How To Pick A Blogging Conference

 

 

I started blogging 4 years ago. I immediately wanted to learn everything I could. I had idea where to start. Ummm, I didn’t even know what Google Analytics were. (True story)

I, eventually discovered (thru Twitter) that conferences were the best and fastest way to get all the training, exchanging of information and community building that I was longing for. Google “blogging conferences 2015” and you’ll get over 4 MILLION search results. WHAT?!  There are SO many conferences to pick from. Conferences in Canada, the USA, the UK, Mexico and beyond. Some offer writing, others offer technical workshops and others offer A list celebrity keynote speakers. Trying to sort thru it all can be a dizzying task. Have you found yourself asking: Where do I start? Which one do I invest in? Where should I go?

Yeah, me to.

Ok, lets break this down and talk about how to pick a blogging conference.

Location, Location, Location – Of course, this is key. Some locations can be appealing purely because of convenience while others sell out because they’re also great vacation destinations. A conference that makes attending feel like a personal ‘getaway’ as well as a developmental business investment is a win/win with more cost justification and less guilt for leaving the rest of the family at home. See ya kids!

FaceTime – The first conference I ever went to I knew NO ONE! I stepped way outside my comfort zone and bought a ticket because it was a short 3 hour drive away (see point above) and from the second I walked in, I had friends. Now when I pick a conference, one of the first things I consider is who will also be attending the conference. My peeps, my buddies, my friends and colleagues. I want to learn, not only from the conference but from connecting face to face with people that I typically only have online connections with. Don’t worry if you’ve never been to a conference, the right pick can provide you with more community than you can handle! 🙂

 

 

Move Ahead or Move Aside – Why would I got back to a conference that offers the same format and the same type of content year after year after year? The social media influencer and blogging landscape is changing faster than most of us can keep up yet I still see conferences offering the same template for their content, hell, even their parties are exactly the same year to year. I want to learn the newest hottest platforms, I want to know what brands want from influencers now (not what they wanted last year), I want to hear speakers relevant today! Fresh ain’t just for salad and facials. If blogging is your thing, you need the most current of everything available.

Content is King – Schedules and speaker announcements start trickling out when tickets sales start. Check out the agendas and see how much you’d be truly interested in seeing. Are you interested in being inspired to write or become active in your community? Do you want to hear from the major platforms, brands, CEO’s in person? Is the pure star power going to draw you to the front row to see a celebrity talk about their personal life? Find out what speaks to you and invest in a conference where you can get in front of that topic.

So, now you’re going to ask me, “Tiffany, which conference are YOU going to this year?”

 

 

I’ll be honest, I have a love affair with Blissdom Canada and anything it touches but the truth is that if it weren’t for Blissdom checking all the boxes for the points above, I wouldn’t go back every year. Blissdom Canada is ready to shake things up in 2015! They’ve got a new location (check) at Blue Mountain Resort (check). I plan on having some serious one on one with a few of my favourite people this year (check) but mostly, I’m excited to see some of the new faces and bring new people into my community who are eager to learn and grow (check). Blissdom has thrown out their old template from years past and is bringing in a brand new content for this fast moving industry (check and check)

I will be at Blissdom 2015.

Will you? Join me and get your ticket here!