wplogoblue

Jane needs a makeover.

In the next month or so SeeJaneWriteBham.com is getting a major redesign. Part of this website overhaul will include changing platforms: I’ll be moving See Jane Write from Blogger to WordPress.

For years I was fiercely loyal to Blogger. And even though last year I launched See Jane Write Magazine using WordPress.org and my portfolio website, Javacia.com, using WordPress.com, I still had a soft spot for Blogger. I couldn’t help it. It’s so easy to use and it’s the platform with which I started my very first blog.

Then I attended WordCamp.

WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences that cover various topics related to WordPress, the free and open source publishing software that powers over 75 million websites.

At last year’s WordCamp Birmingham, Sara Cannon — one of the event’s organizers and speakers — said something that was music to my ears: “You can do anything with WordPress.”

I was sold.

I have big plans for See Jane Write and most of those plans will rely on having an amazing website. And so I’m making the move.

This year’s WordCamp Birmingham is set for Saturday, August 16. I’ll be there, of course, and I would love to see some See Jane Write readers there too.

So I’m here to convince you to join me. This isn’t a sponsored post — WordCamp is paying me to sway you. I just really believe that whether you run your blog on WordPress or not, you could learn a lot from this event. (And you’ll get a cool t-shirt.)

WP-Y-all

I recently had a chat with my pal Williesha Morris, who’s on the marketing committee for this year’s event, and asked her to give me five reasons Birmingham-area bloggers should attend WordCamp Birmingham. Here’s what she had to say:

1) At $20, it’s a steal: you’ll get lunch and snack tickets, a fabulous tee, plus an incredible WordPress education.

Williesha is right. Most blogging conferences will cost you $100 or more. At $20, I was not going to miss this. And I’ve already prepared a list of questions about WordPress that I hope to get answered.

2) There are sessions and workshops available for all levels of WordPress users, from newbie to expert developer.

And there are sessions that would be valuable to you even if you don’t use WordPress. I’m especially looking forward to Carrie Rollwagen’s presentation titled “Drive Blog Traffic Without Driving Yourself Nuts,” Reneta Tsankova’s talk on brand building and Kathryn Lang’s talk titled “It’s All About Relationships.”

3) You’ll get to hang out with WordPress lovers from all over the country and have access to speakers, who are leaders in their field.

I’m always looking for an opportunity to do some networking and if you are too, WordCamp is a great chance to do so.

4) It’s packed into one day instead of the whole weekend, saving you time.

Attending a conference on a Sunday can be tough as that’s usually the day many of us set aside for church, family time, or getting ready for the week ahead. I’m glad all the sessions will be offered on Saturday.

5) This year’s afterparty is at Rojo, so there will be plenty of options for foodies, drinkers and non-drinkers.

I can taste the queso as I type this.

Hope to see you Saturday!

For more information on WordCamp Birmingham and to purchase tickets visit 2014.birmingham.wordcamp.org.