So, you’ve started a blog or business and are building a following, now what? Now is the time to start really learning from the experts. Conferences are a great way to meet other entrepreneurs in your business area and learn from the best in the industry. Conferences like Blissdom and BlogHer for women bloggers, SxSW for music, film and interactive, Blog World Expo for all female bloggers and many more are great ways to learn from each other. Sticviews is sponsoring Amy Locurto and Angie Arthur of I Heart Faces for the Blissdom conference this February and we wanted to pass on some helpful tips to be prepared to attend their conference.
1. Business Cards – We’ve just received some really amazing business cards from moo.com and we’re so excited to send them out. Hopefully we’ll have them in time for the next Social Media Club Dallas event with Chris Brogan on the 21st! Business cards are a great way to provide your contact information to people you meet and help you follow up with people after the conference is over. You can always go for innovative creative designs like those from Web Designer Depot. TIP: Be sure to include your social network contact information on your cards (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), many people forget! And you can always be creative. Amy Locurto delivered her business cards with a little gift of Valentine’s Day stickers – no one threw them away!
2. Create a list before you go of questions you’d like answered or specific people you want to search for. You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to talk to someone who has more experience in particular areas that could really benefit you and your website. TIP: You can also tweet about your questions! If you don’t have a smartphone or laptop for the weekend, I highly recommend borrowing one for the weekend.
3. Laptop Skins: Whether you’re a known blogger or a beginner, getting a laptop skin with your blog name or banner really helps people put a face to your blog name. What a great way to promote your blog through technology. Remember… it’s hard to recognize faces, but it helps when people can recognize your blog banner or Twitter profile picture. Amy Locurto recommends putting your blog banner and Twitter photo in your laptop sleeve. It works very well.
4. iPhone Skins – Do you have an iPhone or another smartphone? You can get custom stickers to fit the back of your phone (see below) to promote your blog as well.
5. T-shirts: always fun to have around. Another great way to get your brand out there while walking through a conference. Nomee gave out free t-shirts at the Twestival event last year, a great way to build awareness and recognition for your brand.
6. Camera – You never know who you’ll run into at the conference, and it’s a great way to showcase things you saw when you blog about your experience.
7. Do some research on the presenters at the conference. It’s good to come well prepared to soak up the knowledge they have to offer without having to figure out who the people are beforehand.
8. Mints or gum: you are going to talk a lot and you should do your neighbor a favor.
