Not long ago, I decided to leave the day job and take on blogging as a full time occupation. It wasn’t an easy decision to make and if I am honest, it’s not all a bunch of roses. However, being free to make my own decisions, work to my own schedule and do what I love is pretty fantastic…
I have had to learn quickly. Blogging as a hobby compared to blogging as a career is very different. Whereas my half assed, slap dash approach to my craft seemed to be ok before, I have had to develop a more professional approach to things – as there seems to be more at stake now. Whereas before I spent most of my time sitting in front of a computer, I now have a team of fantastic writers and find that most of my time is spent meeting with PRs rather than writing copy.
I blog for this website, as well as writing articles and blog content for a number of magazines and sites, so being organised has become a priority for me. My diary is manic at best and until I can find someone to take some of the load off, I will need to keep on finding ways of getting organised. Some of the things I am learning along the way, I really wish I would have known before…most have to do with getting organised.
For those blogging as a hobby but looking to go pro, this is for you. Here is my essential pro blogging kit for PR meetings, blogging on the go and much more…
A great pen: Do not underestimate the appeal of a great pen. I meet with PRs alot, so having a pen and a notepad to hand is an absolute must – sometimes a plastic bic just won’t do…you know? I have been scanning Pen Heaven and recently found the Waterman Hemisphere. It reflects my style and looks really slick because it’s a fountain pen…yes, I am that person. I will be ordering one very soon – customised with my name of course! #win #boss
A phone with an amazing camera: My LG phone has the best camera I have ever experienced on a phone. I used my LG camera at the last Notting Hill Carnival, which I covered for my Huffington Post blog – the pictures were amazing. Nuff said.
A bag that does everything: My Knomo Elektronista handbag is a stunner. It has an inbuilt battery charger which I use all the time (I never remember to charge my phone). Every compartment speaks to me, I carry pretty much everything in it and I wear it everywhere. Every pro blogger needs a bag like this, trust me.
A camera: I love my Olympus Pen Lite E-PL3. I can whip it out of my bag when I need a quick (but high res) image. What’s more, it’s white, which means I don’t look like a photographer with a massive black camera – people tend to be more at ease when I point it at them! Little do they know…
A mini keypad: Despite some pretty compact laptops now available on the market, I will never want to carry one around. However, when I have a spare half an hour between meetings, I like to get work done. The only real option is a tablet. Since going pro, I have taken to carrying my Logitech Keys-to-go mini keypad with me, which I use with my Google Nexus tablet. The keypad is so flat and dinky and I can synch it to my tablet and type away. This can be a fiddly way to do things, but once you get used to it, you will thank me for the tip!
Are you a pro blogger? What is on your must have list?