To be a blogger in this day and age can often feel like the equivalent of being a needle in a haystack. The effort goes in, you work ridiculously hard, keep your social media promotion ticking over, frantically timing your Instagram snaps, and editing like the photography ninja you are, but you can’t seem to stand out. You essentially can’t see the wood for the trees and it can get frustrating – trust me I know because that is me. People start blogging after you did and skyrocket to influencer stardom, but for some reason, your fantastic photography and skilled words don’t cut the mustard. Well, this is me…. Until all my hard work was rewarded with a MyProtein blogger of the year award, after finding my blogger niche. 

I have been on this blogging journey since around 2012 but more seriously in the past 4 years, it appears people know me but for one reason or another, but I didn’t stand out. I then realised what I was doing wrong, I was merging into one big blogger bubble so no wonder brands couldn’t see me, I wasn’t offering anything different or anything better, and simply churning out boring crappy content which I thought was what people wanted. I did London Fashion Week every season, tried to talk about designers like I had some sort of a clue about it, and tried my best to look fashionable, all for maybe a gift of a dress or a lipstick, but it just wasn’t me. 

I have always been into fitness. My whole family is active, so now I am taking my education down that road too with ICS Learn. My husband got me into triathlon back in 2014 and it all sort of snowballed from there, I was far more comfortable in gym clothing and adventure brands, than I was scrapping the pennies to buy designer or expensive high street clothes. I had found my unique pocket of the blog world, my only problem was my ridiculous finger in all the pies lifestyle might hold me back. Not only do I like fitness, I am no gym bunny, I do active outdoors content, but then love travel and food, so I still can’t be pigeonholed. I check the fitness box but travel and lifestyle play a heavy part – after trial and error, I think I have that all balanced out now. 

I sorted my self out basically. I stopped being a martyr wondering what I was doing wrong in blogging and thought, sod, I am just doing what I love, if people read it, fab, if they don’t well they’ll be missing out. I stepped up my game on all social channels and started talking about things close to my heart, my battle with later life diagnosed epilepsy, mental health, then advice on great trips for bike packing, or what it’s like running up Mont Blanc in certain trail shoes. It all became topics I thought would be worthy of reading, not, I bought this spotty tea dress and this is me taking a picture of myself on a tripod in my hallway – attempting to look stylish. Cringe. It didn’t suit me at all, but I feel like this shoe fits. 

I am getting my point promise! So, at the end of last year, I was awarded my first ever blog award. I am the blogging equivalent of always the bridesmaid never the bride, with 3 UK blog award finalist recognitions under my belt and some smaller nominations, I had sort of given up until the MyProtein award came about. The thing that sold it for me was that it wasn’t done on a popularity basis, it was done by a team of judges. My little blog won because they thought it was worthy of that award, and thanks to MyProtein doing that, 2018 is becoming super exciting, I am getting recognized for creating quality content and offering something maybe a little different. 

If you are a blogger and you felt like I did, perhaps ask yourself if you are being true to you and your voice. By all means, I am in no way shape or form preaching because each person’s goals are different, and I am not even close to being ‘popular’. But are you genuinely passionate about what you are creating? Are you giving a new look at an already well-covered topic? I actually should thank Sarah from Squatbot for inspiring me. I remember we met at LFW in 2012, both as fashion bloggers, she then began her transition over to fitness, and now she works for Reebok and is cross fit ninja fitness blogger. All I am saying is, write and post about your true passions because that content will always stand above the box checking ones. Back in the early days of blogging it was built on personal passions, it moved onto box checking the more people joined the community, then began the content merging and the frustration of real writers being recognised. I believe 2018 is the year to pull it back to that personal love bloggers have, well, for me, that is my 2018 goal.