As the summer season of conferences approaches us – ShareASale’s Daily Blog will provide you with 1 major preparation tip every day in May. You can find the posts in our #ConferenceSeason category.
#ConferenceSeason Tip #1 – Set Your Schedule
You can’t very well put together an entire strategy for the season, without figuring out where you want to be.
When putting together a schedule, it is important to look not only at the conferences and shows that you regularly participate in – but also to look outside your comfort zone and find a few that can benefit your business in incremental ways.
Due to the nature of our industry, just about any conference can and should be considered! Here are some tips:
For Merchants
- Think about your audience. With the wide variety of blogging conferences, you have the opportunity to get in front of content producers with the same audience.
For Everyone
- Don’t fall into the trap of just going where your competitors go! There is much more variety and opportunity out there.
For Affiliates
- Conferences can be huge learning curve moments – especially for the Beginner/Intermediate Affiliate. They can propel you to even larger levels of success just by attending and sharing stories with other attendees.
- Think broadly, and don’t be afraid to take a chance on a show!
You can’t go to them all but you can go to one!
If you’ve never attended a show, take a look at the schedule below and try to pick one close to your area, easy for you to attend, and I can just about guarantee that you’re going to be looking for more to attend!
The “Big Ones” – Consider these “Must-Do” at Some Point
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Internet Retailer Conference – June 4-7, Chicago, ILFor Online Retailers – billed as the “World’s Largest Exhibit Hall” this is an absolute must for any retailer. The exhibit hall covers everything from how to build a better cardboard box, to how to better effectively utilize online marketing tools. Huge variety – should be on every Retailer’s list.
Come meet ShareASale there, we will be exhibiting and look forward to seeing you! |
Who’s Attending from ShareASale?
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BlogHer ’13 – July 25-27th, Chicago, ILBlogHer ’13 is open to anyone and everyone who considers themselves part of the social media landscape. All genders, ages, ethnicities, and levels of blogging experience are encouraged to attend! There’s something for everyone. This is one of the larger blogging conferences and definitely comes recommended.
This is a fantastic show and ShareASale will be there as an Exhibiting Sponsor. via: events.thepulsenetwork.com
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Who’s Attending from ShareASale?
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Affiliate Summit East 2013 – August 18-20, Philadelphia, PAAffiliate Summit is an absolute must for anyone in the Affiliate Marketing community or those looking to take their blogging to a new level of monetization. Packed with speakers – and an amazing exhibit hall, you will come away with a different feeling of “tired” than you’ve ever experienced…. and you’ll also have a brand new and exciting “to-do” list for your business! ShareASale has attended all of the Affiliate Summit shows in the past and we are proud to be the Titanium Sponsor of the show.
Do not miss the following keynotes: |
Who’s Attending from ShareASale?
A List of Niche Blogging Conferences – by Month
Conferences in May
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SOBCon May 3-5 – Chicago, ILSOBCon is a 2-day interactive business “think tank” that moves ideas to action. During the conference, attendees increase their business IQ in an engaging and positive learning environment. They take away an actionable and measurable business plan, along with invaluable business strategies and skills, increased confidence, and a network of connections to drive their companies forward.
via: www.sobevent.com
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Alt Design Summit – ONLINE May 16 – 18We’re excited to announce our very first completely-online conference: Alt For Everyone! We know not all of you can travel to our events in New York, San Francisco and Salt Lake City, so we’re bringing all the benefits of Alt to your laptop. Yes, you’ll get the informative classes, the world-class keynote, social meet-ups — and even a goodie bag delivered straight to your door. And you won’t even have to stress about what you’re going to wear! Alt for Everyone will take place on May 16th, 17th and 18th. Three full days of programming. You can spread your classes out like you would at a traditional conference, or pack them all into one day if you need to manage your work schedule or babysitter availability.
via: www.altitudesummit.com
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BlogPaws – May 16-18 Washington DC – The Pet Social Media ResourceBlogPaws is Social Media Company focused on teaching pet enthusiasts how to use social media effectively. We also work year round to connect our bloggers and micro-bloggers to the brands they buy every day. Our online community site is for pet bloggers, pet enthusiasts, pet people on Twitter and Facebook and brands eager to tap into a growing, vibrant, vocal community of serious writers, bloggers, tweeters.
via: www.blogpaws.com
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The Blog Workshop – May 17 – 19 ONLINE – “Where Blogging Meets Business”The Blog Workshop is a teaching community for bloggers and vloggers. Our goal is to provide information that will help bloggers and vloggers take their ventures to the next level. Through our workshops, annual conference and community, we are working hard to facilitate blogging education and help bridge the gap between influencers, brands, PR professionals and more. We are honored to be a part of providing information, resources and opportunities for bloggerpreneurs and future blogging scholars. The Blog Workshop is “Where Blogging Meets Business.”
via: theblogworkshop.com
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Camp Blogaway – May 24 – 26 – The Original Bootcamp For Food & Recipe Bloggers – The Mountains of Southern CaliforniaREGISTER NOW! The FIFTH Camp Blogaway will take place Memorial Weekend, May 24 – 26, 2013. Join the email list for updates. Welcome to a Little Slice of Heaven for Food Bloggers – workshops, activities, panels, breakouts and more on “all things blogging” held in the tranquil mountains of sunny Southern California. Yup, this really IS camp: cozy cabins, roaring lodge fireplace, hearty chow, fresh air and stargazing, paired with a jam-packed itinerary and invaluable camaraderie! Dawn to dusk, we practically never stop.
via: campblogaway.com
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Conferences in June
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Internet Retailer 2013 June 4-7, Chicago, ILFor Online Retailers – billed as the “World’s Largest Exhibit Hall” this is an absolute must for any retailer. The exhibit hall covers everything from how to build a better cardboard box, to how to better effectively utilize online marketing tools. Huge variety – should be on every Retailer’s list.
via: irce.internetretailer.com
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Who’s Attending from ShareASale?
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BlogHer Food: June 7-8 Austin, TXToday we are thrilled to announce the dates and venue for our fifth-annual BlogHer Food Conference:BlogHer Food ’13 will take place on June 7th & 8th at the Austin Hilton!
via: www.blogher.com
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FitBloggin – June 27 – 30, Portland, ORWhile people can spend a lifetime mastering photography, creating better photos for your blog can be easy, fun, and fulfilling. The first step is getting a basic understanding of the technical aspects of photography, such as aperture, shutter speed and ISO. With these mechanics in mind, we can consider some general rules about lighting, composition and artistic effects that go into crafting a more visually appealing photo. But the most important aspect of a photo is capturing the moment, nailing the “emotionally perfect” shot, and using the camera as a tool to see the world through a whole new lens.
via: fitbloggin.com
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Reviewers Retreat – June 30 – July 2, Pine Mountain, GAThe 3rd annual Reviewer’s Retreat will be held June 30th-July2nd, The Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens. Reviewer’s Retreat is first conference geared specifically toward the issues and challenges faced by bloggers in the review genre. Review bloggers or “online influencers” who conduct product and resource reviews on their site will converge to take part in sessions on a variety of topics including brand-blogger relations, website design, perfecting the pitch, statistics, photography and more. This brand-friendly conference welcomes company and agency representatives as building and strengthening relationships between bloggers and brands and exploring the future of influencer marketing are the primary goals of Reviewer’s Retreat.
via: reviewersretreat.com
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Conferences in July
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BlogHer ’13 – July 25-27th, Chicago, ILBlogHer ’13 is open to anyone and everyone who considers themselves part of the social media landscape. All genders, ages, ethnicities, and levels of blogging experience are encouraged to attend! There’s something for everyone. (And in case you’re curious, about 10-15% of attendees are men.)
via: events.thepulsenetwork.com
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Who’s Attending from ShareASale?
Conferences in August
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Affiliate Summit East 2013 – August 18-20, Philadelphia, PAAffiliate Summit is an absolute must for anyone in the Affiliate Marketing community or those looking to take their blogging to a new level of monetization. Packed with speakers – and an amazing exhibit hall, you will come away with a different feeling of “tired” than you’ve ever experienced…. and you’ll also have a brand new and exciting “to-do” list for your business! ShareASale has attended all of the Affiliate Summit shows in the past and we are proud to be the Titanium Sponsor of the show.
Do not miss the following keynotes: |
Who’s Attending from ShareASale?
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BarkWorld Expo – August 22-24, Atlanta, GAThe call for speaker presentations is currently open; continue to watch this page to get updates on session titles & speakers. Download the mobile app (iPhone and Android) to add sessions to your personal schedule and network with other attendees. BarkWorld Conference & Expo 2013 Schedule
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Conferences in September
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Mom Blogger Conference – Sept 5-7, Ft. Lauderdale, FLThe conference features a workshop-style agenda giving bloggers hands-on professional development. Last year, keynote speakers included social marketing strategist and Collective Bias’ Chief Social Marketing Officer, Ted Rubin; award-winning author and photographer, Karen Walrond; Founder and CEO of Dr. Mommy Online, Dr. Daisy Sutherland; and Founder of Mom Bloggers Club Network, Jennifer James. Attendance will be capped at 175 bloggers to keep the event intimate and allow meaningful connections between attendees and brands present. You won’t want to miss it!
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The Search Party – Sept 11-13, San Antonio, TX100 carefully selected, invitation-only bloggers and other online influencers with targeted audiences and promotion channels. Representing lifestyle and technology categories, our Guests collectively represent an estimated: Learn more about our Guests Read more about our 2013 Sponsors or become a Sponsor. View our 2013 Schedule and Speakers. The Search Party brings it all together through an agenda of high-impact, targeted interaction.
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Bloggy Conference – September 13-15 Cedar Point, Sandusky, OHAs an extension of the Bloggy Moms Community, Bloggy Conference is first and foremost designed with community and information as its cornerstone. Our goal is to provide real and useful information to further your social media longevity, to help you build strong connections, to provide support and resources in your areas of interest. Only by increasing your knowledge of the social media and blogging world, can you then begin to find success.
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Type-A Parent Conference – Sept 27 – 29, Atlanta, GAType-A Parent Conference, in its fifth year, is the world’s top conference for mom and dad bloggers. The conference has a well-established reputation for outstanding learning with actionable takeaways. It features power networking with the best and brightest parents who blog plus the major brands and firms who want to engage them. Type-A is where the power parents grow their business and connect.
via: typeaconference.com
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Conferences in October
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FinCon: Finance, Blogging, and New Media – October 17-20, St. Louis, MOA peer conference for financial bloggers. Learn to blog and discover the latest trends in the financial world.
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Appreciate this round-up of conferences. I might attend some in the future.
I went to Aff Summit 2013 though. I guess for SAS attending Aff Summit is great as a platform. However, I found it quite unhelpful and a waste of time as none of the “super affiliates” wanted to share secrets. I actually found out after the conference most of them do not really even go to conferences. :)