This is a very belated post I’ve had sitting in my drafts since the summer but things have finally quietened down and it’s time to tell you more about The Blogger Course Weekender!
If you followed me on Instagram and Twitter in the spring you will have seen me chatting about #TheBloggerCourseWeekender. I’ve had a few messages from people asking what on earth this weekender was and how people can get involved so I thought I’d write a proper post to let you all know!
Let’s start with The Blogger Course…
The Blogger Course
The Blogger Course is an e-course I run, helping bloggers learn about the business side of blogging. It seems everyone and their dog has a blog these days and there’s so much information online about how to start a blog and how to ‘get freebies’ through your blog. But not many people actually share any information about how to turn a blog into a business and how to make a decent income through a blog.
I was getting fed up of seeing so much fluffy advice about making money from a blog. I understand that most bloggers don’t like to share the logistics or give away their secrets or even share how much they charge for things, but I’ve always been super honest and open about all this. I started writing a bunch of guides to help bloggers struggling to turn their blog from a hobby into a business. Then 9 months later I’d written nearly 100 articles and I realised I had an e-course!
The course now has over 200 members and I run a Facebook group alongside the course. I know I’m going to be biased but this group is one of the loveliest and most useful Facebook groups out there. Everyone is so chatty and supportive and people are always starting discussions about really interesting blogging topics.
Within this Facebook group we’d been talking about taking a weekend away together but I was a bit nervous about arranging a group holiday. We all know about big group trips like hen-dos and stag-dos that turn into a nightmare for whoever is organising them and I didn’t want that.
And then along came WowTrip….
The Blogger Course in Cologne!
WowTrip
WowTrip are a company who specialise in mystery trips. Prices start from £150 so you pay your money and select your dates and WowTrip do the rest.
They book your flights and hotel and reveal where you’re going 48 hours before departure!
I love this spontaneous style of travel. You don’t have the time to plan every moment of your itinerary so you find yourself enjoying the destination in a different way. You take local recommendations and stumble upon hidden gems and just enjoy it without trying to do ALL THE THINGS.
But if you’re a bit of a control freak then you also have an option to just check your flight time and luggage allowance so if you love a surprise then you can even wait until you’re at the airport to download your boarding pass and enjoy the big reveal.
^ The Blogger Course in Brussels
The Blogger Course + Wow Trip = #TheBloggerCourseWeekender
WowTrip don’t state that they’re awesome for group travel but they are. They take all the pressure off the person organising the group (me!) and the trip becomes about spending time with the people you’re travelling with as much as it is about the destination.
It was perfect for The Blogger Course and I was lucky enough to work with WowTrip not once but twice to arrange two weekenders for course members.
This was the first press trip for many members of the course and it was a great opportunity to learn about the logistics of a press trip and how to cover it as a group with some more experienced bloggers there to help guide the newer bloggers. No one had to pay for the trip as we were all covering it for our blogs and social media channels and I feel like we generated a lot of exposure for WowTrip so everyone was happy with the arrangement!
You can read some of our posts here
WowTrip review: The perfect surprise trip – Taylor Hearts Travel
WowTrip review: Would you take a mystery holiday – The Travel Hack
An itinerary for a weekend in Belgium – She Gets Around
41 things to do in Cologne – Taylor Hearts Travel
A surprise weekend break to Cologne with WowTrip – Stephanie Fox
A weekend in Belgium with WowTrip – Sweet Serendipity
My surprise weekend break with WowTrip – Being Buttons
WowTrip to Cologne – BritPakGirl
A weekend in Brussels with WowTrip – Little Miss Gem Travels
How to spend 48 hours in Cologne – Olivia Leaves
Cathedrals, Kolsche and cool things to do in Cologne – The Travel Bunny
A surprise break with WowTrip to Cologne – Adventures of a London Kiwi
A surprise trip to Cologne with WowTrip – Pretty Green Tea
Our first trip to Brussels
Our first trip was to Brussels and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Brussels wasn’t a place I would have ever thought to go for a weekend break but the city itself surprised me with grand architecture, a vibrant buzz and so many cool places to eat and drink. But the best thing about Brussels was that we could easily get the train to the nearby cities of Bruges and Ghent – meaning we had a triple city break in one.
We did so much I felt like we’d been away for ages and I came home feeling like I’d been on holiday for a week!
During this trip, we had a long and lazy brunch on the Sunday morning and had an informal Q&A session about our blogs. I encouraged everyone around the table to take turns chatting about something they’re struggling with or would like some advice on for their blog – and it was SO USEFUL. It’s funny how it’s hard to see the wood for the trees when it comes to your own problems but the solutions are so clear when you see something from the outside.
Our second trip to Cologne
Cologne was another destination I wouldn’t have considered visiting but it was so lovely and I’m so happy we went there. I usually take city breaks to France, Spain or Belgium and I’ve only been to Germany once before so it was nice to see Germany’s culture which feels very different to anywhere else in the world. There were lots of pretty spots in the city and the beer halls, pretzels, schnitzels and currywurst were a great bonus!
Once again, the group had a mastermind session on the Sunday morning. This time we had breakfast included at our hotel so we ate at the hotel and headed to a local park for our session. It was a beautiful spot and we spent a couple of hours chatting about blogging and sharing ideas and brainstorming ideas.
^The Blogger Course in Cologne
I still can’t really believe I managed to make both of these trips happen. I’d like to say a massive thanks to WowTrip for making this possible and thank you to all the wonderful, inspiring and creative ladies who joined me for each trip.
If you’re interested in finding out more about The Blogger Course and possibly joining our next Blogger Course Weekender, check it out here or feel free to message me if you have any questions!
Oman
Saturday 8th of December 2018
Best Work in the world, Travel + Fun + Work = Totally Enjoyment