So I recently got back from my second blogging conference in a week’s span and needless to say I am pretty exhausted. Going to a conference requires a lot of energy and can really drain you but as long as you come prepared, you’ll leave with invaluable nuggets.
I want to share three tips to take to heart while attending a conference, whether it be for bloggers or any other type of work.
Meet so many of my online friends IRL.
- Make sure to read through the conference emails you receive.
You’ll catch important news like joining the private Facebook group, special discounts for conference attendees and more importantly, you’ll find out who the sponsors are. The sponsors will be some of the brands that will have a booth and representative available for you to chat with. Make note of this because it’s so much more beneficial to figure out who you want to talk to prior to the event, rather than trying to worrying about this the day of!
- Stay off your phone!
I know what you’re thinking. As a blogger, my entire business is on my phone and laptop! However, think about an event you’ve attended… there’s always that one person who is in the corner scrolling away. Blogging Conferences are about making connections and meeting new people. You’re not going to do this by being on your phone. Work can wait!
Always express how your story and audience fit the brands current or upcoming focus.
Really enjoyed working with Water Wipes last year
- Have Your Business Card Ready
This is a big one. 1st off, if you tend to be an introvert you’ll want to get comfortable presenting an elevator pitch. About 2 concise sentences about who you are, what you do and why they should care ie, the type of audience you target. 2ndly, almost every brand I encountered asked for my business card at some point. Make sure to have your business cards ready to hand out so that the brand can refer back to it if they need to. lastly, collect all of the business cards from whomever you speak to and jot down notes on it as soon as you can. You’ll want to these notes to refer back to when your drafting your follow up emails in Boomerang.
Enjoyed Christine Michel Carter’s talk on the black mom’s influence on spending, marketing and why brands should get in on it!
My last bit of advice is to be friendly and enjoy yourself. There is much to gain at a conference so be open to learn and grow.
