The Blur of BlogWest

The announcement of BlogWest had me chomping at the bit. What began with a thought in the mind of Felicia Delwar of Single Mom of Two, BlogWest was planned and executed within 8 weeks. Naturally I wasn’t the only one excited, there was a yearning vibe from many bloggers in attendance for a Western conference, almost a sigh of relief. The BlogWest agenda was planned out well, with a few minor hiccups, offering several sessions brimming with information not only to better your blog but to better yourself.

BlogWest kicked off to an excellent start with Keynote speakers Angela Saclamacis of Disney Parks at the Travel Alberta reception where we had the pleasure of learning what brands like Disney look for when selecting people to build a relationship.  An example of great branding was revealed to us by Travel Alberta where it was clear how one branding video could be so effective, a video that even earned them an award. The video of mention was one of Travel Alberta’s Remember to Breathe videos; I encourage you to head over to the Travel Alberta YouTube page to take a look through some of their breathtaking videos.  Most of all it was the first chance to meet some familiar and not so familiar bloggers in real life and have to opportunity to get a taste for what brands are really looking for.

Friday and Saturday were packed full of great sessions, all which had the general theme of image, leaving you with the question who am I really? Ask yourself, why did you start blogging in the first place? Who are you trying to portray through your blog, keeping in mind if that represents who you really are.  What is YOUR brand? There is such a thing. You don’t have to operate a business to have a brand; your brand is you and your blog. Every day we put ourselves out there with an image we have built up of ourselves, through our blog is only one small way; your presentation or voice is equally as important. Think of it from a brand perspective, based on the image you have branded yourself with would you want to build a relationship with yourself? Consider whether or not that brand is a good fit for you, not everything will fit with the theme of your blog; considering your readership and why they started reading you in the first place should be at the top of your deciding factors.

Ask yourself, what your goals are and set them. No more procrastinating; the time is now! Where do you want your blog to be in a months time, in 6 months time; in a years time? Be true to yourself when setting these goals; are they realistic? Setting goals that are unrealistic will only set yourself for failure. Start by setting smaller goals; once you conquer those small goals, set bigger, but still achievable, goals.

BlogWest was a refreshing and mindful experience sending me away with the warm and fuzzy feeling of information overload. There were many things talked about that gave me a different perspective encouraging me to make a few changes around here, for the good. I personally took with me a lot of technical information that I will be implementing on the back end of my blog for the purpose of targeting my niche. I think what everyone attending could appreciate was that the first ever BlogWest western Canada blogging conference was organized with all walks of bloggers in mind, beginner and seasoned bloggers alike, each taking their own learnings away from it; I call that a success.

To see my BlogWest photos, head over to my Google+ Album. You’ll see some fabulous bloggers like @MommyKatandKids, @SoberJulie, @FronteSentre , @myrealreview (rather baby @myrealreview), @naturalurbanmom, @kimpagegluckie, a lovely dinner with friends and @AdultEssentials and a few others you might recognize. Will I see you at the next BlogWest?