BlogPodium 2017

Last Updated on 2020-10-21 by Linda

It is Tuesday and I should be all recovered from my weekend…. OK that just sounds a tad bit off, recovered may be the wrong word to use.  I attended BlogPodium on Saturday, my second and their seventh.  What a day, my head is still spinning with the connections made, the tidbits taught and the experiences shared. Lets take a walk through my day shall we.

BlogPodium

Canada’s conference for Design and lifestyle influencers, well that is who it is geared for but trust me this is a conference for bloggers and Influencers period.  Like most conferences the actual content is of value to anyone who blogs or wishes to effect influence, the sponsors however may be more geared toward design and lifestyle.

CONNECTION. CONVERSATION. COLLABORATION.

BlogPodium states  three words are at the heart of everything they do.  Connection, Conversation and Collaboration are their Raison d’etre, their reason for being.  It is a concept I can fully support and that I believe epitomizes BlogPodium.

Founded in the fall of 2011, BlogPodium is a one-day professional development conference for digital influencers. BlogPodium has become the annual must-attend event for Canada’s most influential content creators, savvy public relations and marketing professionals, and pre-eminent lifestyle and design brands.

plus let’s talk a little bit about the fun stuff

Swag bag

The swag bags were amazing filled with all sorts of lifestyle and design goodies. Plus I may have received a few little extra’s from the amazing sponsors that I meet.  Sanders, paint buckets, paint, mugs, tea, snacks so much goodness shared with us.

BlogPodium Agenda

On to the real meat of a conference, let’s talk agenda.  This years conference was focused on Video which according to those in the know is the next ” Big Thing”.  Well not the next thing, I think it’s already here.  After the opening remarks and welcome we split into three sessions.  I am not going to reiterate the whole agenda, I mean it’s on line, check it out.  But I will talk about my sessions and my experiences.

Video Content

Saturday morning started with Video Content for Beginners from The Uncommon Law. A session intended to give us a rundown of all the basics on how to get started in creating quality video content. A discussion on what equipment to use, what software to edit in, how to find music, and sharing some workflow tips and tricks to make your start in video less stressful.

For me I loved Chris and Becki but I think I may have enjoyed  The Blogger/Agency Pre-nup more.  I have been dabbling in video already so I think I was expecting a more hands on presentation of how-to’s not an actual lecture. ( note I picked this session so I made the most of it)

Building a Brand

Next up for A Labour of Life was  a few tips and tricks on Building a Sustainable Brand On-line.  Lauren from This Renegade Love walked us through the maze that is the internet. With an ever-changing landscape (not to mention social media algorithms that shake things up every few months), it’s becoming harder to make your brand stand out.

In this seminar, Lauren shared her strategy and tips for creating an online brand with longevity, including:

• Brand identity: building your foundation + defining who you are
• Authenticity: what it means + why it’s important
• Collaboration: how to build awesome and positive relationships with brands and content creators
• Growing + evolving: what’s next for your brand

IRL Advise

This is my fav type of session, listening to advice from bloggers who are building a successful brand.  Hearing what they did, how they struggled and worked , it gives you the #IRL view of blogging

On a side note I missed out on the Instagram session stories, the sign of a great conference, to many awesome choices.

Speed Networking

During each of the session there was also scheduled Speed Networking with the sponsors. Sponsor Speed Networking was a high-energy, effective way for influencers and brands to connect. Over a seven minute conversation, brands and influencers had the opportunity to talk one-on-one, discuss pitches and campaigns, and lay a foundation for future partnership.

I was fortunate enough to get in early and had 10 sessions booked throughout the day.  The down side of the networking is missing out on key points of the presentations.  It’s a glass half full, glass half empty issue.

Lunch and Studio McGee

Lunch was fabulous, healthy and to top it off Gluten free.

Plus hello the most awesome little desserts.  I totally forgot the name but the are a banana cream with toffee and scrumptilicious.

Shea McGee from Studio McGee and McGee and Co was the keynote speaker.  It is unbelieveable how far she has progressed in three years.  Crazy, but she was honest and very truthful.  It was not easy, it was not overnight and it took a ton of hard work and perseverance.

Afternoon Sessions

The afternoon had me fangirling, totally.  I am in love with Christine from Amidst the Chaos.  Her blog gets me.  It is what I want to grow up to be.  I loved her presentation.  From microblog to Business.

Do you wish your blog was making you money? Are you tired of all the hours of work you are putting into it with little to no financial gain? Sick of seeing other bloggers getting paid to work with your dream brands? Or maybe you think you are just “too small” of an influencer to be able to command payment for your work. Possibly spinning your wheels and coming up with the same results yet wanting to take your blog to the next business level? This was the message that caught my attention.

Christine’s Promise

A Blogger willing to  share  exactly how a small to mid-sized influencer can bring home money and turn their hobby blog into a full blown career. With only two years experience and zero previous business training, Christine was able to turn her micro-blog into a known brand amongst many Canadian retailers, bringing in a full-time income, all from her kitchen table.

In this session we covered how to get started on your road to blogger-business success by focusing on building a strong and recognizable brand, networking with dream clients, agencies and influencers alike, the power of great story telling and compelling photography and the hustle behind how smaller influencers truly bring home a full-time income.  Christine was real and she was honest.  This gal was frank,  that this did not come easy, it came with hustle and sacrifice.  Plus, She doesn’t even watch TV GASP…..  OK that may be too much of a sacrifice for me but she did it.

The fun Stuff

It would be totally remiss of me if I did not mention the amazing flatlay station hosted by Minted.  I had a blast creating a few fun lays but alas did not win the contest.  ( Did I forget to mention all the amazing prizes donated from the sponsors?  Maybe because I did not win I forgot)

and then thanks to Ikea and Krylon for the most amazing centrepieces.

 

Each table got to take home their centrepiece.  I was almost panicked that I had not sat at a table with the Pink Pitcher but the lovely bloggers beside me gave me theirs. All in all a very successful blog conference and my calendar is already marked for next year.