I consider myself a writer. I write books, blogs, digital marketing strategies, social media content, training courses and online press releases. If it involves words, I’m your girl. Writing is one of my big passions in life. It’s my hobby, a form of catharsis during tough times and luckily it pays the bills.

I began my career as a broadcast journalist and while the words were important the delivery of those words were equally critical. It was this job that gave me my voice, a story I tell in my TEDx Talk. So finding my voice and being able to write every day of my working life to now has been a gift.

The Digital Age has afforded me the opportunity to create my own channels. So despite leaving radio and journalism, I have been able to sit back behind the mic with the launch of my podcast JSB Talks Digital, get front of screen with my webinars and online programs and train people in face-to-face settings.

So this is the pre-cursor to the event I attended yesterday (September 25, 2016) in the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road which I think is hugely important to raise the standards of digital age writing, aka blogging, in Ireland.

Irish Blogger Agency Launch

I have been blogging for eight years, mainly, business blogging but I also have a personal blog in my own name, which is home to my personal musings. I also have a specialist blog where I write about law enforcement and social media which complements my first book on the same theme.

I would be the first to say that blogging standards need to rise. We need to ensure that the content we put out there every time is our best. We must also write for a particular audience in mind and undertake keyword research to ensure our relevance to our industry.

[tweetthis]”I need to know everything about my industry so that I can be a better blogger.” – Joanne Sweeney-Burke [/tweetthis]

Sinead Carroll, the founder of Irish Blogger Agency use to bank by day and blog at night as a hobby. However with the financial crash came redundancy and a new opportunity. Sinead, a brilliant business woman, re-trained in web design and digital marketing and pursued blogging on a professional standing.

Her fashion and lifestyle blog Yummy Mummy was a finalist in the RSVP blog of the year awards and Sinead began to be approached by brands who wanted the mother of three to represent them online.

Sinead then set about finding a blogger network in the West of Ireland but when she discovered it didn’t exist she created it. Attracting 500 bloggers and counting, Into The West Blogger Network serves as a support for bloggers.

However, Sinead had a bigger vision as she saw the need to elevate the standards of blogging in Ireland to benefit everyone, especially brands who were coming to terms with the Digital Age and the new type of PR and marketing demanded by prosumers (formerly known as consumers who consumed what was served to them, prosumers on the other hand are proactive in their purchasing decisions and have taken control from brands).

After 12 months of consideration, planning and business implementation Sinead launched Irish Blogger Agency to a room full of hungry bloggers. Hungry for paid work, hungry to learn, hungry to be better at blogging and hungry to be part of a new movement of professional bloggers more interested in the passion of storytelling for brands that resonate with them, than unboxing freebies.

Knowledge is power and it sets us apart from the competition

Speaking at the launch of the agency, I had one simple message to deliver.

[tweetthis]”Knowledge is power and it sets us apart from the competition”- Joanne Sweeney-Burke[/tweetthis]

I did of course share a few other JSB nuggets. Life gives you lessons and when you learn them you got to share them. And that’s what I do.

“There are always at least two solutions to every problem… In business an in life” @tweetsbyJSB #irishbloggeragency pic.twitter.com/IDkTmAZRjn

— Irish Blogger Agency (@bloggeragentIRL) September 25, 2016

I was invited to be part of the Irish Blogger Academy Power Team. Sinead has built professional development training into her agency with the single goal of raising standards and having the best bloggers on her books. So I will deliver three workshops covering Blogging for Business, Online PR Strategy and Intermedia Social Media Marketing.

The Power Team

Sinead Carroll

Roger Tiger Burrows

Joanne Sweeney-Burke

Suzie Mahony

Kayanne Horgan

Blog better, blog for business

If you are a blogger and want to blog professionally or increase your knowledge and work with Ireland’s biggest and best brands then sign up to the Irish Blogger Agency. The membership is just €50 per year and if you are unsure about your suitability, speak to Sinead. This woman will reassure you and you will be glad I sent you to her. She’s a wonder woman and I’m very glad that our paths crossed.