Last weekend, Blogalicious10, one of the newest and fastest growing blog conferences took place in Miami. This blog conference differed from all of the others because it celebrated diversity among bloggers. Collectively, the conference attendees were double minorities, females first, then a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
I attended a panel, sponsored by Buick GMC and OnStar, called "How to Write a Rockin' Product Review." The panelists were from GM's PR and Social Media team, along with one of GM's bloggers. I was pleased to learn how a major corporation really takes time to connect with bloggers and developed special positions to encourage positive relationships. The panelists cited examples of how they loaned bloggers vehicles for the weekend in order for the purporse of product reviews. In fact, there were actually several bloggers in attendance that had driven a GM vehicle for a product review. One blogger received a loaner vehicle for a road trip to take her daughter, a high school graduating senior, to visit a prospective college.
I left the panel with one major question. Are we (as publicists) doing enough to identify influential bloggers that will likely deliver a favorable review for our clients? One of the panelists, now employed by GM, was a fan first and blogged frequently about their brand. In every industry, there are niche bloggers that are deemed the most influential mostly due to their traffic or the quality of their content. However, these bloggers, even if they are accessible, aren't necessarily the best bloggers to engage. In most cases, the bigger the blog means more red tape,. Finding a smaller, lesser known blog can often produce the same results as a larger blog if you take the time to nurture the relationship. Engaging a smaller blog over a larger one can be the difference between a mention versus a detailed product review with images and video.
To learn more about the conference, visit . Use the keyword, "Blogalicious10," on any of the following social networks, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr or Youtube, to gain a better idea of what occurred during the conference.
Last weekend, I attended Blogalicious10, an all female conference that celebrates diversity in blogging. This was the second year of this fabulous conference, which took place on South Beach in Miami. The conference hosted more than 250 attendees, sponsors and vendors. Blogalicous10's founders are 3-women team of bloggers named the MamaLaw Group. This was also my second time attending. In 2009, I attended the last day of festivities with one of my clients, who performed at the closing breakfast. However, this year, I attended as a speaker. I conducted a session called, Media Training 101.
Some of the most popular people in social media were also in attendance, including James Andrews (Everywhere), Wayne Sutton, StyleMom, Adria Richards, the BrokeSocialite and more. Recognizing the fact that some of the most influential female bloggers would be present, countless sponsors signed for the opportunity to engage attendees. Sponsors included General Mills, GM, Onstar, Kellogg, Pampers, Macy's, Que Rica Vida, McDonald's, Kenmore, Sears, Kmart, Yoplait, Johnson's, Bali, Nature Valley, Invisalign, Cover Girl, Lifetime Moms, Carol's Daughter, Carnival Cruises, Blogher, Softcup and many more. For brands seeking favorable reviews or mentions, this conference was a goldmine. Many brands offered luring gifts like iPads, iPods, iTouches, gift certificates and free trips to bloggers that posted live tweets, facebook updates and blog entries with key messaging on site. So dependable on how desirable prize was, a brand would receive no less than 20 impressions just for the chance to win a gift.
The creators of Blogalicious10 definitely planned this conference with careful consideration of their attendees. Since, the majority of the registrants were mothers, they offered on-site child care, which was sponsored by the Ritz Carlton (the host hotel) and Pampers. Even though the conference bags were already overflowing with free promotional items, there was additional swag disbursed at nearly every session or event. This presented the good but challenging delimma, how to transport all of the swag back home, considering the strict airline baggage rules.
The sessions offered something for everyone from neophyte bloggers to the seasoned pro. Use the keyword, "Blogalicious10," on any of the following social networks, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr or Youtube, to gain a better idea of what occurred during the conference.
