Event: Zalando Blogger Awards

Whoopadeedoop peeps! I promised a post about the first Belgian Zalando Blogger Awards and here it is. I wanna share some bits and pieces about the night because it had quite some impact on me. *Insert screaming Zalando lady sound*

DRINKS AND FOOD

But let’s start on a less serious note. Drinks and food! Any good event hits off with them (wow that sounded way more spoiled than I intended to be). I just get excited about (good) food, that’s all. And there was plenty that evening. They even got a Cointreau bar where you could make your own cocktail. Strawberries? Check. Lemon, peppers, mint? Check. Check. Check. They really had it all. Eat Me? Aight!

BLOGGERS’ SECOND NATURE

Bloggers will do what bloggers do best. Picture time!! But yes, we do sometimes talk to one another, too. It’s like really socially excepted that you just start talking to someone you’ve actually never met. Uuh I think? I hope! Cause I’m doing it?! Damn, I actually never thought this through.

BLOGGER MASTER CLASS

After the mingling, talking, laughing and eating, we could join a Blogger Master Class. Sounds fancy, right? (Or maybe boring if you’re not a blogger?)

The class was given by Yara Michels from chapterfriday. A professional blogger and all-round business chick from the Netherlands. We were bombarded with a bunch of practical tips, tricks and general information about how to create a successful blog and how to find your way. And I heard her already. ~~My head has been going full forward ever since and who knows, maybe you’ll see some changes happening here as well.~~ As you noticed on the blog.

Some of Yara’s tips that really stuck are these:

• Write the way you talk to your girlfriends. Short sentences, add jokes if that’s who you are and share personal things.
• What’s in it for them? This one seems so simple, but indeed. If I think about it… what is in it for my readers? (Maybe you guys can answer this one for me?) Either way, something to think about and also the reason why I added the tips and trick category for starters.
• Don’t only share post updates via social media. Also add fun things in between and get your followers to interact (ask a question or retweet/share something for instance).
• Personality + passion + expertise = authenticity
• Find a niche. I’m still working to get more focussed on certain aspects but this one is a hard one for sure.
• Learn a couple of filters that you apply to all your pictures.

And lastly, not really a tip but I thought it was interesting to think about. She said she spent about 4 hours per post. I thought that was a lot. But when I think about, research, taking images, editing them, writing (sometimes re-writing), searching an outfit (shopping for an new outfit. Or doesn’t that count?). I think she was pretty right about the average of 4 hours.

TREND WATCHING CLASS

There was also a class Trend Watching given by Veerle Windels. One very excited Belgian fashion journalist who has been in the same room with many many big designers. (Jealous!) Consider us now completely up to date on all the upcoming trends.

AND THE AWARS GOES TO …

And before I forget (imagine that): the actual award ceremony. 3 lucky ladies went home with an amazing honour and a year of shopping at Zalando. Double win if you ask me. There was a people choice award, best newcomer and a jury award. I only new Polienne (she’s kinda famous…and with good reason) but I had a peek at the blog of the other two winners and fair is fair, An-Katrien really has an amazing sense of style. Original and diverse. And Svea, wow. The way she writes… Talk about a blog that could even work without 1 single image. I kinda had a, damn my writing skills suck moment there. Congrats ladies!