Month: June 2014

The Bloganista Mini-Conference

 
 
See Jane Write believes you, your life and your blog should be fabulous. And so we present to you our first mini-conference — The Bloganista Mini-Con, a partial day conference for fashion, fitness, and lifestyle bloggers.  The mini-conference will be held 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 19 at the Homewood Public Library, 1721 Oxmoor Road.
 
Don’t worry if you’re not a style blogger; this conference has something for everyone. Topics we’ll cover include: 
  • Using your blog to land freelance writing gigs and speaking engagements
  • How your blog can land you a new job
  • Working with brands
  • Niche blogging 
  • Time management tips 
  • How to dress like a fashion blogger (even if you’re not one)
  • Turning your blog into a business
  • Spreading the word about your blog 
 
Our Speakers/Panelists: 
 
Alexis Barton of Same Chic Different Day
Heather Brown of My Life Well Loved
Erica Bunker of Erica Bunker DIY Style
Megan LaRussa Chenoweth of Southern Femme
Vanessa Culpepper of Budding Fashionista
Bertha Hidalgo of Chic In Academia 
Williesha Morris of My Freelance Life 
Tanya Sylvan of All In Stride
Carla Jean Whitley of Birmingham magazine
 
Tentative Conference Schedule
 
Morning Mingle     10 – 11 a.m.
Enjoy a continental breakfast and network with other local bloggers. 

Welcome by Javacia Harris Bowser, Founder of See Jane Write 11 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. 
 
Morning Keynote by Alexis Barton of Same Chic Different Day     11:15 a.m. – noon  
 
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN     NOON – 1:30 P.M. 
 
How to Be a Bloganista     1:30 – 2:15 p.m.
Local bloggers will share tips on time management, blog promotion, developing blog post ideas, working with brands, how to dress like a fashion blogger, and much more. Panelists: Heather Brown of My Life Well Loved, Erica Bunker of Erica Bunker DIY Style, Vanessa Culpepper of Budding Fashionista, and Bertha Hidalgo of Chic In Academia
 
Beyond the Blog     2:15 – 3 p.m.
Editors of local publications and local bloggers will share tips on how you can use your blog to land freelance writing gigs and even a full-time job. Panelists: Alexis Barton of Same Chic Different Day, Williesha Morris of My Freelance Life, Tanya Sylvan of All In Stride, and Carla Jean Whitley of Birmingham magazine
 
Break     3 – 3:30 p.m. 
 
Afternoon Keynote
by Megan LaRussa Chenoweth of Southern Femme     3:30 – 4:15 p.m.
 
Farewell     4:15 – 4:30 p.m. 

Blog, Baby, Blog!

 


Last month Birmingham-based communications consultant Wade Kwon came to speak to members of See Jane Write about blogging. Kwon is the director of the social media conference Y’all Connect and he was one of the founders of the award-winning website Magic City Post. 

Kwon’s advice to us was much simpler than I expected. His secret to success: “Blog, baby, blog!” Kwon stressed the importance of consistency and gave great advice on how we can keep our blogs alive. 

Wade Kwon addressing See Jane Write members at a recent workshop
(Photo by Audrey Atkins)



Pursue your passion. “Tap into something you could write about all the time,” Kwon said. But you still need to know why you’re blogging. What is your objective? What do you want to get out of your blog? 

Tackle your tagline. Develop a phrase that succinctly describes everything you want to cover. When Kwon and his partners started Magic City Post, they figured out that their site would celebrate all that’s right about Birmingham. The site’s About page read: 

Magic City Post in two words? Unrelentingly Positive! 

MCP in 18 words? A daily look at the Birmingham metro area that shows off the best the region has to offer.

I believe that if you can describe your blog in a concise way such as that, you can use that tagline as a mission statement that will not only help you decide what to write but also help you make decisions about posts from guest bloggers, sponsored posts and more. 

Create catchy content. The thing new bloggers struggle with most is usually a lack of readership. Kwon offered some practical advice on how to get the word out about your blog. First, create content that will be shared over and over. This can be compelling, controversial posts but it can also be posts that are very useful. For example, if you write a hyperlocal blog, consider a post of highlighting important city events of the year or a list of local restaurants open on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Throughout the year stop and ask yourself what kind of information are people seeking right now. 
Be sure to share your content via social media but don’t underestimate the power of email marketing. Your blog should have on its front page a way for readers to sign up for regular updates about your site. 

Click here if you’d like more highlights from Kwon’s talk. 

Kwon’s talk left me with a lot to think about. I’m at a point of truly trying to figure out who I want to be in the World Wide Web. Do I want my blog to be the place people turn to for writing tips or do I want it to be full of feminist musings? Do I want to be a fitness blogger? (After all, I am exercising EVERY SINGLE DAY.) Do I want to blog about my love for Birmingham? Or do I want to blog about my life as a teacher? Or perhaps there’s a way I could blog about ALL OF THIS, but then I run the risk of being a Jane of all trades and master of none. 
I’m not sure how I want my writing career to look.



Cross-posted at The Writeous Babe Project.