Disclosure: As a Niche Parent Ambassador/Affiliate I will receive a family conference package and 10% of all sales (including packages) from any purchase made through affiliate link.
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I can’t believe the #NicheParent14 Conference is less than 2 weeks away! It’s been a while since my last blog conference and I’m excited to hug the friends who live in my laptop. It’s Norrin’s first blog conference and our first mother-son vacation. We’re also going with another friend and her son – it’s their first time visiting Walt Disney World. It’s going to be a special trip for so many reasons.
Earlier this week @NicheParent hosted a Twitter party and I am just blown away by the brand sponsors and media partners! One of the perks of attending a blog conference is connecting with brands. Yes, I love writing and I blog for the love of it. But I like working with brands too. Blogging about brands doesn’t make me a sell out, it makes me smart woman who wants to build her brand.
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| #NicheParent14 Brand Sponsors/Media Partners |
But wait…there’s more! In addition to the kickoff Safari event at Animal Kingdom on Thursday evening, Niche Parent just announced Sea World Orlando as another sponsor who is hosting a family friendly Halloween Spooktacular event for us on Saturday. And if I know Nadia…she has something else in the works for Friday night.
How to Connect with Brands
If this is your first blog conference, you may be wondering what to expect. Or if you’re a blogger who wants to connect with a brand – more importantly, one of the brands sponsoring #NicheParent14 – here are some tips:
Start following them on social media! Follow them on Twitter and start the conversation. Tweet and let them know you’re going. The brands are there because they want bloggers. Be the blogger the brand wants to meet!
I’ll make it easy for you… here are the sponsors Twitter handles:
Painting with a Twist – @pwatcorporate
The Elf on the Shelf – @elfontheshelf
Disney – @WaltDisneyWorld and @DisneyParks
Chevrolet – @chevrolet
Animal Jam – @AnimalJam
Boston Market – @bostonmarket
Seaworld Orlando – @SeaWorld
Vitabath – @Vitabath
Hansgrohe – @hansgroheusa
Eventcrowd – @eventcrowdus
iBlog – @iblogmag
And when tweeting don’t forget to tag @NicheParent or use #NicheParent14.
Think of your brand and how it fits in with theirs. How will you incorporate a brand product into your blog or share product information with your audience? You want it to be authentic.
Do your research. Check out the brand website and get a feel for their vibe. Is it something you would want or use?
Be selective. You don’t have to walk away with every single brand connection, walk away with the one that fits your blog best.
Go prepared. Who do you want to meet? Make a list so that you don’t forget. Make it a point to introduce yourself and trade business cards. Be prepared to give a 30-second pitch on who you are and what you do.
How to Connect with Bloggers & Social Media Influencers
Have you checked out the #NicheParent14 agenda? I am definitely looking forward to the line up. What I love about the Niche Parent Conference is that it’s intimate. Conferences can be overwhelming and intimidating – Niche Parent, isn’t that. You can meet the people you want to meet without fighting through the crowd.
There are quite a few people I want to meet and I’m looking forward to the sessions. So how do you connect with bloggers and other social media influencers?
Study the agenda. See who’s speaking and what sessions you want to attend. Is there someone on the list you’ve been following for a while? Think of specific questions you want to ask. Make the most of your time there. And again…use social media. Tweet them hello and tell them you are looking forward to their session panel.
Network NOW. You don’t have to wait to meet at #NicheParent14 to make the connection.
There’s a Niche Parent Attendee FB group and the #NicheParent14 hashtag – start getting to know the other attendees.
Who are the bloggers? I love meeting new bloggers. So check out who’s going and take a look around their blog. Is there a blogger that is similar to you? Don’t see them as someone to compete against, think of how you can collaborate together. There are opportunities out there for all of us.
Finally have your business cards ready. I just ordered my MOO business cards (and paid extra for faster delivery). Make it easy for people to find you – have your Twitter and/or Instagram handle on your card. Also including your photo on your card is helpful.
If you haven’t bought your ticket yet, don’t worry there’s still time. If you’re still looking for a reason to attend…click here. And if you’re ready to register: http://bit.ly/NPC14lqf
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Disclosure: As a Niche Parent Ambassador/Affiliate I will receive a family conference package and 10% of all sales (including packages) from any purchase made through affiliate link.
Thanks for this list. This will be my first conference so I am trying to prepare beforehand.
Also, I think that event crowd handle is incorrect. I followed all of the rest of them, though. Thanks for rounding them all up. š
Dawn
How exciting! I've been to conferences before but this is my first Niche Parent – so I am really looking forward to meeting everyone.
Thanks for point that out. I just updated the list. It's @eventcrowdus (no a at the end). See you at #NicheParent14