They say time flies when you’re having fun. Well, this year at Blogosphere has flown by…
I can’t quite believe that we’re about to venture into a new decade. But we’ll look into the future at the end of this post, let’s start with some reflection.
The highlight of this year was definitely the Blogosphere Awards, which were in May. From arriving at the venue (One Marylebone) and seeing the huge Blogosphere banners outside to our flash mob surprising the 250 guests, the night was filled with fun, laughter and excitement. It was about championing the industry, championing the talent, and championing each other. It was feel good in the best possible way.
This year also saw the publication of our twentieth issue of Blogosphere magazine (and 21, and 22!). To hit the 20 milestone and see all the covers lined up in a row was an incredibly proud moment for the team. From an idea that sparked in January 2013 to the tangible reality of 20 issues in Blogosphere HQ’s magazine rack… it was something very special.
The magazine is the heart of Blogosphere and this year we also trialled out our first ever split cover series with Lorna Luxe. The reception to it was brilliant, and it has reignited our mission to keep experimenting with the magazine. We’ve got a few plans up our sleeves for next year already…
Our podcast – Blogosphere: Serious Influence – was rated the number 1 influencer marketing podcast in the world this year by Feedspot! We released two series of the podcast this year (2 & 3), and interviewed more than 20 influencer industry experts. The podcast has been brilliant in bringing together both sides of the industry and opening lines of communication across the market… we’ve already got some brilliant guests lined up for the next series!
In addition to the Blogosphere Awards, our events this year also included Blogosphere: Serious Influence Live, Blogosphere Lounge and the Blogosphere Festival. We are really proud of how the events branch of the business has scaled, and are consistently looking at providing the best value to attendees. The Festival this year grew from a one day to a two-day event and saw a multitude of panels, presentations and live podcast recordings take place. One review said the ticket was worth a panel alone. That’s the type of content we want to bring to the market. We want to create experiences that are not only enjoyable, but that are useful too.
Finally, this year saw Blogosphere work with some incredible brands. TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Superdrug, World Duty Free, Daniel Wellington, were among some who we collaborated with in 2019. We also got the chance to shout about new brands on the scene, and brands created by creators. We have an exciting ecosystem – and we need to support each other!
So… what does the next year look like? What are our plans? 2020 is all about infrastructure and innovation – building out the Blogosphere team, the Blogosphere brand, and getting the resources in place to build out our ideas and our reach our potential. We want to improve and grow. But we also want to make time to nurture what we have already built.
It’s about relationships. It’s about creators. It’s about community.
Happy New Year everyone!
Love Alice and the Blogosphere Team X