Blogging conferences can be the perfect resource for newbie bloggers, up-and-coming bloggers, and even the pros! But if you don’t take advantage of the time you have there, make meaningful connections, or leave inspired and ready to grow, then you might be wasting your time and money. No one wants that! Here are some ways you can make the absolute most out of attending conferences for bloggers.
BEFORE CONFERENCE
- Have a goal
- Who are you excited to meet at this conference and why? Are you a big fan and you want their autograph and an Insta-worthy pic, or do you want strategic advice from them? Nerves are bound to come from meeting someone you look up to, so look at the lineup and write down who you’re dying to meet and exactly what you’d like to ask them. You don’t want to forget in the moment and you don’t want to waste their time either!
- What are you trying to learn at this conference, and from who? What sessions are calling your name? Make note of them, the time, and the speaker so you can plan for it. Write down any specific questions you have about that topic so you can ask the speaker afterward if it wasn’t answered during the session.
PRE-NETWORK
- Attendees
- Pre-network with the other attendees. Meet the people you’re going to be learning alongside for a few days. So many friendships can come from meeting like-minded people at conferences. Most conferences will have a blogger Facebook group you can join to make some friends before you arrive (that’s what we do!). Go in and start to find other bloggers to connect with, then plan to meet up at the conference.
- Pre-network with the speakers. Follow them on social media, comment and engage on their blog posts, and even send them DMs sharing how you’re excited to hear their session. Be genuine in your connections and they’ll remember you later on when you’re trying to dive deeper into networking at the conference. You may build a meaningful connection with them, which can lead to friendships and even potential collaborations.
- Pre-network with the sponsors! This is super important if you want a potential partnership with them. They are sponsoring the conference to make connections and partnerships with you, so do the prep-work. Follow them on social media and check out what they do and what their company is all about. This will save them time at the conference when everyone else is asking what they do. Impress them by already showing interest. Make those pre-connections so you can come back later and possibly seal a deal with them.
DURING CONFERENCE
- Achieve goals
- Network with those around you. You want to leave the conference with at least 15 new contacts than you came in with. Whether that be sponsors you’re planning to partner with, speakers you’re going to connect with after the conference, or other attendees you’re planning to work and learn alongside. Take advantage of any and all networking opportunities you can.
- Ask questions! No question is a stupid question. You’ve come a long way to be at this blogging conference. Take advantage of the experts around you and ask all the questions you have. Don’t leave confused, wondering what you just learned. Leave confident in the steps you just took and the information you were given so you can leave and make huge steps in your business.
AFTER CONFERENCE
- Review the goals you set for yourself and your business at the conference and make a plan of action. You don’t want to come home feeling inspired, only to forget what you learned and never put it to action. Review and make a plan immediately so you don’t forget and you can start growing asap!
- If you really want to start emailing brands after a conference but aren’t sure how to get the conversation started, then you might want to check out our course How to Pitch a Brand. We’ve recently revamped it to add even more concise knowledge to the course.
- Save time by using our pitch templates
- Know exactly what to say to brands and how to negotiate
- Learn how to price yourself
Just head over to the How to Pitch a Brand page to read some testimonials and get started.
Now, got your list ready to attend your next blogging conference? We hope that ours, the Thrive Blogging Conference, is on your list!
