How I Grow My Blog: Blogger Meet Ups

This year, I'm going to be focusing on one blogging related aspect each week to help me really develop my blog. By develop and grow (in the title), I'm referring to quality (content, photos, interaction), not quantity (followers, statistics). I'm really excited to be doing this. Blogging is something that I hope to continue to do and that I hope to continue to love doing!

Week One: Blogger Brunch

This week I started off very simple - a blogger get together. I've always loved meeting up with other bloggers. Whether it's sharing a meal together, catching up for a quick drink or attending a function. I've met a number of bloggers both in my home city and in other places.

Organizing a get together 

I did a Google search of bloggers in my area. There are various forums which have lists of bloggers by country. Perhaps you'd like to start a list yourself and see who else you find that way. It's nice to feel like you're not in this alone.

It can be scary approaching a blogger whose blog you love and follow to try to set up a blogger date, especially if you're shy. If you are shy, perhaps just dropping it casually in a tweet, comment or FB message - "let me know if you'd like to catch up for a coffee" (It helps if you already engage with the blogger). But this way you've left it open and up to the person to get in touch with you. 

I'm not shy but I am selective about the bloggers I meet up with. I usually already follow, comment and engage with bloggers before I meet up with them. I wouldn't meet up with a blogger whose blog I didn't at the very least read. 

If there aren't any bloggers in your area perhaps you'd like to extend your area and search wider. I'm always keen to meet with bloggers in Sydney (I'm in Canberra), it's not to far and it's nice having blog friends in a place that I visit often and that's close enough that if a blogger meet up happened, I could be off without too much hassle.

Megan and I at Brunch today - photo by Louise from Megan's camera...

How blogger get togethers help you and your blog

You meet other bloggers in your area

You extend your social networks as well as your blogger ones

You discover interesting/new venues in your area

You can bounce of ideas 

Sharing information about blogger events and blogger opportunities

Great tips on things like blog design, what works, what doesn't 

Dealing with bloggers block 

Helps you feel less alone

Talking through blogger etiquette

Feed off of each others energy! 

I remember after a blogger brunch last year, we were all so motivated that straight after brunch we were at home working on our blogs!

If you have an opportunity to get together with bloggers in your area, I hope you give it a go. You might be pleasantly surprised that most bloggers are just as wonderful in real life. And if you don't enjoy it, that's still a lesson. Perhaps it just means you have found the right group yet?

If you're an Australian based blogger, let me know, and if you're in Sydney, let me know! Would be great to catch up for a coffee! (see what I did just there?!)

And if you're off to a blogger meet up, this post is a must read!As you can see, we're improving! 

Have you been to many blogger meet ups? 
Would you go? 
What have your experiences been?