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What I Learned at BlogHer

To be brutally honest while there is a lot to learn about blogging, there really isn’t…if that makes any sense. Generally I feel if you have been on any Twitter chat or browsed the Internet you don’t need a conference to tell you what to do to create a successful blog.

Content.Engage.Promote

In a nut shell these are the cornerstones of blogging in my opinion. These concepts are quite easy to understand but implementation is the hard part. This is where conferences come in handy. Nothing like being in a room with people making upwards of $50K blogging while your struggle over ditching reality television to blog is sooooo real. <<< *looking straight ahead*

The keynote speakers that were in attendance really had some true insight on where blogging is going and it was very inspiring. Martha Stewart even had something dynamic to say about valuing your work as a blogger and charging appropriately if paid opportunities is the route you are looking to take.

[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/glossymimi/status/231429264434671616″]

Here are a few other invaluable key tips to take on your blog journey if you so choose:

Find a network of bloggers that are blogging on your level and create an informal support network

Don’t be afraid to lose followers if you decide to take your blog in a different direction. You’ll lose readers but you will also gain some

Maintain a clean and professional appearance on your blog….even if you are just starting out. First impressions are lasting ones

It will take time to build brand relationships. Be resilient and diligent

When approaching brands spell out how you can benefit their brand and how their brand can benefit you. You are looking to create a partnership not a I want free stuff relationship

The sessions I attended were: The Brand Blogger Connection, Strategic Content Development Across Multiple Media: Onstage, Onscreen and Online, and Pro Tips: Branding and Blogging Professionally.

There was also a vlogging bootcamp but the session was too full and I wasn’t able to get in. If you want to hear these sessions first hand, BlogHer has been so kind as to link transcripts to the sessions. Please check out Virtual Conference if you would like to see details about the information that was exchanged during conference sessions.

If you are a blogger do you find these tips helpful in deciding what direction to take your blog in? If you aren’t a blogger did you have any idea the game was this serious?!!

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TWO

Doooooo Yooooooou Know What Toooo.day is?

I’ll wait.

It’s my BLOGIVERSARY

Wow. It is hard to believe that I have been coming here and spewing around some thoughtful, meaningful insights sprinkled in with total randomness for two long years. At the end of the day I own it all and I am so thankful for all of you who take time out daily to stop by here.

You are appreciated.

Normally when one turns two it is prefaced with terrible. Since this is my blog and I write what I want, I am now entering my Turned Up Twos. Stay tuned as I take the next year to really turn up this blog, and just continue to enjoy life and hopefully inspire you to do the same through my life’s journeys and struggles brought to you through my words and photos via this little place on the interwebs.

I had planned on dancing for you but I didn’t get time so I’ll just recycle the birthday dance I did in 2011.

Oh, and if you are in the giving spirit my blog takes birthday gifts. I’ll take these in a 8.5. Message me for address!!

Source: toryburch.com via jennine on Pinterest

Thank you all for reading!! Have a great weekend.

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BlogHer 12…Who I Met

Please note at BlogHer there is so much walking and carrying of bags of swag to do that wrangling my camera became quite a feat so you will deal with my shortage of DSLR photos and my plethora of iPhone Instagram photos. Unfortunately I still failed to get a lot of photos. There was a lot going on and everything was moving fast and keeping up with a camera wasn’t first on my priority list.

I arrived in New York late Wednesday evening after an awful flight. I’ll spare you the details but just make note that we sat on the runway for nearly an hour after my flight was already delayed by 2 hours.

Trina and I prior to take off

I digress.

After arriving in NYC Trina and I met up with Tamara of Blitz and Glam at the airport. this was my first time meeting Tamara IRL and she was also my roommate so I was hoping she was just as fab as she looks…and she was.

Shortly after getting settled in I bumped into Brandy of Mama Knows it All in the lobby before heading over to Times Square to find something to eat and snap a pic or two. Here’s one. I’ll show you the rest later in the series.

Thursday evening before the conference “officially” began Trina threw a pretty awesome social mixer at Pranna Lounge where I met a lot of my blogger buddies and a few new faces to include NY State of Mom, Brooklyn Active Mama, Our Delightful Home, Houseful of Nicholes, A Chic Mommy, Army Wife 101, Sister Save a lot, Loom Lids Layers, Justice Fergie, OK Dani, and Harlem Lovebirds

Phew.

(l to r.) Roses Daughter, Yours Truly, Our Delightful Home, NY State of Mom

Looms, Lids and Layers

Diary of a Chic Mommy

Houseful of Nicholes

Justice Fergie…She is also a curator of Be Blogalicious

Here are a few professional pictures of the event. It was awesome. Beautiful women just getting together for networking.

Forever Young and Fab and her guest, Roses Daughter

Blitz and Glam

Brooklyn Active Mama with one of her delicious Red Velvet cupcakes

The evening’s winners

Trina. The hostess with the absolute Mostess

So Friday when the conference actually started we had kind of formed one of those “cliques” people hate but I think that is just normal when you are in an environment with nearly 5K people that you don’t know *shrugs*

During the course of the weekend i met so many amazing people to include these lovely ladies Justice Jonesie, Think Feminist, Dr. Goddess, Momma Expat, Just Breathe Mama, and Veronica Armstrong.

I also got to meet Luvvie. She is just as hilarious in real life as she is on Twitter.

Have you met any of your favorite bloggers/twitter buddies IRL? Who would you like to meet if given the opportunity…and no you don’t have to include me on that list!!!!

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Obligatory Post #BlogHer12 Post

Unless you’ve been under a rock, and haven’t been by here, or on Twitter, or on Instagram, or on Facebook I am returning from my inaugural trip to the holy Grail of all blogger conferences better known as BlogHer. I spent the last 4 days in NYC meeting blogger friends in real life and I was very fortunate to connect with some new bloggy BFFs.

To be completely honest I don’t really know where to start to offer a recap of my experience, so please charge it to the game if I seem a bit all over the place with this and forthcoming posts.

So to start somewhere seeing that I measure most things by the value received based on my dollars spent I will say the trip was well worth the money invested. When I spend my money I want to feel that the organizers value my dollar as much as I do. From the Obama and Martha Stewart appearances to the quality of food that was served I almost feel bad for paying as little as I did for my early bird rate.

Then there are some values that we receive that just can’t be quantified and that my friends would be the social aspect. Just meeting so many new faces and being able to connect faces with blogs, and spend time talking to people who “get blogging” it was inspiring and just downright fun…and you know your girl is ALWAYS down for a good time.

To keep these posts to a minimum length and keep y’all from zoning out on me I’ll take the whole week to recap my experience with a series of posts

Who I met

What I learned

Where I partied

When I stepped away from BlogHer to explore the city

Why I would attend BlogHer again..The Good.The Bad.The Ugly

How I plan to implement what I learned

I’m glad to be home and ready to head into the fall. My son went back to school today so my summer has unofficially come to an end, but at least it went out with a bang.

Since I’ve been out of the loop, what have you guys been up to?

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