#ZomatoCon : FIRST EVER BLOGGER CONFERENCE IN DOHA

I started formal blogging a year ago. I just post whatever came across my mind, what I love to do, and updates about my life. I called it my E-diary. Before, blogging for me was just posting and sharing your thoughts on your own blog, in your own ways. That was me being vain.

Last 12th of November 2016, Zomato hosted the first ever Blogger Conference here in Doha, held at Grand Hyatt Hotel. Fortunately, I received the confirmation from them as one of the participants of the said event. When I first saw their event poster, I thought all I have to do is RSVP and I'm all good, but I was grateful enough for them to confirm me and maybe, they checked my blog. I just came here in Doha for work a year ago (that made me as a newbie in blogging industry here) I pursued my passion for Make Up, vlogging & blogging and it's an honor for me to join this kind of event. Not just an ordinary event but for all of the Influencers and Bloggers of Doha.

What is #ZomatoCon without these scrumptious food, right? When I first entered the venue, this lovely presentation of food welcomed me. I met a lot of bloggers and talked about our own platforms and advocacy in blogging.

guest speakers

The registration started at around 2:00 pm. They gave out a goody bag with a conference kit, perfume samples and Yves Saint Laurent makeup bag. They also provided the most detailed name tag with our photo thumbnail, name and social media accounts on it.

Haytham Bennani (Qatar Country Manager - Zomato) welcomed us by his gratifying speech. He also discussed the agenda for our event:

social success from a brand
social success from a blogger
importance of great photography
discussion: attention please!
discussion: what's on the table?

Luke Longney (Marketing Director - Vodafone Qatar), introduced to us Vodafone's global perspectives when it comes to customer engagement across multiple mediums, including all digital platforms. He also showed videos of some bloggers around the world and the "famous shepherd" who used Vodafone to engage on social media.

Skills are cheap, passion is priceless.

I day trade attention and build businesses.

Muhammad Nasir (Social Media Specialist at Chevrolet of Jaidah Automotives), he is also known as "MoAwesomeSauce" in the digital sphere. He discussed about the work of brand towards the bloggers. He also showed soe bloggers around the world who collaborated with Chevrolet. This gave me an inspiration that you get what you invest. In all the hard work that you do in blogging, in the end it will be all worth it.

Kinds of Blogging

Micro-blogging - the activity or practice of making short, frequent posts to a microblog.
Photoblogging - posting photos on social media (Instagram and Facebook) with reviews and details
Vlogging - it's like blogging but in video form.

What works a successful blog?

Your Audience

- How many followers?

- Who are your followers?

- Your visitors?

Your Engagement

- Engagement rate!

Objective/Purpose

What brands look for?

Advocacy
Credibility & Relevance
Creativity
Trust
Knowledge

Notes to remember when blogging:

Blog for a living or passion? Make it clear and make it count!
Sponsored? Let people know.
Content is king. Get it right!
Basics of social media.
SNAPCHAT IS NOT BLOGGING.

After the first part of the program, we were given a time for quick break. I got to try the Salmon Burger, Fruit tart, muffins, cookies and a cup of Hot Latte.

Khansa Abdul Jaleel (Professional Blogger at CreativityWithKay.com) a fashion, food and travel blogger. Her speech really moved my heart. All of my feelings where unleashed through her words. She's amazing. An inspiration. Here are some of her quotations that really gave chills to my heart:

Success does not come overnight.

Every post I write, I try and write it out of passion.

Work hard - Improvise! Get Creative, Take Inspiration, Be yourself!

If you are not an expert - Research!

Never give up! What is meant to come to you will definitely come to you - fate.

You are your own boss.

You can make or break opportunities.

You should be able to believe in yourself, and prove why someone should work with you.

No one has the right to tell you what you can or cannot do.

You are not everyone's cup of tea!

You won't appreciate all the good people in your life if you don't meet some people who put you off.

Blogging is not competition.

Blogging is not just ambition.

Blogging is about exploring who you are.

Blogging is discovering yourself, and sharing with the world what you truly enjoy doing.

Her message to brands:

Be open to collaborations
Research the bloggers you work with
Numbers are not the only thing to focus on
Target Audience? How long have they been blogging in Qatar?
Work with bloggers from different backgrounds to top into the different markets

How she measure success as a blogger:

New Bloggers who look to me for advice and support
People who say my work inspires them
Brands/Companies who recognize my work

Aref Hussain Al-Ammari (Professional Photographer and Lecturer) a multi-award winning photographer. He can be found lecturing at varying photography courses, including Canon's EOS Academy in Doha.

Light is your best friend.

I'm so grateful that Zomato hosted this kind of event. I learned a lot from this and I got to meet new friends in the industry. I'm beyond thankful for this once in a life time opportunity ♥