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1. Bryanboy:
When one participant asked him about his blogger pet peeves he responded “Don’t buy business cards. Don’t take my photo and hand me a card. Your face is your business card.” He also echoed Eva’s advice to be nice, “Link to everybody, that’s how you exchange traffic. It’s all about having a sense of community.” Duly noted, Bryanboy. While I wouldn’t advise throwing away your business cards just yet (especially if you’re a new blogger), I think the part about your face being the business card is something worth considering. Develop an elevator pitch for yourself and blog, and don’t rely solely on your business card to do the networking for you.
2. Gabi Gregg, Style Blogger, GABIFRESH:
One of my favorite quotes from the conference was from Gabi during a panel entitled “Community ROI: Turning Readers Into Your Advocates.” Gabi advises bloggers to always side with readers over brands. This is advice to remember when considering collaborating with a brand that may not be the right fit for your blog, or if a brand partnership disappoints your readers. Basically, if you want readers to advocate for you, you should first prove to them that you are their advocate.
I also love this quote from Gabi about being personable on social media: “Twitter for me is a conversational tool, I use it as if I weren’t a blogger. I link to a post but it’s not all links.” This is good advice for anyone utilizing Twitter for their blog and seeking to build genuine relationships. If you sound like a real person behind your Twitter handle, people are more likely to engage with and follow you.
3. Erica Domesek, Founder, P.S. – I Made This…:
Erica, whose awesome cat headband (made by hand, of course) sparked the interest of every audience member, had chock-full of tips for bloggers. On getting brands to work with you: “Put out strong content, brands will work with you.”
When asked about her post buy phentermine online 37.5 no prescription content: “Comfort with a twist…sometimes the simplest thing does really well.” That said, don’t feel pressured to write about something crazy; sometimes the most simplest content generates more interest.
“No one wants to be friends with the mean girl.” No one.
“Cross promote. It will grow your audience it’s not a competition.” I’m a huge fan of blogger collaborations; I’ve done three so far and have one coming up next month.
“Talk to your audience just like you would to your friends. People just want to know there’s something real.” This goes back to what I said above about being personable on social media and not just spamming links to your blog.
4. Lindsey Calla, Blogger, Style Expert & TV Personality, Saucy Glossie:
On working with brands, Lindsey advises, “don’t date every boy on the block,” which I thought was the perfect metaphor. Don’t partner up with a brand unless they are good fit for your blog and readers. “If it’s not your brand, you need to know that. Be yourself. Be original.” Remember, your readers can see through a forced partnership that is driven by monetary rewards.
5. Amber Venz, President & Co-Founder, rewardStyle:
On using Instagram: “Create original imagery to provide more value.” Basically, don’t recycle images that aren’t your own. Your value as a content creator is measured by your originality.
“Don’t be a knockoff; you’re the best as you. If you copy someone else, they’ll alway be better.” All too often we see new bloggers who think they need to be like Chiara to be successful. But the truth is that you won’t be Chiara, and so long as you try to copy other bloggers, readers will lose interest. Be original and be yourself; at the very at least it gives others a reason to follow you.
6. Aliza Licht, Senior Vice President, Global Communications, Donna Karan International:
On using multiple social media platforms to promote blog content: “Tailor your social media messages. Tell a different story, take a different angle for each platform.” This way, you’re not boring your audience who follow you on multiple platforms, and you’re reaching out to your audience in the most effective way.
7. Eva Chen, Editor-in-Chief, Lucky:
“This culture of ‘Who wore it better?’ is terrible for self-esteem. Why can’t we all look good in something?” Amen, why are we so harsh on other women? Let’s be nice, not catty.
“Always be yourself and always be nice…what goes around comes around. It’s very, very true.”
Put simply, be nice, be original, and support other bloggers. Want more blogging tips? Check out my post on SEO tips from LuckyFABB.
[Image Source: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images North America]