August 10-11, 2019 I attended WordCamp Birmingham 2019, which was held at Rosewood Hall in Homewood. The event featured several different tracks of workshops including sessions on content and business. I had the opportunity to speak, as well, and gave a presentation on using group writing challenges to boost your blog.
I’ve been attending WordCamp Birmingham conferences for years and I always leave with a notebook full of tips and tricks on how to improve my blog and overall content creation process. Honestly, I leave with too much information. I leave with so much information that I usually get too overwhelmed to put any of it into practice.
But this year I’m going to rewrite my story! This year reviewed my notes and made a list of 10 things I will do to put the information into action.
Here are my top 10 takeaways from WordCamp Birmingham 2019…
I’m constantly hearing people say that blogging is dead, that nobody reads anymore. And I get it. I know that video is hot. I know that according to research by Hubspot45% of people watch an hour or more of video per day and Google has found that half of 18-34s would stop what they’re doing to watch a new video by their favorite YouTube creator. And let’s not forget about the rise of podcasting. But my weekend at WordCamp Birmingham 2018 showed me that I’m not out of touch at all. The fundamentals of blogging that I’ve been learning, implementing, and sharing over the past decade are the same principles that would help me or any other content creator be successful at video and podcasting.
The #1 lesson I learned at WordCamp Birmingham 2018 is that no matter the medium consistency is key.
If you want to turn your blog into a business, you need to act like it! And one of the things you’ll need to do is invest in your blog and invest in yourself. Here are 4 investments you should consider making this month:
Lady Blogger to Boss Lady E-Course
Enrollment for my new e-course Lady Blogger to Boss Lady opens Saturday. This 7-week course will help you develop your best blog yet and show you how to turn that blog into a business without relying on ad sales or sponsored posts. A value of $497, I’m offering this beta version of the course for only $75! Plus, if you sign up for my Lady Blogger VIP list you’ll receive a discount. If you’ll be in the Birmingham area Saturday, Sept. 12, be sure to register for my Lady Blogger to Boss Lady kickoff event for an even BIGGER discount. (Only 6 tickets remaining for this free event.)
Social Media Training
Nothing says social media like photographing food!
Writer, blogger and social media maven Carrie Rollwagen is offering a social media workshop on Saturday, Sept. 19 specifically for those building a small business or personal brand. The workshop is an overview of social media marketing and an introduction to all kinds of social media tools. This daylong session will help you find the social media strategy that’s right for your small business or personal brand and give you the inspiration to get started. Topics covered include: Managing websites and blogs; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest; basic keyword optimization techniques; scheduling and organizing; and much more. Tickets are $100 and include lunch. Use the code BHAMJANES for a 20% discount. Class meets Saturday, September 19 at Innovation Depot from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Innovation Depot is located 1500 1st Ave N #31, Birmingham, AL 35203. Get more details and register here: tinyurl.com/popupworkshopsept.
A Self-Hosted Site
Moving to a self-hosted WordPress site was one of the best investments I ever made in my blog and business. After revamping my website people instantly started to take me and See Jane Write more seriously. If you need help setting up your self-hosted WordPress.org site, WPBeginner offers a free service through which they’ll do it for you FOR FREE as long as you purchase your web hosting using one of their affiliate links. Get more information here.
A Theme As Lovely As You Are
Perhaps you already have a self-hosted WordPress site, but you’re just not happy with the look of your blog. BluChic can help with that. BluChic offers beautiful WordPress themes designed specifically with female bloggers and business owners in mind. I use a BluChic theme for the See Jane Write website and my portfolio site. Themes are $79 and BluChic offers a number of other design elements, too. Click here to visit Bluchic (affiliate link).
I know that investing in all four of these in one month may not be feasible for most people. So decide which investment will be most beneficial for your blog and your business and go for it!
How will you invest in your blog and business this month?
