Earlier this month I had the opportunity to attend Go Blog Social, a blogging and small business conference that’s held here in Kansas City. Although I attended their smaller, one-day workshop in February, this was my first full conference. I’m glad I went for a number of reasons, but a big one was that it forced me to get out of my comfort zone and network. I’m more caterpillar than social butterfly, so networking does not come easy.
In addition to meeting a lot of inspiring women (many of whom were equally reluctant networkers), I also learned some invaluable blogging advice.
beautiful flowers from Trapp and Co.
1. Stand out. Andra and Kelly, the branding experts behind With Grace and Gold talked about the importance of finding what separates you from the crowd. Your brand, they said, is more than just your logo and color palette, but it’s the “why” behind it. They talked about creating a “signature move,” something that is uniquely you, to set you apart from the crowd.
Alea Lovely and Kilee Nickels
2. Look outward. Blogging is all about sharing your story, but another theme I heard at GBS was to shift the focus to your readers. Both Alea Lovely, a successful photographer, and Kilee Nickels, owner/creator of Nickel and Suede jewelry, talked about looking for ways to help others in what you do. By turning the focus outward, sharing your story can also help readers solve a problem.
Mandy Beyeler and the GBS Team
3. Dream big, set goals, then be brave and get to work! None of the speakers talked about the ease of success, or how their triumphs have just fallen into their laps. Instead, they talked about how they made their dreams a reality by working hard every day. Mandy Beyeler of Sugar Bee Crafts talked about the importance of writing down your goals, something I’ve been trying to focus on this year. Part of attaining those goals is putting yourself out there, and being brave enough to ask for what you want was another oft-repeated theme. I often find myself finding reasons why something wouldn’t work or why someone wouldn’t want to collaborate before I even get a chance to ask, so this was a big one for me.
With KC Blog buddy Lane (of Missalaneyus) and wearing a cute Lily Jade backpack
Although these are the big ideas that stood out to me the most, this is just a small portion of what I learned at Go Blog Social. I encourage anyone who’s never been before to check it out, or attend a blogging conference in your area.
Have you been to a blogging conference? How about a conference related to your work? What was your experience?
From the archives:
- 3 years ago: wearing a ruffled top with a cargo vest.
- 1 year ago: wearing checks and olive pants.
