BlogPaws 2010 West is full of inspiring keynotes, hands-on learning sessions (led by experts), and that overwhelming sense of belonging. The people who attend BlogPaws events are pet people – eager to connect with other pet people, and learn how to be better bloggers.
We have a line-up of terrific speakers hand-picked to provide top insight and encouragement in every session. Each session is designed for lots of interaction, discussion and Q&A. You’ll leave each session with a list of new ideas, action items and excitement about the possibilities that await you.
Here is a (preliminary) description of the sessions planned for BlogPaws 2010 West:
CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
Building Your Brand and Platform through Blogging
Your blog is a great foundation for launching a cause, a business, your expertise and more. It can serve as the hub of your efforts and be a place to engage with your customers or audience. This session will show you how to leverage your blog to expand your influence to gain media coverage, speaking opportunities, e-books, consulting, e-commerce and more. Participants of this session will learn:
- What is a brand? What is a platform? How to define and refine them.
- Strategies for creating content that supports your larger objectives.
- How to use your blog content in other channels.
- Tips and techniques for staying disciplined, engaged and most of all, motivated!
Book Publishing in a Digital World
Are you thinking of writing a book? Have you written one and are now ready to get it published? If so, this session is for you. Our experts and published authors will share with you:
- An inside look at book publishing in today’s world, from experienced authors of both traditionally published books and self-published books.
- How to “package” your book and how to choose the right agent and/or publisher.
- How to build a platform and an audience for your book, even before it’s written!
(Your Pet) Oughta Be in Pictures – Pet Photography Tips
As cute as they are, pets aren’t the best models. They move quickly, always turn their head at the wrong moments and, oh! The red eye! This session will teach you techniques for taking beautiful, compelling photos of your favorite friend, using a standard digital camera. In this hands-on session attendees will learn:
- Key camera settings to get the best results
- Tricks for getting your pet to “pose”
- Composition tips
- Common mistakes and easy ways to overcome them
Writing Essentials – Putting Your Best Blogging Forward
Writing in a blog is conversational and often carries a personal tone. That does not mean you can forget the basic rules of spelling and grammar. Your readers and the possible sponsors or advertisers you’d like to attract will judge you on your writing skill. In this session we’ll go over the most common spelling and grammar issues, and discuss some simple writing tricks to make sure you’re conveying the right message. Come to this session to hone your writing skills. Walk away with a cheat sheet on:
- The correct form of its, you are, they are and more
- When to break text into paragraphs
- Composing paragraphs that leave the reader wanting more
- The right ways to use a comma
SUCCESS STRATEGIES
How to Get Your Blog, Platform or Cause Covered in Traditional Media Outlets
One way to increase awareness for your blog, business, platform or cause is through “traditional” media outlets – magazines, newspapers, radio and TV. In this session, our experts will discuss how to approach these outlets and get your story noticed. Specifically, participants will learn:
- The elements of a great news or feature story.
- How to determine your most compelling story angle.
- What different outlets are looking for and how you can help them.
- Who to approach and how to write a short, concise email outlining your idea.
Driving Traffic Through SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a great way to build readership but best practices in SEO are constantly changing. If you’d like to leverage SEO as a regular part of your blogging strategy, this is a great session for you. Attendees will learn:
- What is SEO, really?
- Practical advice and tips you can use today (and every day!) from SEO experts.
- Five key elements you should incorporate into every blog post.
- Techniques used by the experts to drive more traffic and get your blog in the top Google search results for your desired keywords.
Your Opinion Matters! The Do’s And Don’ts of Product Reviews
Do you review products on your site? Are you interested in doing pet product reviews? Ever wonder how those other pet bloggers get free product over and over? Join this session for basic to advanced insights into regulations and techniques. In this session, you’ll learn:
- How to work with brands and PR firms to secure product review opportunities.
- How to leverage product reviews to drive traffic to your site.
- What you need to know about the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines for product reviews.
- How to conduct reviews with honesty and integrity.
The Nuts & Bolts of Contests, Sweepstakes and Promotions
Unlike product reviews, contests, sweepstakes and promotions require more thought, more attention, and give different results. If you are interested in creating these interactive experiences on your blog or Facebook page, this session is for you. Participants will learn:
- Sweepstakes rules and experiences – it’s not all about the prize; it’s about a lot more than that!
- How much time and effort really goes into offering a contest or sweepstakes.
- How to use sweepstakes and contests to promote your cause, your purpose, and your blog.
- How others have successfully done this – from real case studies.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Leveraging Your Social Media Skills to Help Rescues and Shelters
Are you a shelter administrator or volunteer? Are you a pet lover who wants to make a difference for your local organization? Social media is a great way for rescues and shelters to raise funds and increase awareness about their adoptable pets. But social media can be time consuming. Many organizations are strapped for time and resources; it’s hard for them to adopt these new skills effectively. This session will teach you the most effective and targeted social media strategies to help more pets. In this session attendees will learn:
- How to develop a social media plan based on the organization’s key goals.
- Best practices for incorporating social media into an overall marketing plan.
- How to find a unique aspect about the shelter to showcase.
- Strategies for managing a social media plan with multiple volunteers.
Developing a Sustainable Social Media Strategy that Works For You
Social media is a great way to drive traffic to your blog, make connections and create action. But social media can also be a big time sucker. It’s important to have a strategy in place to get the most out of the time you spend online. In this session, you will learn:
- How to determine the best social media tools for your purposes.
- Strategies for defining goals and sticking to them.
- Tips and techniques for streamlining your social media activities.
- Common time wasters and traps to avoid.
Beyond Twitter - More Social Media Tools You Should Try
Twitter and Facebook are terrific social media tools but they’re not your only options. If you’re ready to step up your social media efforts and incorporate new strategies, this session is for you. Social media experts will review how tools like Digg, Stumbleupon, Squidoo and YouTube can increase attention and traffic to your blog. In this session, participants will learn:
- A brief overview of some of the more popular tools available.
- How to determine which tools are right for you.
- Best practices for incorporating these tools into your strategy.
- Examples of bloggers using these strategies successfully.
WORKSHOPS
Blog Platform Tips, Tricks & Techniques
If you’re like most of us, you’ve learned your blogging techniques through trial and error. But, if you’re like us (and you’ve told us you are!) you probably wish you could pick the brain of an expert. Now you can! Three concurrent sessions will cover the ins and outs of Wordpress, Blogger and TypePad. This is not an introduction to blogging; each session will be geared towards the audiences’ level of expertise and specific needs, with valuable information for both beginner and experienced users. Much of these sessions will incorporate Q & A and real world examples based on participants’ questions.
Hands On Digital and Social Media Tools Workshops
Want to go deep into one particular blogging, social media or online marketing tool? These sessions feature experts in several popular digital and social media tools who will be on hand to answer all of your questions about their tool. These casual, highly interactive sessions are designed to give you access to the experts to help you achieve your objectives. Specific featured tools will be announced soon.
