On Saturday 7 June the South West Blogger Event will take place here in Exeter. The first major event of its kind to be held in the South West, it has been welcomed by local independent businesses throughout the city who are keen to make their mark amongst the UK blogging community.

The event will have a strong local presence, providing an opportunity for businesses to network with bloggers on both a local and national scale. Organisers of the event have worked hard to collaborate with the city’s independents, resulting in a strong South West flavour. Supported by Exeter Trails, a host of local innovative businesses are taking part in the event including Erin Cox Jewellery, The Real McCoy, Urban Burger, No Guts No Glory, The Oddfellows, Otton's Haberdashery, Bunyip Buttons and Beads, Good Golly Miss Molly, Cafe at 36 and Bon Gout Delicatessen.

Joanne Greenwood, owner of the Real McCoy on Fore Street commented “Next year the Real McCoy is due to celebrate its 30th birthday- to keep the business fresh and relevant we are continually looking for new ideas and innovative ways to market ourselves. We may trade in vintage and retro clothing but that doesn’t mean our approach to business is old-hat! We see blogging as a natural expansion of word of mouth marketing and are interested in exploring the value bloggers can add to our business.“

The involvement of local businesses in the event is part of a wider UK trend recognising the increasingly broad role bloggers play in today’s media savvy, budget conscious PR plans. The ability of a skilled blogger to create a personal and credible connection with an audience cannot be underestimated. For a business, establishing good relationships with bloggers can provide an economical PR solution- as with any relationship, time is often the main investment. That said, incorporating blogs into a PR plan should not be viewed as the preserve of small businesses. Even the big brands with significant marketing and PR budgets are getting in on the action with major retailers, including John Lewis head-hunting the right bloggers to drive engagement and spread awareness of recent campaigns.

John Harvey, City Centre Manager commented “Exeter is justifiably proud of its independent businesses, they are one of the things makes the city unique and distinctive. The potential of blogging and social media to raise the profile of Exeter and its independents on a national scale, both as physical and online destinations- is something that I’m delighted to support.”

The South West Blogger Event will be taking place on Saturday June 7th at the Oddfellows in Exeter from 12pm midday to 6pm. Local independent businesses interested in participating in future South West Blogger events should contact the event organiser and blogger, Jodie Dewberry hello@alajode.com