The buzz on the street, well, ok, internet, was the 1st ever Bam conference 2015 in Nashville would be filled with great information and networking opportunities. I wanted to go, but with the medical bills from my daughter with the rare diseases, I knew it would be a stretch. Last Monday an email arrived from the Everywhere Agency, offering a chance to win a ticket. I rarely win, but put my name in the hat. Imagine my surprise when I won the ticket on Thursday and realized the conference began the next day. I scrambled around, contacted a friend to see if she needed a roomie, and braved an ice storm to make it to Nashville. Was it worth it? Definitely. The theme of the conference was “Reinvention.” The conference was packed full of advice from distinguished speakers and everyone was eager to share their knowledge. Whether your a new blogger or an experienced blogger, there is always something new to learn. Here are my main takeaways.
1. Take Risks. “If you don’t take a risk because you are afraid you will fail, ask yourself, “What is the worst that can happen?” Elisa Camahort Page, co-founder of Blogher shares. “Make your fears concrete, not abstract.” Write down what would happen if you fail. Would you lose money? time? Usually the fear is not as bad when you write down the worse case scenario. Martie Duncan, Food Network Star Finalist, expanded on the idea. “Don’t go quietly! Find something you want, swallow your fear and take the “No” as a “No for now.” Sometimes it is the most persistent person who gets what they want.”
2. Network, network, network. Never underestimate the power of treating others the way you want to be treated and building relationships with other bloggers. As Danyelle Little, The Cubicle Chick, states, “Bring others up with you.”
3. Clarity, Consistency and Connection. When writing posts for your readers, write in a way that will connect with them. Keep your blog message consistent and clear so your readers will trust your word.
4. Progress, not perfection. As you continue writing your blog, realize that everything will not always be perfect. There will always be something you need to improve. Instead of becoming focused on perfection, which is impossible to obtain and will only discourage you, focus on progress. I constantly work on my photos. Am I annoyed when they do not turn out perfectly? Sure. But I have seen progress over the years. The only way to improve is to keep practicing.
5. Set Up a Schedule for Writing. How many times have you found yourself online preparing to write and then got sucked into reading Facebook posts, email or your twitter feed? Maybe this just happens to me. The best way to combat this is to set up a specific schedule to write each day and mark it onto the calendar. I am going to try this and see how it works. I’ll update and let you know.
After leaving the BAM conference, I felt refreshed and energized. I can’t wait to put my new found knowledge into practice. Have you attended any blogging conferences? What was your best take away tip?
Sounds like there was a lot to learn and I’m all about taking risks myself. I took a big one when I decided to start my blog. 🙂
Not having a writing plan has definitely been an issue for me. I need to get better about that.
Congrats on the win! I’m glad you went, and glad it was totally worth the last minute timeline to go. 🙂
Blogging conferences are so much fun. They are a great way to connect and learn from others in the community!
The conference looks amazing. I agree, if we fear to take a risk, we could fail for sure. I understand networking with other bloggers plays a major role in the Social media world we live in today.
I have never heard of this conference before, but it looks like you got some great information from it.
that sounds like it was a great time. I would love to go to a conference like that. very cool!
What a cute little hang-out lounge! We don’t get a lot of blog conventions up here in MI. Most of them are in OH or ILL. I hope to go to one soon and connect with other bloggers.
Pam, I’m so sorry I missed out on the opportunity to hear your story, and get to know you! Sounds like we might have a lot in common, with your love for food, and living in the South.
I cannot believe how intrepid you were, to drop everything and come with all the crazy weather we were having, too. Kudos to you! And hooray for the fact that the Everywhere Agency made that possible! They really are awesome, and a pleasure to work with!
So glad you could make it to the BAM Conference. Here’s to next year, as well!
Those are great tips. I am not afraid of taking risks, I may take too many
These are great conference take aways! I always feel more motivated after
Congrats on winning that ticket! Sounds like you were a winner all the way around with the information and advice your received from the conference. I agree with all of it and I think “Progress not Perfection” really resonates with me.
Congrats on winning the ticket. Sounds like an amazing time.
I have not heard of this conference before. It sounds like a great one!
How exciting you won the ticket! Thanks for sharing the good things you learned as well as great pictures to give the visual idea. I’ve started keeping a schedule for blog and other writing lately – and yesterday I realized I need to put a huge calendar on the wall by my desk so I have it all planned out where I can’t bury it under all the other stuff.
Sounds like you learned a lot! How exciting that you won your ticket!
That sounds like a great conference! I am glad you were able to learn so much from your trip! And yes, there is always room for improvement!
Congrats on the win! I’m so glad it went to someone who was able to take so much from it. It really does sound like a wonderful experience.
Thank you so much for sharing your conference experience. Networking is one of the best things I have learned and done at blog conferences.
It’s amazing how much you can learn at a conference. That food really does look good, too.
I have started checking into more conferences to attend. This one sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing.
I am pretty disciplined when it comes to staying on track with writing. I try to have fun with it and not worry too much about a schedule. It is not a big money earner for me, so I don’t get too hard on myself if I veer of track a bit. I do agree that having some type of writing schedule makes sense
I love a good conference. The food and company are always fun!
I have been steadily blogging for almost five years and have never attended an actual conference. Being an introvert is mostly to blame but I hope to start networking more!
Looks like you had a great time at the conference. Glad you could share and that you took away something useful.
Thank you for such a positive post about our first BAM conference – I’m so glad you were able to come!
I definitely need to set up a schedule for writing/blogging. Now, I do it at random times and it’s so easy to get distracted.
Me too! I think having an editorial calendar would help keep me on track!
That looks like it was a great time. What decadent chocolate!
This sounds like a great conference. I always love going to these. There’s so many things to learn!
I learned to take some great risks and make bold choices with my Camry campaign this year. It ended up being a ton of fun, even though I was timid about it!
A conference with good food sounds like a good one to me!
Those are some great takeaways! All bloggers need to remember that there is something they can improve upon.
I agree! No one is perfect and it doesn’t matter how much money your blog makes for you, one should never stop learning.
That food does look tasty. I agree, taking risks is a great thing to do. You never know, it could end up being great!
Sounds and looks like great fun! I am hoping to head to a blog confrence soon. What a great way to learn, meet new people and bloggers! That food looks yummy too!
What an amazing experience – go you on winning! I would love to make it to a blogger conference one day. x
So glad you got to come…that is a great background story! I keep an editorial calendar for my posts and it really helps me as well. Can’t wait to see how you put all you learned into action!