Getting ready for a blog conference. Guest post by BellaVida Letty. Follow her @BellaVidaLetty.
Blogging conferences are the perfect place to connect with people and keep up to date on what’s new in your industry. It’s an excellent opportunity to ask questions and share information with like minded individuals in a learning environment that’s actually fun. It’s the face time that builds both social and professional relationships. The following are a few tips to help you show up to your next conference well prepared.
Set Your Goals
To get yourself ready for a conference the first thing to do is find out what your goals are. Begin by determining exactly what you would like to get from the conference.
- Do you want to learn a skill?
- Are you there strictly to network?
- Will specific brands or sponsors be there?
Plan Ahead
Checkout the conference website and search for:
- Conference agenda.
- Speakers you want to listen to.
- Panels you want to see.
- Workshops you want to attend.
- Corporate Sponsors
- Exhibitors
This will help you organize your time and plan out a reasonable schedule. It will be impossible to do everything but by scouting ahead of time you will be able to spend time doing what you wanted to do most.
Do Your Research
If your goal is to build business relationships finding the conference sponsors is as easy as checking the conference website. Follow the links to their sites. Find out exactly what they are looking for. When you meet them at the conference you can share your prepared pitch and explain to them precisely why you are the best person to help them achieve their goals. You will blow them away because you have practiced ahead of time.
Connect Beforehand
Using social media is an great way to connect and get to know people beforehand. Searching the conference hashtag on twitter is the easiest way to find out who else will be attending the event. Twitter, Facebook and Google+ each have list building capabilities. Create a list of conference attendees. This give you the opportunity to start conversations and is an essential part of growing your network.
Prepare Your Blog & Social Media Profiles
Your website will be receiving lots of traffic during the conference. Make sure your blog looks professional by showing off some of your best writing and shareable photos. Easy navigation is a must. The two things viewers will be looking for first are your About Page and how they can subscribe. Prepare relevant posts ahead of time and queue them to launch during the conference.
Update all of your social media profiles with a recent photo of you so people can recognize you. Completely fill out all of your profile information. Tell viewers who you are and what you can do for them.
Print Fresh Branding Materials
Print plenty of new business cards to hand out and always carry them with you. If you’re looking for a job bring copies of your resume. If you are looking to do business be sure to have an up to date Marketing Kit to hand potential sponsors.
Be Yourself & Have Fun
There will be plenty of networking opportunities to connect with bloggers, brands and PR companies. Put yourself out there, exchange business cards and take note of how you can collaborate so you can follow up later. Enjoy meeting great people and learning new things.
About the author: Letty is the founder of Bella Vida by Letty, Digital Media, Content Creator & Curator, Recognized by Voxxi News as one of the most powerful Latinas in Social Media.
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