BLOGGING: WHAT WENT ON IN 2015

With 2015 on its way out, I thought it was time to round up on all things blogging over the last year! I could have added a whole lot more... There's always plenty going off in the blogging world, but for me these are some key things that will remind me of blogging in 2015. 

1. Marble was a blogging favourite. 

What's blogging life without a flat lay featuring something marble?! Ha. Just like the rose gold love affair that continues, marble felt like this year’s home décor favourite for us bloggers. To be fair, I do like marble... It's clean and simple, yet it always feels a little ‘swish’. I’m not quite over it yet.

2. Blogger tips became the thing. 

Don't get me wrong, I freaking love a good blogger tip. It's really useful to find out all this info that you can actually apply to what you do. I do think they need to be taken with a pinch of salt though. I reckon that most of the 'successful' bloggers didn't have much advice given to them to start with (mostly because they were probably some of the first to give this whole blogging thing a go), and while I know hard work is the biggest game player, I also believe that being in the right place, at the right time plays a role. Basically, I think most of us know there's no fail-safe route to becoming the next big name in blogging. For working out all things blogging though, my favourites have been Media Marmalade & The Lovecats Inc. I love a good Sunday afternoon flicking through their posts!

3. Looking ‘professional’ became a whole lot easier.

And with tips, came insight on how to make your blog seem a lot more professional. This year I’ve really noticed that our little blogs look flipping impressive. Remember when you just used to type in a header and maybe add in a html box?! Does that make me a blogging dinosaur?! Nowadays it’s fancy blog designs, media packs and extra beautiful imagery… All of which can be inexpensive, and sorted easily with a little assistance from our old friend Google. In 2015, I think we’ve all really upped our game, and for that we should give ourselves a little pat on the back.  

4. Instagram themes were a real life issue. 

The struggle is real when that really cute picture just doesn't go with your Instagram theme. Do I just throw it in there?! Can I edit it to fit my vibe?! First World Problems. Gone are the days where you could just lob any old picture on Instagram with the Valencia filter & maybe a rogue pair of undies lurking in the background. The Instagram theme became an actual topic of conversation this year… As ridiculous as that may sound!

5. Honesty was upped. 

From sharing how you can Facetune that spot into oblivion, to the more important stuff like disclosing clearly when content is sponsored, I do think that honesty with blogging is on the up. Thankfully. If it wasn't for that, I definitely think that the relatable feel bloggers once had would have been lost. For me, it brings a lot of the credibility back. It’s one thing I’m really happy to have seen in blogging this year, and hope it only continues to develop.

6. We realized there’s a whole load of money to be made.  

Anyone else beyond sick of the Daily Mail's endless obsession with how much money YouTube stars can make, or how these top Instagram models can charge 30k per post? Bore. We get it. It's dull. Truthfully though, 2015 was the year that I actually realized you could make a lot of money from blogging. I was probably a little naive previously. While I’m sure a lot of us have had this moment of realization, & money can be a nice little extra, I don’t think it’s the focus for the vast majority of bloggers.  

7. Snapchat went up the popularity scale.

I was so anti creating a Snapchat account for my blog, then I finally caved and it became my favourite social media outlet for the year. I've loved Instagram in the past, but we all know it can be pretentious AF, and not always a complete representation of life. Snapchat for me goes back more to the honesty point - it shows a much more relatable side to bloggers. Lipstick I'm quickly putting on while I sit in my pyjamas, trips to McDonalds for 20 chicken nuggets & makeup free cuddles with my cat - life isn't always Instagram quality. I'm currently obsessed with catching up on blogger's Snaps.

8. The Chloé Faye became the blogger's handbag of choice. 

Okay, I get why. It's a leather dreamboat of handbag goodness. If nearly £2000 landed in my lap for spending on accessories, then I'd be having one. In 2015, the Chloé Faye officially joined the likes of the Jeffrey Campbell Litas, the Triangl Bikinis and the Daniel Wellington watch as a symbol of blogging status. Gimme one.

9. Instagram started to be a bit of a pain in the ass. 

This could be more of a personal one, but for me, I've found Instagram to be a bit more 'meh' this year. I used to see it as my go-to platform for 'getting out there'… Somewhere you could really build up your blog presence and reach a wider audience. These days I find it harder and harder to build on engagement, and while it isn't the be all and end all, to me I just don't think you get half as much out of it these days *puts on rose tinted glasses & looks back on the simple days of the popular page*. I've seen folk saying similar online, with rumors that since Facebook's takeover Instagram’s algorithms have gone a bit cray & content isn't being seen so much… It's a difficult one to suss out, and difficult to explain without sounding too 'I want a million likes and a million followers and if I don't get that then it's crap'. Maybe the novelty has just worn off a tad?! 

10. More than ever, blogging has been taken seriously.

YAY. On the upside of all these bore-central articles on how much money bloggers make, I do think that this has pushed it a bit more into the limelight, showing folk that actually there's more to it than sticking a few pictures on the internet. It's been really lovely this year to see so many bloggers going full time... It's inspiring to see all that hard work pay off! Blogging these days isn't just that thing people think is all about vanity and talking about your favourite lipstick and blah blah blah. For loads of people it's now a bloody impressive career.

Have you got blogging moments from 2015 you could add in? I love posts like this as things to look back on in the future... Here's to whatever 2016 brings for blogging! 

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