Ines Gaci

Giulia is an Italian girl who grew up in Rome and finally moved in London, six years ago. She loves either photography and cooking. You would be able to meet her in some food events in London or perhaps read some lines from her as Giulia enjoys writting some reviews.

Giulia shares her passion via Mondomulia and accepted to share her experience as an OverBlogger with you all...

When did you open your blog and what motivated you to do it?

I launched Mondomulia at the end of 2012. I’ve always had a passion for photography, but in the past few years I grew an interest towards food photography, which I decided to develop by posting photos regularly on a blog. I wanted to create a personal space where I could share my food photos and cooking experiences.

My blog allows me to practice every day: my photography, my writing, my cooking.

What makes your blog different from others in the same sector?

My blog posts are a mix of reviews and recipes, but the focus is always on the photos, which I believe works to my advantage. I follow many food blogs and I often feel they could benefit a lot from better quality imagery.

Was your editorial line defined before you started the blog or has it developed through time and experiences?

Not many bloggers have a clear idea of what their blogs are going to become, right from the start. We all start as amateurs, then sometimes – for the lucky ones – the blog becomes a full time job. That’s when you need to start thinking of your blog as a brand. In my case, the blog is primarily to showcase my photography, but I also like it to be a personal diary, where I can share bits and pieces of my life.

What role do social networks play in relation to your blogging? Which social media do you use the most?

Social networks play a key role in the blog promotion, of course, but they are also a great way to access communities and connect with people whom you share interests with. I spend a lot of time building online relationships, but I also like to take them to the next level and meet up ‘online friends’ in person. Thanks to my blog and Twitter I have met many people: food bloggers, photographers, chefs, food traders, and so on. I have learnt a lot from these encounters and they often have led to great opportunities, both personally and professionally.

What do you think about the Social Hub, which allows integrating your social media content into your blog?

We are constantly saturated with messages, offline and online, on a daily basis. Coming across to your audience and standing out amongst the news to get your message across is hard, but essential to become a successful blogger. Different social media can be used to highlight different aspects of the same message: a status update, a photo, a link, a short summary. It is important to understand the differences between social media and use them in the most effective way. For this reason, I love the OverBlog platform, as it allows bloggers to combine all their social media content in one platform.

Until recently, you were using a different blogging platform. What convinced you to move to OverBlog?

I started my blog on Wordpress.com, but I became frustrated because I couldn’t upgrade my blog layout without paying extra fees and because I couldn’t install plugins, which are only available on wordpress.org users (who self-host their blogs).

OverBlog is an excellent blogging platform, at par with Wordpress, but it offers the added value of the social hub and many other free services. Once I realized the benefits of OverBlog, migrating was a natural decision to make.

Do you have any advice to the bloggers who are reading us?

My recommendation to people who are considering opening a blog, but are not sure where to start from: don’t give up on your idea and give yourself at least six month to work on the project. I know there are many blogs out there and the competition is hard, but there is always space for quality content and fresh ideas. Choose a reliable platform and an original name that reflects what your blog is about. Think about your blog as a brand and define its identity from the start. Setting up a good base will come in handy later on. Show passion for your project, update the blog regularly and always look for ways to improve it. Your passion and determination will transpire through your work and will be rewarded by your readers.