn about photography styling, shooting, and editing. Let STORY at Macy’s be your colorful backdrop as you learn to craft the perfect photo!  What to Expect:  Explore a world of color in one of Houston’s most Instagrammable destinations! From photo walls to flay lay stations, STORY at Macy’s is a colorful playground where our special guest Maritere Rice will be hosting a hands-on workshop to help you craft the perfect shot. Light bites and beverages will be provided by Dessert Gallery and Houston Catering Concepts. What to Bring:  Bring your camera/phone for a hands-on workshop to practice what you learn.  About Maritere:  Maritere Rice is a contemporary portrait, travel, fashion and lifestyle photographer and content creator located in Houston, TX. She has a passion for inspired living, travel and color. Maritere was born and raised in Mexico, and moved to Houston almost 20 years ago after marrying her husband, where they now live with their 4 children. About STORY: STORY, the narrative-driven retail concept shop brings to life an editorial approach to retail in 36 Macy’s stores nationwide. Opening with “Color” as its inaugural …