New to #MNBlogCon? Read This!
Congratulations! You got a ticket to one of the best events in town! The Minnesota Blogger Conference is something that I look forward to every year and this year is no exception.
Here are a few things that you might want to know if this is your first Minnesota Blogger Conference. I know these were the items that I worried about for my first year.
Be prepared to meet new people! This is one of the best parts of the conference, but it is best to be prepared for a day to step out of your comfort zone. Be ready to introduce yourself to new people and give a 10 second blurb about what your blog is about and why you are there. Also, don’t sit alone. If you don’t know anyone, go and introduce yourself.
Bring business cards! I enjoy giving out and receiving business cards each year. It allows me to reach out to someone that I had a connection with or allows me to follow up and start reading a blog I might enjoy. I have a stack of cards that I’ve kept incase I want to connect a blogger to a business or if I need help with a project.
Seek out people that you’ve been meaning to meet! I love twitter and I’ve found some people on twitter that get me but we haven’t met in real life. The Blogger Conference allows me to meet some of those people that I’ve wanted to meet in real life.
Read up on some Blogs! Seriously, one of the best complements any Blogger or Writer can get is that you’ve actually read their work. It’s a great way to start a conversation too!
Be yourself! I was worried my first year about what to wear. I couldn’t decide between more business like or clothes that I really liked. My best advice is to wear something you feel comfortable in. I’ll wear a dress because thats what I like wearing. Don’t go too casual but formal attire is not necessary.
Ask questions! If you have a question, ask it! There is most likely someone else out there that has the same one. The more open that you are the more people that you will meet. Your question might spur on a conversation that happens during the free time.
Be prepared to take notes! I take notes every year to remember everything that I’ve learned. Usually, these notes turn into my to-do list for the next year. Bring your electronics if you wish to do so. I do! Make sure they are charged ahead of time.
Prep your blog for the conference! People will most likely be looking at your most recent posts on your blog. Write a few more blog posts than you normally do. Make that change you’ve been meaning to do. The more you put into it beforehand the more you’ll get out of it afterwards.
Prep your Twitter for the conference! I suggest that you start following people that you know are going to be at #MNBlogCon. It’s a great way to join in the conversation while you are there and meet some new bloggers.
Plan your day! I am a planner but at the conference I tend to be more of a pantser. Have an idea of what topics that you are interested in but also be open to changing the session that you go to if you find something interesting. If you need any help choosing ask a volunteer or a blogger that has been to the conference before.
Go to the after- party! Why wouldn’t you? There will be beer!
Say, “THANK YOU!” to the amazing people who make this day possible! This event is something that is a labor of love from the people who put it on (THANK YOU JEN AND MYKL). Make sure you thank volunteers and the sponsors of this event too!
If you’ve been before, what’s your favorite part of the conference?
If this is your first one, what other questions do you have?
Because a gathering of bloggers is one of the best things in the world.
@mplsgossipgirl
MN Blogger Bash Recap!
I had so much fun last night! I hope you did too. Last night I helped host #MNBloggerBash with Linda from Garden of Eden and Alexis from myTalk 107.1 at Bread & Chocolate. It was just a night for bloggers to get together and talk. We rarely get to see the people we talk to on social media in real life and this was a great chance to do that. Plus, a few giveaways and a swag bag from Garden of Eden! Did you like your signature scent? I hope you were able to meet someone new that you didn’t know before and make this blogger community a little bit smaller. I think everyone did because there was so much energy in that room!
It was really fun to get to catch up with friends that I met when I first started blogging (Life with Levi, Katie Looking Forward, and Being Zhenya). But, I also met new people (HappyShoeDay, A Pinch of Lemon, Champagne and Macaroons, Wool and Whiskey, Some of the Flock of Broads, and so many others). I wish I had a chance to meet every single person that I didn’t know!
The feedback that I received from the event is that we need to do this again! We need to do it again just because I wasn’t able to meet everyone that was there.
The Blogger Bash was born out of wanting to get together with my blogger friends to just have some time to chat. I feel like the only time we get together is if it is educational or being pitched. Rarely, do I have the chance to get together with a HUGE group of bloggers where I just get to hang out. It was amazing to FINALLY meet bloggers I know only from our twitter relationship (Twila Dang)!
I want to send a BIG thank you to Alexis Thompson from myTalk 107.1 and Linda from Garden of Eden for being excellent hosts. I hope you liked the wonderful swag bags from Garden of Eden. Linda wanted to pick signature scents for each of you! It also contained Aromi Matte Lip Stain, Aromi is a local company that can be found at Garden of Eden. You each got my signature color Flamingo Red! We are thankful for all of the great local businesses and non-profits that could come: Plush Pumpkins, Hope Chest, Invision, Ten Thousand Villages, and Vine Park Brewing.
If you loved this event make sure that you don’t miss out on the Minnesota Blogger Conference. It happens in the fall and is one of the BEST events for local bloggers. I saw a presentation from Lauren Melcher that changed my life.
Give me a little time to recover and I will start planning the next Blogger Bash! If you are a blogger and would like to get an invite to the next event comment below with your email address. We will be limited again by whatever venue we choose so only limited amount of invitations will go out. You know that whole fire code thing.
I will be posting the pictures on the Garden of Eden Facebook page later today! CLICK HERE!
Because we need to meet each other in real life!
@mplsgossipgirl
What was your favorite part of MNBloggerBash?
MN Blogger Conference
Are you a blogger? Do you live in Minnesota? Then you have to attend the MN Blogger Conference next year. No if’s and or but’s about it.
I happened upon this conference by fate when I added @MNBlogCon on Twitter. I then started to see posts about the conference and knew that I had to get a ticket. Since I am pretty new to blogging, it was a chance to see what blogging really looks like in Minnesota. I had no idea what an awesome community we have here.
The MN Blogger Conference is a gathering of bloggers and professionals who work with blogging products or with bloggers. The best part is that it is FREE. Yes, Free. Thanks to the many sponsors. (Allina Health, Pioneer Press, National Camera Exchange, Strother Communications Group, Mall of America, Plum District, Sleep Number, Padilla Speer Beardsley, Glimpses of Soul Photography, Art House, Muddy Paws Cheesecake )
Not only is this a great networking opportunity, this is a place where you can learn new skills to enhance your blog. I can say that I learned invaluable information at this year conference and met people who are helping me on my blogging journey. (Thank you Mykl Roventine, Grant Landram, Elan Karpinski, and Jen )
Whether you are a new blogger, a seasoned blogger, or someone who loves to write and is thinking about starting a blog, there is something here for everyone.
The first session I attended was Behind the Scenes: Brands and Blogger Relations by Lauren Melcher of Weber Shandwick. This presentation was about blogger relation programs. For Bloggers, it was a chance to see what these programs can look like and for industry professionals it was a view into what bloggers think about these programs. Lauren shared her knowledge and made me think about what I want to do in the future with my blog and what I should be doing professionally (Please hire me Weber Shandwick).
The next session I attended was about how to avoid being sued with Steve Aggergaard. It was very informative about steps you should take but left me with a lot of questions. I think next year we need a question and answer session with a lawyer. But, Steve’s presentation was a great introduction for someone who is just starting a blog.
Lastly, I attended Mykl Roventine’s 15 Essential WordPress Plugins- and 5 that will blow your mind. My mind was officially blown. I learned a lot about plugins and which ones to choose. Overall, it was great advice for someone who has been researching which plugins to use and can’t decide.
The keynote speaker was by Rick Kupchella who is now working on bring me the news. A new local news source. It is interesting how they are adding to the local news scene here in Minnesota.
Overall, this conference was something I can look back on and say that I am truly blessed to have a chance to be part of. I learned about how to further my blog, met wonderful people, and now have the confidence to move forward with my dream of reaching out and helping other Minnesotans with my blog.
I started my blog because I wanted to force myself to get out and try new things and encourage others to do the same. It is the best thing in the world to see others benefit from one of your posts and see local businesses and products gain new customers (contact me on twitter @mplsgossipgirl if you would like to be featured). I wanted to thank all of the fellow bloggers who have supported my efforts and sent me new readers.
The Minnesota Blogger Conference is something that I will be attending for many years to come, in hope that one day, I can be one of those people who helps a new blogger gain the confidence it takes to keep blogging.
http://mnbloggerconference.com/
because Minnesota Bloggers are amazing!
@mplsgossipgirl
mplsgossipgirl 