A LOVE LETTER TO HOUSE 21

Today I received the devastating news that House 21 is coming to an end and to be completely frank, it has absolutely broken my heart.

Without Mel, Donna and House 21 I wouldn’t be where I am now. They helped build me up from someone who was terrified of letting others see my work to being an award winning blogger who has seen her articles and short stories printed in magazines.

They gave me the confidence to be able to even comprehend the idea of returning to education and introduced me to the most incredible bunch of women (such as Steph Cullen who I know will be a friend for life!) I could ever hope to meet.

I was welcomed into a community of writers, a family of inspiring individuals who pushed me to be the best version of myself. My heart is heavy but I am so proud of what House 21 has achieved and that I could be part of that.

So here’s to the future 🍾

BLOGTOBER X BLOGR CHALLENGE 2021 WEEK 3 – THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN BUSINESS (BLOGTOBER – DAY TWENTY-ONE)

Social media is absolutely vital for any business in this day and age.

There are currently nearly 45 million Facebook users in the UK whilst over 30 million people use Instagram. These two platforms are a hive of activity and potential custom and that’s without taking into consideration the 15 million people who spend hours a day on Twitter and the ever growing popularity of TikTok (which is without a doubt one of the biggest social media success stories to date and allows the most chance of going viral from a single piece of content).

Visual content is essential in the hospitality and travel industry.

“Our media consumption habits are changing, today it is more likely that your audience will seek out photos and videos on social media before making a booking, in fact the social media presence and visual identify of a brand is often one of the final decision makers for consumers when proceeding with a booking.”

Roxii Hoare-Smith, The Importance of Social Media for Hotels as featured on daviestanner.com

I have a fierce passion for social media and content creating. Having started a beauty blog and Instagram page as a hobby in 2019 I have since built relationships with brands I could only ever have dreamed of working with previously. Whilst I understand that some of this is down to being in the right place at the right time I truly believe that the hard work I have put in to building my profile and personalising my content has paid off.

I appreciate that working within the hospitality industry or showcasing the unique qualities of a business are very different to the type of content I usually create but I am confident that the skills are transferable to some degree and that’s why I decided to write this post.

It’s completely out of my comfort zone but somethings that can be essential to your growth.

Your business might be in its infancy but it’s never too early to build your brand. Social media can help increase awareness of the products you sell or services you offer and has become an integral part of a modern day marketing strategy.

It’s also a chance to show off the personality behind the screen which is a great way of building relationships with your customers which will undoubtedly lead to the kind of loyalty you’ll need to succeed.

Take a chance on different kinds of content. Reels are huge right now and there are always fun trends read and waiting to be jumped on and tweaked to fit your niche.

Maybe you have a blog feature on your website that is gathering some cobwebs? Get out there and write a post that’ll captivate your audience and show em what you’ve got. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to be ‘you’.

Isn’t that what social media really excels at? Showing the world who you truly are and what makes you special? It’s exactly the same when it comes to businesses and brands. Make it work for you.

You’ve got this!

Feature photo credit – Shannen Lythgoe