Sponsor Me to Attend BlogHer PRO 14
BlogHer just announced their next conference, BlogHer PRO ’14. It will take place December 3 & 4 in Redwood City. I had a good time attending BlogHer ’14 down in San Jose, but I was left wanting more take-home, actionable items that I could use to build my blog. This conference seems to focus more on that aspect of blogging. Most notably, it promises that I will walk away with a new, professional media kit. This is something I know I need, and would love to have.
Read MoreIt pays to have Klout!
Seriously, it pays to blog! Well, mostly in freebies so far! Last month I told you all about the Poshly Custom-Tailored Freebies I received. I’m still giving those products a good testing, so I’ll have reviews for them soon I hope! Since then (okay, and a bit before that) I’ve been paying more attention to Klout, more specifically the Perks section.
Klout has come through with a variety of perks that suit the variety of things I blog about perfectly! First, it was Blowfish for Hangovers. I intended to give it a good try after my planned Halloween shenanigans, but I ended up with a cold so I didn’t drink. I think I’ll be really tying one on at Thanksgiving, so let’s hope I’ll be able to test on good old Black Friday! Check out Blowfish for Hangovers on Twitter!
Next, I was invited to host a #RTGirlsNightIn and provided with a fantastic set of makeup brushes from Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman. My small Girl’s Night was a success and the brushes are fabulous! I haven’t worked with makeup brushes this nice since I was doing stage makeup in college, and let me tell you, it makes a difference! I’m stoked to have these brushes and I think I converted a few of my friends! Check out Real Techniques on Twitter or Real Techniques on Facebook!
Changing gears from beauty products, the next Klout Perk I received was 50 custom business cards from MOO Cards. Again, I’m totally a believer in MOO now! Coming from a background working for a professional printing company for 5 years, I’m very picky about the quality of my business cards and where I get them from. I remember getting a set of cards from MOO when they first came out, back when you could only get the very small cards (I think they’re still in a drawer somewhere in the recesses of my desk!). I’m super happy that the printing looks good, the stock is nice and thick, and even the obligatory Klout logo looks good! More on these in a later post, but in the meantime, check out MOO Cards on Twitter or MOO Cards on Facebook!
Back to beauty, just today I received TWO packages – a Klout Perk from Freeman and my very first Vox Box from Influenster!
The Freeman Perk contained three lovely masks with a great card full of suggestions for creating a Multi-Mask routine for folks like me with combination skin (i.e. oily in some places, dry in others). There’s a Freeman Feeling Beautiful Cucumber Facial Peel-Off Mask, an Avocado & Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask, and a Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask! The first two I’ve seen on shelves before but haven’t tried yet and the third I’ve plain never seen! I can’t wait to try them out! Check out Freeman Beauty on Twitter, Freeman Beauty on Facebook, or Freeman Beauty on Instagram!
I have more Klout Perks coming to tell you about soon! Check out the brands who were kind enough to send me some stuff to try! You can also give me more Klout by giving me a +K on these topics and check out my Influenster profile too!
Disclosure: I was given complimentary products or samples because I’m a Klout influencer. I am under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about these companies. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or companies. Affiliate links for the products are contained in this post.
Read MoreAffiliate Summit East 2009 Resolutions
They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So if I didn’t learn from my experience at this last affiliate summit, I’d be crazy. I’ve had some time to think long and hard about my experience in Las Vegas and I’m resolved to learn from these experiences. I wouldn’t say they’re mistakes, per se, but definitely opportunities for learning. Here’s some things I’ve figured out for myself that might just help you too (see, this isn’t my being selfish!)
- Make sure to secure internet for the trip! I had SO many problems this time around, I’m going to make sure the hotel I’m staying at has either wired or wifi connections, and bring my own Ethernet cable that I know for SURE works just in case. Being without internet for 5 days is killer!
- Don’t get sick! I’m going to finally try out Airborne and hopefully avoid catching germs from people. Maybe I’ll even go semi-germaphobe and carry around some PocketBac to help reduce the chance of germs jumping on board after shaking so many hands. I have some awesome peppermint sceneted stuff from Bath & Body Works in a tiny and manageable 1 fl. oz. size. I can’t afford to come back sick from a conference AGAIN!
- Lighten my load. My big backpack was too big – I didn’t need to cart around that much space. Luckily the Buy.at backpack I won is just right to carry my laptop & the essentials (business cards, beverage, wallet, antibacterial hand gel, that kind of thing).
- Get more information from my mentee! I don’t want to be a sourpuss and not do the mentor program again because I have even MORE stuff to tell a AS newbie, but this time I’ll be sure to find out when they’re coming to the summit, if they’ll be there all three days, and try to find out what they look like so I can spot them in a crowd to say hi!
- Attend “Ask the Experts”! I jokingly said that I’d never attend this unless I was one of the experts, but since I don’t see that happening I need to not be lazy that second day and get up and attend. Somehow sleep always seems to take precedent that second morning…
- EAT! I managed to go all day Sunday having eaten just a few snacks and no real meals until a 2am bowl of cereal (thank you Las Vegas for being a 24/7 town). This was not good. Since the provided Continental Breakfast and Luncheons don’t kick in until Monday & Tuesday, I need to remember that Sunday isn’t just the Meet Market anymore – it’s a full fledged day of sessions, so get up and get energy!
- Get a smaller camera. Or bring the smaller one I gave my husband, because I don’t take nearly enough photos and end up relying on the power of Flickr and Facebook tags to find photos of me at the show. My camera that I take most my pics with is kinda bulky and not really friendly “on the fly”. Next time I’ll have my Flip Mino (thank you MarketLeverage!) and will be sure to get video of some of the general events (not the sessions, that’s a no-no) and random people I encounter. I’ll be video happy!
- Pimp myself out. It’s nice to look professional, yes, but being branded like a cow gets noticed. I had my own business cards of course, but no cards for any other departments, no nifty swag to hand people, no visible affiliation with them other than the name on my badge, not even a postcard with the equivalent of a 30 second elevator pitch. Next time, you’ll know who I rep when you see me coming!
Tips & Tricks for Affiliate Summit
I believe I mentioned before, I’m participating once again in the Affiliate Summit Mentor program. I sent these same tips and tricks to the person I’m mentoring, and since people are starting to filter into town today for the show, I’ve decided to share these last minute tips with everyone!
Now, some are just general conference/trade show things that a first timer might not really be aware of. Some are probably common sense, but hey, they’re there for good measure. So take my advice here, don’t take my advice, it’s up to you. But some of this might help!
If all goes well and my flight is on time I should be in the air soon, so I hope to see you in Las Vegas! If you want to meet up with me at any point, send me a Direct Message on Twitter – I’ll have the SMS updates turned on so it’ll be as good as texting me 🙂
General Conference Tips
- Business Cards – Bring plenty! I can’t stress this enough. It’s the best way for people to remember to contact you when they get back to “the real world” of work after the conference. Also, if you’re the type of person that likes to enter booth drawings for prizes, most want you to drop off a business card to enter.
- Added Personalization of Business Cards – For an important contact that you definitely want to get back to you, write something distinctive on the back of the card when you give it to them. It could be your cell phone number or some other bit of contact information that’s not already on the card, or just a note about who you are, like “Met at lunch on Tuesday”. That will give the person a reminder when they get back that they actually wanted to later connect with you.
- Comfort – wear comfortable clothes and shoes that won’t slow you down or make sitting around in sessions unbearable. As well, it’ll help to fully assess the conference bag and its contents to know if they’re suitably comfortable for you. For example, despite being provided a notepad in the bag, I don’t usually use it. I prefer to use a Composition Book to take notes – not only because the cover is thick and it’s easier to write in when there’s no surface to write on, but also I keep my notes when I get back, so it’s easier to keep them in the same notebook than loose all over. Be aware of these kinds of personal preferences.
- Literature – don’t be afraid to grab literature from booths & meet market tables. What I do is take it up to my room and unload at the end of each day. Then I can fully read more into stuff and decide what I’ll be taking back with me. I also find that taking stuff back with me does help me remember who I wanted to do more research into working with, more than a business card necessarily.
- Leave Luggage Space – it’s Vegas, and there will be booth people wanting to give you knick-knacks and t-shirts and you may just want to bring home souvenirs, so remember to leave space in your bags for any literature, paperwork, goodies, souvenirs, etc. that you may be bringing home with you. Buying another bag for that stuff to bring home isn’t fun (trust me, I’ve been there).
Affiliate Summit Specific Tips
- Conference Bag – you’ll be provided with a bag when you register. Mostly it’ll have literature inserts that businesses have paid to have included. I recommend going through the literature immediately and removing anything you know you have absolutely no interest in. Added papers will just bog you down when you’re walking around. The bag usually also contains a pad of paper someone has sponsored and a pen, amongst other random goodies.
- Registration – Register earlier, that way you have time before anything important starts to get rid of the excess in your bag & get comfortable to embark on more important stuff. If you go to the conference area just to register before any intentions of going to the Meet Market or sessions, that will give you time to examine the bag itself, pen, notebook, goodies, etc. to see if you’ll need to grab your own supplies to be comfortable and effectively meet your conference goals.
- Meet Market – GO! I admit, my first Affiliate Summit I didn’t go because the description made it sound like it was a row of merchants sitting around waiting for affiliates to approach them in a creepy way. But it’s a huge networking opportunity. There’s drinks, wandering, and yes, you can have some good conversations with industry colleagues. There are often companies that just get a Meet Market table (they’re less expensive) and won’t have a booth during the exhibit hall, so take the opportunity to talk with anyone you’re interested in doing business with – that may be your only opportunity.
- Water – I don’t know if hotels and conference centers do this for everyone or if the organizers have to request it, but there’s almost always pitchers of cold water and glasses in all the session rooms or just outside. Carrying around a bottle never hurts either if that’s more your style.
- Timeliness – being on time to sessions will greatly help your comfort level and learning. I usually try to get there at least a couple minutes early. That gives me time to find a good seat, get a drink of water, and get settled before the panel actually starts. That way I’m not interrupting anything by trying to get comfortable or by walking in late.
- Meals – if you have a full conference pass, they provide a continental breakfast & light lunch (usually sandwiches, soup, burgers, that kind of thing). It’s nothing gourmet but it’s a good chance to talk to some people casually, approach speakers you want to follow up with, things like that. And you’ve already paid for it with your conference registration, so you might as well take advantage of it, that’s my theory.
- Business Meetings – you may have already scheduled some. Don’t schedule too many though – you want ample time to explore the exhibit hall and attend panels and sessions. Also – I made this mistake at the last Summit held at the Rio – make arrangements to meet your appointments near to the conference area. The conference center of the Rio is at the back of the hotel, so if you’ve made arrangements to meet in the lobby or closer to the casino area, it might be incredibly out of your way to go all the way out there to meet the person. Besides, you’ll have a more professional meeting anywhere in the back near the conference center than you would out by the casino floor anyway.
- Agenda – take a few minutes now to check out the agenda for the show online. It’ll save you time now to decide on some of the sessions/events you definitely want to attend than to have to make those decisions on the fly. However, being flexible isn’t a bad thing – sometimes you hear things from other attendees that you can’t know by reading the description on paper.
- Session/Event Recommendations – these are a couple of sessions that are geared more towards affiliates than merchants. You might want to check out:
- The Black Ink Session, Sunday 1:30p – 2:30p Classroom C (Miranda 5-6). Jeremy Palmer is a great guy and successful affiliate and really takes a basic “this is how you do it” approach.
- Ethical Issues in Affiliate Marketing, Sunday 3-4pm Classroom D (Miranda 7-8). There was a session just like this with almost the same lineup of panelists in Boston, and it didn’t turn out that great, to put it politely. I’m really hoping that they took the feedback given then and will put out a more productive and well run panel this time.
- Mentor Program Meet Up, Sunday 6:30-7:30pm Brasilia 1-3. You’re probably already planning on attending this, but it’ll be a great mixer and balance amongst new attendees and old hat attendees, so the networking will be great.
- Opening Remarks & Keynote, Monday 9:45am-10:45am, General Session Room Brasilia 1-7. For one, the keynote will set the tone and you’ll be sorry if you miss it. For two, Gary Vaynerchuk is the keynote and he’s a fantastic speaker!
- Advanced Optimization for Landing Pages, Monday 2-3pm Classroom C. I’ve heard Olivier Chaine & Lisa Crossley Hunter speak before and they definitely know what they’re talking about, so with just them the session should be good. I’ve never heard Trevor Claiborne speak and I’ve spoken to Beth Kirsch before but never seen her on a panel so I can’t vouch for them.
Las Vegas Tips
- If you’re staying at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, take a cab from the airport. The shuttles, while less expensive, take at least an hour to get from the airport to the Rio since it’s off the strip, so usually it’s the last stop before they return to the airport. If you’ve been traveling all day, you’ll thank yourself for saving the hassle.
- Chapstick is your friend! If you’re not used to a relatively dry climate like Las Vegas, be sure to carry around some good chapstick or lip balm. Even if you don’t leave the hotel at all to expose yourself to the elements, the recycled air & smoke in the casino area can be a lot to take with repeteitive exposure.
- There’s a café down the hall on the way to the conference area of the Rio called the Sao Paulo Café – avoid it! Terrible service, mediocre food.
- There’s also a Starbucks next to that cafe, so if you need your morning latte fix, it’ll be there, but the lines may be long so plan ahead.
- The conference center is in the very back of the hotel, so from the guest elevators and gaming area, it’s a 15 minute walk if you’re taking your time, 5-10 if you’re booking it. Remember that when planning out your arrival times and any other events during the day.
- The Carnival World Buffet is really good; I highly recommend trying it at least once while you’re there. Don’t let the $27 price tag scare you – it’s worth it.
- The All-American Bar & Grill is a good option for a decent burger or fries at any hour.
Free Toolsday for April 15th
Happy tax day! Here’s a great free tool to save yourself some green. Honestly, I’m not sure why it’s taken me SO long to tell you about this tool. Anyone who’s ever had to hire a graphic designer for a really simple postcard or business card knows how frustrating it can be to put so much back & forth into a project that takes the designer 10 minutes to flesh out. Not to mention how much money it costs. This is why PsPrint launched the fabulous Design It! tool last year.
Design It! uses state of the art online graphic technologies that allow you to design a business card or postcard in mere minutes. It’s super easy to do the design work and ordering online. With the tool you can either upload your own background or photograph or pick from hundreds of stock designs that PsPrint’s internal graphic design team have developed since the launch of this tool.
You may be weary to use it since it it’s provided by a printing company, but there’s no obligation to buy. At no time do you put in your name or email address or anything unless you decide to order. So you don’t have to worry about receiving junk mail or anything after just giving it a try.
All text boxes are very intuitive to use when adding your custom text, and you can change fonts, colors, and customize the photos or logos you use on the cards. When designing postcards you can even add your own indicia to mail the cards professionally. At last count there are over 300 different templates for the business cards and over 150 templates for the postcards. PsPrint even has an open invitation to users to submit their feedback about what templates they’d like to see and what would improve the system.
Give it a try today. You have nothing to lose!
Read MoreFeedBurner FAIL
Something wonky happened a few days ago and I didn’t notice… sorry feed readers!
Here’s the posts you may have missed…
- Effective Email Case Study – TubeMogul
- Link Glossary – Alt Text
- Comfortable Branding by Name (Video)
- Hard Sell Tactics DON’T WORK
- Developing Professional Business Cards with Sharp Company Logos
- Link Glossary – Backlinks
- Cribbed Content for April 11th
- Twittermethis v. Twattermethat (Podcast)
