IFB Conference 2013 Recap

Trying to recap 2 days of the IFB conference in one blog post is a lot harder than I thought. There were so many great quotes and pieces of advice. I want to make sure I share everything...but I would probably start boring you so I am going to try to make it  short and sweet. 

But first, we stayed at The James Hotel. I can't say enough wonderful things about it. The decor was to die for and the service was amazing. Everyone was so friendly and super helpful. It is without a doubt one of my favorite places that I've ever stayed in New York! 

Quotes of all quotes:

Success=Opportunity + Preparedness -Lisa Salzer of Lulu Frost

If if doesn't make you crazy like teenage love, then DON'T do it. -Tina Craig of BagSnob

Be useful, be interesting or be clever. -Dina Fierro of HL Group

Building a following is different than gaining followers. -Leandra Medine of ManRepeller

Know your style first, build your audience, then you'll make money because you'll know what your audience wants. -Aimee Song of Song of Style

Trademarks are like a jealous boyfriend. You have to pay a lot of attention to them or you get yourself in trouble. -Nicole Franklin from Thread Conscious

Any negative comment is a chance to build a positive relationship. -Glossi

The best advice:

One of my favorites from IFB was Lisa Salzer of Lulu Frost. She was honest and genuine and so inspiring. She talked a lot about not letting your doubts hold you back and surrounding yourself with positive people. People who believe in you and will do whatever they can to help you along on your road to success!

Lisa Salzer of LuLu Frost

 The common thread from all of the advice was to find your niche, be original and authentic! So, so true. Your readers {you guys} want to read something new, engaging and fresh. Not something that is regurgitated around the blogosphere. If you don't love it, why would your readers? 

As far as brands go they are looking for someone who has a true sense of self, knows what their readers want and have an actively engaged audience. It is quality over quantity and numbers aren't as important as everyone thinks they are. If you have a million page views but your audience isn't engaged and they don't believe in what you're telling them then you aren't really that affective, right?! On the other hand if you have a smaller audience but they are actively commenting and engaging that means more to a brand. When pitching to a brand, be creative! Don't just say, "Hey I love your brand will you send me free stuff." Pitch an idea that is thoughtful and innovative...show you've done your research and put some effort into it. Don't be afraid to reach out to brands or advertisers. If you think you are a great fit, take a leap of faith and run with it!

The worst advice:

Follow your dreams. Trust your gut. Seriously people? I didn't pay hundreds of dollars to attend a blogging conference for you to give me advice that my mom has been giving me since I was a child. I've heard this from other bloggers about other conferences as well.You shouldn't be on an "advice" panel if you don't want to share real and worthwhile info to fellow bloggers. Just don't do it. No one is asking you to share your biggest secrets to blogging success but one or two pointers might be nice.

On another note...I will keep this short but people who act like they are better than everyone else make me want to vomit. We are all bloggers, grow up and get a life. Honestly, we aren't in high school anymore! Maybe my parents raised me differently but I was always taught to treat others the way you want to be treated. Take note people. Karma is not nice.

Now back to rainbows and butterflies. I learned of a few new programs and technology I am excited to try out!

*Chirpify-monetize your instagram & twitter accounts. Buy, sell and pay on social media.

*Glossi-create your own look book, editorial magazine, gift guide...the options are endless.

*Stipple-engage, measure and monetize your audience through your images.

*Shop My Label- create an e-commerce/online boutique to share directly on your blog.

If you've made it this far...sorry for the long winded post. I hope you at least got some inspiration out of it! Oh and my roomie was Elizabeth, of The Now Stylebook. I love her. We had never met before our trip. We just obsessively texted, tweeted and emailed each other. She might be is my lady soul mate. The end. I will post pictures from the trip next week! XoXo.