Last week, I had the honor of speaking at Design Sherpa’s first annual Design Bloggers Conference in Los Angeles. It was a wonderful event filled with informative and inspiring discussions and a roster of A-list bloggers. Going to these events is always a wonderful experience, whether you’re a new blogger looking for tips or a seasoned blogger looking to recharge. It was so great to finally meet people I had been corresponding with for months or in some cases, years in person! I also appreciate all of the sweet readers that I had the pleasure of meeting at the conference.
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I was asked to speak on a panel with Cassandra LaValle of coco + kelley, Grace Bonney of design*sponge and Tracy Porter whose energy and enthusiasm are infectious. Our panel discussed how our blogs came to be and the journey they’ve taken us on over the course of the past few years. It was really interesting to see how many parallels our stories have and to note where our paths have differed. I was so glad to finally meet Grace in person. I started blogging in 2007, when there weren’t many blogs around. Grace started blogging in 2004, so she really did pave the way for us in a sense. She has such a great story and so many amazing tips for blogging successfully.
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I definitely plan to attend next year’s conference and hope to see some of you there! In the meantime, here are a few of my top tips for making your blog a success. Happy blogging, everyone!
1. Establish your blog’s identity and voice.
2. Create a clear editorial focus for your blog and engage your readers.
3. Explore opportunities that are presented to you (invitations to events, speaking engagements, etc).
4. Network, network, network!
5. Invite others to guest post on your blog.
6. Leverage your blog into something else. The possibilities are endless!
21 comments:
It would be great if you could do a more elaborate post on tips for new bloggers who are always eager to learn from the more established ones!! xx meenal
Paloma~ Thanks so much for this info! As this is a new endeavor for myself and my blogging partner, we admire what you do so much and soak up all that you have to say!!! We wish you continued success at what you do. Hope to see you there next year.
XO
Long time reader, first time poster! :) Thanks for all of the helpful information. As a new blogger (and fellow Houstonian!) I'm realizing how much more difficult it is getting yourself out there than I originally anticipated.
Regarding your comment about networking, I'd love if you could dive into more details. With the blogosphere a different animal than other industries, it operates a little differently than, say, an industry mixer at a local bar. Or maybe this happens and I'm just not on the guest list! With so many blogs out there, it can be kind of overwhelming with where to start, so any advice would be really appreciated!
Thanks for sharing the blogging tips. I would love to attend the conference next year.
That sounds like a fabulous time. I personally love that there is a shift in blogging these days to become more face-to-face, in some respects.
I so enjoyed the conference and it was a pleasure to hear you speak! Coincidentally, I wrote an almost identical post on my blog today, re-capping the inspiring and helpful tips and advice from the four of you. Check it out if you have a moment. xoxo - Julie
What a beautiful panel! So wish I could've been there. Maybe next year. Don't you love that you're considered a blogging veteran? :)
thanks for sharing, Paloma! useful and inspirational
Gosh its a dream of mine to one day get to the point where I can attend! It looks like you had a great time. Thanks for the tips!
Thanks for the sweet comments, everyone! I will work on putting together a more in-depth post on the basics of growing your blog and will share that soon. :) Thank you for all of your support!
I love tips like these for new bloggers like me! I'll be waiting for your in-depth post coming soon :)
~Sarah W.
It was truly fantastic listening to you all!
xo
www.PlumPrettySugar.blogspot.com
I really want to attend next year and plan on doing so.
XO
Sarah
Great Tips Paloma! Happy Women's Day! XoXo :)
From everything I've read, the conference sounds like it was a huge hit!! I've loved following along, hearing all the great tips and advice. I think it sounds like a must do next year!!
Hello Paloma,
Wonderful tips...I would definately take the advise and try to practise it!
Merci, et Shokurran!
Reina
Maison Marrakech
great post, love the tips.
@meenal - totally agree, more descriptive posts for new bloggers are always helpful!
Glad the photos came in handy, Paloma. :)
So enjoyed hearing you speak at the conference! What an amazing group of blogging experts, all in one place at one time! Thanks for all of your nuggets of knowledge!
Paloma, it was great to meet you last week!
Thanks for the tips. Like other women have stated, it is much harder than I anticipated getting your voice heard. Network, network,network is perhaps the most important tip! Keep up the amazing work.
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