It sounds almost contradictory, but blogging can be a very lonely business. Bloggers may spend time talking about subjects dear to their hearts, giving deeply personal social commentary, or reporting on industry events, but the actual act of sitting down and writing a blog is a completely solitary one. Sure, we talk with our followers online, and live a life offline, but – for most of the time – we are isolated from our fellow bloggers.
That is why blogger conferences and exhibitions are so important. They are a chance to get face-to-face with other bloggers, share experiences, and learn from experts who are at the leading edge of social media. For example, NMX (formerly BlogWorld) brings together over 30,000 bloggers, podcasters and new media producers from all over the world each January in Las Vegas. Without this sort of intimate interaction, it’s next to impossible to take your blogging to the next level – there is no substitute for the combined experience of thousands of people who are passionate about what they do.
Also there’s summit next month in New Delhi, India.
Of course, these conferences are not just a great place for bloggers to learn and network – they are also perfect for companies who have something to offer. If you have the latest and greatest tools to make blogs pop, an ad platform that can really drive revenue, or a social media marketing automation solution, then these types of events give you a ready-made audience for your products or services.
If you are an exhibitor, however, the problem is that you’re competing with dozens of other companies for people’s attention. Therefore, it’s incredibly important to make sure you stand out on the tradeshow floor. Make sure you tell your story with strong visuals, and don’t just focus on what your product or service does technically – paint a vision of what it can do for blogging. You also need to get up to bat in the first place – so think about using something like a big banner to attract attention. Another good way of doing this is to set up something like a live Twitter stream with your own hashtag.
In addition to the large conferences, there are also smaller events that tend to focus on a particular area, such as food blogging. These can also be extremely valuable. Not only do you get to talk to your fellow bloggers – you also get specific ideas for new content. However, before you turn over your hard-won cash to attend one of these events, make sure you’re going to get what you expect out of it. There’s nothing worse than turning up at an event, only to realize that it’s been oversold to you. Ask to see who will be speaking before you book, and find out how many people attended the previous year. If you know someone who attended, ask their opinion, and if you don’t, ask the event organizers for the contact details of a previous attendee.
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