A few months after I launched my personal pet blog, I packed up my car, my spunky min pin, Brick, and my notebook to head to Nashville, Tennessee for the annual BlogPaws pet blogger conference.As a PR pro and a pet blogger, BlogPaws was the perfect opportunity to brush up on my networking, SEO and social media skills, but it also gave me unexpected insight into how I could help my clients at FrazierHeiby succeed as exhibitors and speakers at their next blogger conference.Are you thinking about booking your first appearance at a blogger conference? Here are three tips for success before you take the plunge:
Be authentic and find the right audience. Bloggers who attend conferences care deeply about the causes they write about, and they expect brands and their representatives to feel the same. Don't jump to exhibit at just any conference; instead, find and attend those that make the most sense for your brand and find a way to draw in each of your buyer personas. It's easy to attend a blogger conference in your own backyard because it's convenient, but it's only in your best interest if your efforts attract the right audience. Keep in mind that you aren't the only person worried about attracting the right audience - bloggers are only looking to develop and strengthen relationships with brands and individuals that could benefit their audiences.
Get involved and be memorable. Find the right way to make a lasting impression on those who you connect with at the conference. Sponsor one of the conference sessions, or bring in an expert source to speak to the bloggers about something not directly related to your product or service. Bloggers are naturally curious and you can never provide them with too much information, especially when it's information they can't access anywhere else.At the BlogPaws conference, Peter Shankman, who is basically a PR wizard, was our keynote speaker. Not only was Peter's speech insightful, it was authentic and memorable. He captured the listener's attention through his humor and insight, but one of the most memorable things he did was ending his speech by giving away his personal phone number to each person in the audience. Doing something unexpected, like giving out your phone number to hundreds of strangers, can make you memorable. At your next blogger conference, don't be afraid to step outside of the box and do something a little different.
Gather contact info and follow up. Conferences are chaotic and you'll find that it's really easy to forget the name of that blogger you found really interesting after a long 10-hour day. Ask bloggers for their information in a unique way. You can host a photo booth with props and have the bloggers enter their emails to receive the photo, or hire a company to give away chai lattes for the easy price of giving you their email address. No matter what you do, don't be hesitant to ask bloggers for contact information; after all, they are there to make connections that have the potential to help them generate revenue and engaging content for their readers.Email addresses mean nothing unless you follow up. Once the conference is over, send a simple thank you email to those who showed interest in your product or service. If you're really looking to build those relationships, take the time to visit each of the blogger's websites and learn something about them that you can mention in the email.I was really impressed when Wellness pet food, a company I'm crazy about, reached out to me a few weeks after the conference asking if I wanted some free dog and cat food samples. This led to the making of a video blog reviewing their product. Wellness wouldn't have made this relationship if they didn't gather my contact information and follow through by making an effort to stay connected after the conference.
As PR pros, we rely on bloggers to get the word out to consumers about our products or services. I can't stress enough that it's important to treat bloggers in the same way you would a VIP journalist. The impressions you make at a blogger conference can last a lifetime.Do you have questions about the steps you should take before deciding if you should attend a blogger conference? Let us know in the comments below. Don't forget to check out our other tips for having an awesome conference experience.