Two weeks have passed since Blog Her ’12 yet I find myself still thinking about my experiences. Since I’ve been home, I’ve made a few adjustments to my blog, I am Tweeting much more (and loving it as well as participated in my 1st Twitter party), I’m reading so many different and interesting blog posts (thank you!), I’m thoughtfully trying to comment more on blogs that I read, I now have a Klout number (although still haven’t created a Google Analytic account yet; it’s on my to-do list), and I continue to examine where my blog is heading and how it fits with my social media experience. It’s all good, all a direct result of attending Blog Her, and it’s all fun.

With that said, here’s my Blog Her Top 10 Recommendations: Newbie to Newbie.

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• Read and prepare as much as you can before going to the conference. Create a simple list of goals you hope to achieve, and try to accomplish them at the conference. No pressure just a guideline.

• Create business/networking cards. Do it. Don’t forget your name and include a photograph of yourself, if you can or want, as this can be a nice way to recall a connection you made or simply to help put a name with a face post-conference.

• Do NOT over pack! No matter how much you think you are going to change several times in one day, you won’t. If you have to, pack and repack until you take half of what you put in your suitcase (you’ll thank me later, and believe me, you’ll be so much happier). Remember to bring comfortable shoes (whatever that means for you). I wore my Merrill sandals the entire time (with skirts, with pants, and with my silk dress) even though I schlepped four additional pair of shoes.

  

  photo credit: Focx Photography via photo pin cc

• Be yourself: in mind, in clothing, in pitch, or in whatever. Don’t lose sight of why you are attending the conference (refer to bullet #1). It’s so not about all the swag; it’s about the experience, the people you connect with, or smile at, or exchange cards with while you are waiting in line to use the bathroom.

• Be polite. Never, ever, ever be rude, or impatient, or negative, or inappropriate; you can’t take that stuff or behavior back even if you are tired, or frustrated, or exhausted, or hungry. Guess what, perhaps everyone else is feeling the same way. It’s okay to share that frustration but please express yourself in a way that can be heard: be funny, be dry, be sarcastic, be real, but just don’t be a jerk (Capise? Capise.). I could site a few examples from my own experiences at Blog Her ‘12; however, I won’t. Just know that people are people, and it’s up to you to be an example that nice, patient, understanding people exist even in the masses.

• Go to sessions (even a few if that’s all you can fit into your schedule). That’s what you are paying for so take advantage of the many, many extraordinary presenters. They have knowledge to bestow so listen carefully, be respectful, ask (haaa: really, you will probably be tweeting, texting, FB’ing) your questions, hand out your business cards, and say a quick hello if are lucky enough to have a moment to do so. The presenters are real people, real bloggers, real experts, and they want to help, to teach, to guide. Don’t miss out on these wonderful opportunities.

  

  photo credit: Focx Photography via photo pin cc

• Enjoy the expo. Take time to talk to the exhibitors; it is appreciated. You never know what kind of connection you will make while perusing the aisles. Take photographs. Laugh. Enjoy yourself. This is supposed to be fun, and if it is not, find something else to do.

• There are no have-to’s at Blog Her. Do what feels right to you. Try everything. Mix and mingle as your comfort level warrants. Meet people. Go off on your own if you are traveling with friends (this was the BEST advice I received before heading to Blog Her ’12). Yup, it forced me to figure out what was important to me (meeting new people, the expo, parties, etc). Be adventurous. You can do it (I mean you did register to attend a conference with 4,000+ other people). You must be brave, and confident, and intelligent. Don’t shy away now. Get out there and talk to people. Make connections. Ask questions. Go!

• Every night go through your collected swag. Make 3 piles: (1) must take home, (2) recycle/toss (hopefully there will be recycle bins at Blog Her ’13), and (3) donate/drop off at the Swap Suite. I only took home what I absolutely loved and nothing else. I couldn’t fit it all, and I decided not to ship anything home. This made me really think about what I was collecting. I agonized about not being able to fit everything into my luggage. I felt so much better once I accepted that I didn’t need all the swag (it’s just stuff, only stuff, nothing I couldn’t live without). A big thank you to everyone at the Expo and beyond for giving me swag, and I’m sorry I couldn’t take it all home but I did read and look at everything.

• Do your best to follow up with those you connected with at Blog Her. Tweet. Facebook. Friend. Email. Text. Whatever: just remember to follow up. It’s courteous. It makes people feel good and listened to. It helps all of us. I love hearing from people I met for perhaps only a split second. Life is so busy, and being part of something like Blog Her, or for me, the Boston Parent Bloggers, allows me to have this special connection to a whole bunch of wonderful, intelligent, creative, and all-around cool people that I probably would not have necessary met or known otherwise.

I hope this simple newbie-list helps you, in some little way, prepare for next year’s Blog Her conference. To those first-timers our there, like myself: what advice would you give someone going to Blog Her for the first time? Would you do anything differently? I have a few things I would change and hopefully I’ll have the opportunity to put my thoughts, words, suggestions into action at Blog Her ’13 in Chicago.

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Related articles

• BlogHer at Home Giveaway #1: The BlogHer ’12 Swag Bags! (blogher.com)
• Let’s Talk about Swag* Baby (pocketfulofjoules.com)

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1. BlogHer ’12: AN EMOTIONAL STORYTELLER DEBRIEFS