1. Clean up your blog.
Lots of people are going to be looking at your blog, so now is the time to fix those dreaded 404-error links and other dead links.
WordPress has plug-ins to help you do this, or you can do it by hand like I do. Either way, just do it!
Believe me, it is very embarrassing to sit next to someone while they pull up your blog and are met with missing images or a 404 error message.
2. Figure out what you are going to wear.
BlogHer culminates the summer blogging convention circuit. You are going to see and be seen. Like or not, people are going to judge you and your blog by what you wear.
You’ll see people wearing everything from stained sweat pants to high-end corporate wear. Since you are the first business card people will see, choose outfits that speak to your purpose.
Speaking of business cards…
3. Order business cards now.
You’re going to be handing out business cards. Lots and lots of business cards. Schmutzie from Schmutzie.com wrote the definitive article on BlogHer business cards, but here are the three most important points:
- Put your picture on it. Maybe it is a little real estate salesladyish, but I’m telling you that I remember every person I met last year who had their picture on their business card. And chose a picture that resembles you. Trust me on that.
- Avoid strange shapes and sizes. Yeah, it does make your card stand out from the rest. Which is annoying and why those cards end up in my trash can.
- Avoid too much clutter. Remember, white space is your friend.
4. Choose your shoes with care.
Women look at other women’s shoes which is why it is no accident that BlogHer offers the following blog bling:
Be smart! Start breaking those cute shoes in now. There is nothing worse than carrying your brand new pair of cute shoes in one hand as you hobble around with bloody, blistered feet.
You’ll want shoes you can walk in that make you look professional, and dressier shoes that allow you to dance the night away.
5. Hop on the Twitter stream
There is a steep learning curve
, but Twitter is a great place to start making friends now before you get to BlogHer 12.
You will be overwhelmed, so seeing some friendly faces in the sea of womanity at BlogHer does help. It is also nice to find out who the major players are (those would be the people with high twitter follower counts).
If you don’t know how to use Twitter, now is the time to learn.
You can find me on twitter @ChloeJeffreys. I assure you I’ll be visiting the #BlogHer12 stream daily as I gear up for BlogHer12!
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Have fun! I know you will!
Susan in the Boonies recently posted..Happy Fourth of July!!!
I wish you were coming!
Thank you for this great article. So excited for Blogher!
Me too! Thanks for the comment. I hope to see you there.
Great tips!
On the shoe subject, I learned the hard way to also make sure that if you go for tennies, don’t order them right before, only to find out during the convention that they’re the toning style. There wasn’t a single part of my lower body that didn’t hurt!
Heather recently posted..Peace in the Park
Great point!!! Even so-called comfortable shoes usually need breaking in.
Ladies, don’t wait until a convention to break in your shoes. You will be sorry.
Great and to the point post for a Blogher newbie! Love all the shoe advice
See you in a couple weeks- posts like these make me more excited & less nervous !!!
Kristin Hackman recently posted..Blogher’12 Planning – Part III
I hope to see you there. Really it is a fantastic time. You will come home rejuvenated and excited about your blog. And you’ll meet a boatload of terrific people too.
I never heard the suggestion to put my face on the business card but it makes total sense! Thank you.
Emily @Random Recycling recently posted..Eleven Tips for Eating More Local and Organic Foods on a Small Food Budget
I think it really helps jar the memory when people go through the cards after they get home.