I spent the past weekend at The Blog Societies’ Annual conference. It was my first time attending this blog conference and it was a whirlwind! Anytime I attend an event like this I walk away inspired, a little overwhelmed, and so grateful for all the new people I meet. If you have attended a blogging conference, then you probably know what I am talking about.

After posting on Instagram about attending #TBScon, I received some questions about what happens at a blogging conference, key takeaways from the event, and my favorite parts. I wanted to create this post to answer those questions and give you all the details.

What is a blog conference?

A blog conference is an event where anywhere from 50-1,000 bloggers get together to learn from experts in the industry.

Why would someone attend a blog conference?

It is a great time to network with new brands and connect with bloggers IRL. Often times blogging can feel extremely lonely because all your “coworkers” are online. These events help build your community and help you feel more connected.

What should I bring to a blog conference?

Every conference is different but generally, you will need

• Your laptop
• Notebook and pen (I filled an entire journal on this trip)
• Outfits for every day. You will most likely be taking lots of photos, so take advantage of this and you will have photos for your blog and social media channels.
• Snacks! I am a person who likes to eat, a lot. I wish I had packed snacks for after the conference ended because I would come back to my room starving.
• Extra suitcase space. Lots of times at these conferences you will be given swag from brands. Leave suitcase space and be prepared to check a bag on the way back. It’s just inevitable.
• Business cards. I forgot these and was kicking myself the entire time!

How was #TBScon?

#TBScon was such an amazing experience that I thought I would break it down day by day!

Thursday Night: I got to The Hotel at Avalon in Alpharetta, Georgia that evening and quickly got ready to go down to the welcome party. The welcome party was the perfect way to break the ice and get to know all 75 attendees.

Some of my favorite sponsors from the night were DryBar who had a cute braid bar, La Croix who made all my living room dreams come true, and Goody who introduced me to my new go-to hair tie.

When I am in a room of brand new people, I get a little overwhelmed. I have a pretty outgoing personality, but it can still be stressful. The Blog Societies community is welcoming and many of these women had attended the conference in the past and also knew how overwhelming it is for first timers. If you are like me, just remember to put yourself out there and introduce yourself to everyone!

Friday: We got off to what felt like an extremely early start and jet lag had set in a little bit.

After breakfast, we went into our workshops for the day. My first workshop was on iPhone photography for Instagram, taught by Rachel and Noelle. Number one take away from this is to put your iPhone camera on live mode so you will have more photos to select from. The second workshop of the day was all about paid social media advertising. This workshop could have gone on for hours. There is just so much to learn. The biggest takeaway from this workshop was to position yourself with a consistent voice and tone.

After the second workshop, we had a lunch hosted by Mud Pie and Goody. I had never heard of Mud Pie, but I cannot stop raving about the throw blanket they gifted me. Can it be fall already so that I can just cuddle up in it with a cup of coffee? And you guys, Goody has changed my life with their new hair ties. They do not stretch out or snap when you put your hair up! Trust me, go check them out.

We had two more workshops after lunch. One was taught by Alicia and she gave us tips on expanding into travel blogging. Instead of giving you my biggest takeaway, head over to her site and read all about her presentation. The last workshop of the day was all about SEO. I don’t even know if I have a big takeaway for you, except that Google Analytics is your best friend.

After such a long day I had pizza in bed and watched the Parent Trap.

Saturday: The last day of #TBScon was probably my favorite. One of my favorite bloggers, Grace Atwood, was the keynote speaker and she gave us great tips for growing in the blogosphere. One of the best things she said was what not to do, which was to stop complaining! Everyone’s life is busy and hard, we need less complaining especially on social media. So here is my promise to stop complaining (or at least significantly reduce my complaining).

Our second speaker was Brittany, from the Lawyer Lookbook who taught us all about FTC Guidelines & Influence. Friendly reminder to everyone, always disclose if a sponsorship is paid.

We ended with a blogger panel and one of the number one things all the panelists said was to know your worth and the value you are adding for brands.

We finished off this blog conference with a lunch hosted by Joules Clothing, and a flower crown tutorial.

I want to give a big thank you to Cathy and Jessica for putting on such a great blog conference. Not only did I walk away with a to-do list, but I also left with a whole new community of women who are also pursuing their dreams.

All photos by Colleen.