10 Things Every BlogPaws Conference Attendee Should Do Now
by: Carol Bryant
Why would I care to share information about what to do after a BlogPaws Conference when the extravaganza is yet to come?
Knowing what to do afterwards will help chart your courses of action AT the conference. These are things you need to do to keep the momentum going, the contacts flowing, and the magic from the conference showing.
(1) Get On the Radar of Brands: No matter how fantastic you think a LIKE, follow, email, or even a phone call is….NOTHING replaces face-to-face interaction with brands. Pet blogging can be very lucrative. Blogging in general, that so happens to include a pet section, can be very lucrative. The BlogPaws Conference exists based on this premise, which we know to be true. Without brands, there would be NO conference. Without attendees to meet the brands, there would be NO conference. So how do you make it happen? Introduce yourself. Have the elevator pitch ready (see video below). Take a selfie, strike up a conversation, ask questions. Tweet the brand. Put the brand on social media. Write a blog post and include the brand. Show the brand you want to foster a relationship. Do a product synopsis post: Categories of products discovered at BlogPaws – and show the brands!
IMPORTANT: I’ve used the dating analogy and it holds true here. No one likes a fast moving first date that goes from “Hi how are you?” to “Wanna stay over?” And the same thing holds true with brands: Be eager but not excessive; be real and show interest. Treat the brand as you want to be treated: With respect.
Oh and here’s a list of all the conference sponsors.
And if you follow BlogPaws on Twitter, there’s a complete list of brands to tweet in advance and during/after the conference.
(2) Stock pile titles for blog posts. Do a series of posts on a related topic (ex: 5 favorite products found at BlogPaws, 5 ways to help dogs learned at BlogPaws, 10 things overheard at BlogPaws, etc). Not sure what those titles will be? As you walk the conference exhibit hall and attend the sessions, jot notes down of something that strikes your fancy. Be unique and think outside the box. What has more zip of these two?
(a) What I Learned At BlogPaws
(b) How a Pet Blogger Conference Rocked My World
(3) Be a reciprocal attendee: Visit the blogs of folks you encountered at BlogPaws. Leave comments, get to know them, and build on existing relationships while forging new ones. Put the “social” in social media.
(4) Rewrite your notes/go through your notes sooner than later. As someone who has attended every BlogPaws Conference to date, I can attest to this: The info is fresh when you first process it. You will get a lot of information tossed your way at the conference: SO much so that your brain may feel on overload. This is a good problem to have. Running through notes and reading through them while fresh will ensure they stick.
(5) Have a plan: Be prepared…know WHO you want to meet what you want to say. BlogPaws’ co-founder, Yvonne DiVita says it best:
(6) Meet people and make time to do everything you want to do: I say this because I get wrapped up in conversations or sessions and realize later that I forgot to talk to such and such. And then a whole year goes by before we may see each other again. Exchange business cards, follow up, set a few moments aside. Head to the Yappy Hour sponsored by PetSafe and engage in conversation. Peruse the conference exhibit hall and say hello. Don’t miss the Welcome Reception sponsored by Mars Petcare. And so on…
(7) Take photos for your blog. Nothing beats an original photo versus a stock photo. Take pictures of pets, brands, and the goings on of the conference. Watermark them and use them.
(8) Take video: Do a video recap of the conference and things you learned for your readers. Try a YouTube video with images and show as well as tell. Instagram allows for 15 second videos with Vine allowing for 6 seconds. Embed the videos into blog posts.
(9) Define your pre-conference goals: Why are you attending the conference? I cannot begin to tell you how many folks I have met at events over the years who have no idea why they came, but they know they wanted to be there. Let this conference fulfill YOUR goals. Want to make money blogging? Have a plan. Want to learn better SEO practices? Make it happen. And so on,
(10) Start a note exchange. Want to be in two places at one time? Hook up with someone for note taking. Ask someone who is attending a session and exchange notes. We will make the slideshows available at a later date.
BONUS TIP: The official conference hashtag across all social media is #BlogPaws so use it, share it, and tag everything you do at the conference with it. Find me, say hello, let’s do a selfie and talk and exchange business cards. If you never met me, I will be at the entire conference and leading the press conference on Thursday, May 28th at 4:10 pm. See you in Nashville!
Got a tip we missed? Share it in the comments below.
