Can you believe it’s only 3 weeks until Blogher? I’m so amazed at how quickly time is just zippin’ on by. This lack of time before the big conference means less time to get ready….it means I’d better get on the ball. What about you? Have you made those initial contacts that go with attending Blogher? 
Have you pre-contacted any companies/sponsors beforehand? Do you have meetings set up? Do you have a sponsor?
Debba, from Girlfriendology, had some great advice for us this week related to making those vital connections before the big day and also working with sponsorships. Personally, I started making connections for sponsors a few months ago, mostly related to our roadtrip to and from Blogher. Getting the early bird pass to Blogher saved a lot of money, and I actually count that expense as a business investment. Focusing on sponsors for the actual roadtrip has led to many great connections. Though only partial things are sponsored, it’s still been a huge help to cut back on our expenses for the roadtrip. How about you? Do you want to go for a full sponsorship or a partial sponsorship? Either way, you need a plan, and it’s time to get on that plan.
Maybe you don’t want a sponsorship to the conference, per se, but you’d love to make a connection with a sponsor you could work with on a more long-term basis? Debba suggests contacting them to set up an appointment beforehand. Out of the 3,000 or more people who will be at Blogher, you want to be one of those that will be remembered. Find a way to stand out to the potential sponsor. What can you do for them; how can you serve them? Honestly, in my own life, I’ve often heard the word servant associated with my spiritual beliefs/values. It really does work the same way in this profession. I have to think how I can best serve the brands and bloggers that I work with.
It’s time to prepare….to KNOW without a doubt what you’re going to say to these brands and how you’re going to present yourself. Will you have materials to give them, such as business cards? What type of work/promotion do you want to offer them? This one was a bit easy for me, as I already know I want to offer the services of my group, MamaBuzz Media. But seriously….what do you want to offer? Do you want to start out working with them on reviews, hopefully building into an ambassador or even a consultant position? Think carefully about these things….but as always, make sure you only work with those companies that you can be passionate about….this is key.
Next week, we’ll be talking about materials we’ll need for the conference, like business cards, media kits, etc. Be sure to hop on over to the other #Print4Blogher bloggers, and read what they have to say about connections/sponsorships….you can learn right along with us.
Amy Lowe – http://www.dealusional.com
Shelby Barone – http://www.feltstories.com
Sara Blake- http://www.supersavingsense.com/
Wendy Limauge – http://sweetiessweeps.com/
Amidst the planning and prepping, we’re also hosting weekly live sessions, which anyone can attend. Be sure to follow the hashtag #Print4Blogher on Twitter, so you can join in. You can also find the weekly sessions on Lovin Logistics.
(Disclosure: Thank you to Collective Bias and The UPS Store for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the #Print4Blogher campaign. I am receiving compensation for participating in this campaign, but all thoughts, opinions, and decisions above are mine and solely mine. The decisions expressed here have been given careful consideration by yours truly and only me.)
