You’ve bought your ticket, booked your flight and reserved your room. Your carry-on is set aside, your conference bag is ready and you’ve already laid out your best outfits to be packed. Yet there may be something you haven’t checked off your list your blog. Of all the checklists we have to prep ourselves for a Blog Conference we can easily forget to take care of the main reason we’re going. That’s where The Essential Pre-Conference Blog Prep Checklist comes in!
The top reason to attend a Blog Conference is to grow your Blog – your Brand, that means you want your site to leave the very best first and last impression possible. Grab a pen and a cup of your favorite brew as I share a bit of pre-conference TLC to help your Blog be just as conference ready as you! Oh and here’s a great printable to help you check off things as we go (with a few extra spaces for you) . . .
The Essential Pre-Conference Blog Prep Checklist
First Impressions
Take a look at your site as if it’s your first time there. Think on the things you look for and expect at a site: Who is writing? What does this blog have to offer? Where should I go next? Why should I stay? How do I work with them?
Who? About Me, Social Media Links & Profile Image
Be sure your About Me Page is up to date, Includes a bit about who you are, why you are a Blogger, what you’ve done as a Blogger and how someone can work with you. Avoid making anyone search for this information by placing it near the start of your site within the menu.
Placing your Social Media Links in an easy to find location on your site can make a big difference in giving a potential partner the chance to see where you are beyond your Blog and throughout the media influencer community. I suggest placing a set of social media icons at the top as well as at the bottom of your site.
We are part of a truly visual community and having a Profile Image that is easy to find on your blog is one way to take advantage of it. Your profile image gives readers and potential brand partners to see the person behind the blog. Make sure your image is hi-resolution so it doesn’t appear blurry and show off your personality a bit.
[tweetthis]Make who you are and where to find you easy to find on your site. #BlogPrepTip[/tweetthis]
What? Media Kit
Your Media Kit is a great way to show of what you do. This is where you can brag a bit on your media influence and reach with the numbers you’ve earned. Take this opportunity to include who you have worked with and what you have to offer that’s unique from the next Blogger. Sell yourself and your site as a Brand.
Check your most recent numbers through Google analytics and be sure everything is up to date including Pageviews and Followers.
[tweetthis]Your Media Kit is your chance to prove your influence – numbers don’t lie. #BlogPrepTip #TheMrsTee[/tweetthis]
Where? Menu Tabs
Having a concise and easy to navigate menu will help people find the information you want them to see the most but it will also encourage them to explore your site beyond the first page or post.
[tweetthis]Concise menu tabs encourage readers to explore your blog beyond 1 post #BlogPrepTip #TheMrsTee[/tweetthis]
How? Contact Me
Once you’ve made that first in person contact during a conference, exchanged business cards and made your way back to your room you and many other attendees will start to explore the sites of the people you’ve met. That’s when all the pre-conference blog prep will matter the most.
[tweetthis]Your “Contact Me’ should have priority whether by email or phone #BlogPrepTip #TheMrsTee[/tweetthis]
It’s In The Details
We’ve covered checking those things which tend to give your Blog’s first impressions. Now I want to take a few moments to mention the things that may be a bit harder to find but can impact your blog’s lasting impression – it’s in the details after all.
Hi-Resolution Post Images
There’s nothing worse than clicking into a post and seeing the product, brand, moment represented by a blurry image. I know we’ve all grown and learned along the way. Taking the time to go back to some of those older post and improving the images is so important. Whether by snapping a few new ones with your fancy-spancy new smartphone or using any of the amazing stock image apps and sites to help switching out those images can mean the difference between a new partnership or campaign in the eyes of a Brand.
[tweetthis]HiRes images improve the quality of your posts and your influence. #BlogPrepTip #TheMrsTee[/tweetthis]
No Follow Links
No Follow Links. That simple bit of code that tells Google and other search engines the hyperlink from your content should not influence that links ranking. Keeping your links No Follow helps protect your Googld ranking as well as integrity as an influencer. Double check your posts and be sure they all say No Follow!
[tweetthis]Protect your blog’s ranking and integrity – ‘No Follow’ Links are a MUST! #BlogPrepTips #TheMrsTee[/tweetthis]
Broken Links
Potential brand partners will be interested in the content you have produced in the past. This means they will be doing a bit of ‘clicking around‘ through old posts and content. You don’t want them to end up in the 404 Error Dead Zone after clicking a broken link. Taking a few minutes to check your links can help avoid this.
There are plenty of Broken Link Checker plugins available that can make this task as easy as a few clicks. You can get rid of any links you no longer need and repair the ones you want to keep.
[tweetthis]Keep readers out of the 404 Error Dead Zone! Check your blog for Broken Links! #BlogPrepTip #TheMrsTee[/tweetthis]
[tweetthis]I just got my FREE “Pre-Conference Blog Prep Checklist” Printable from #TheMrsTee #BlogPrepTip[/tweetthis]
Once you’ve made that first in person contact during a conference, exchanged business cards and made your way back to your room you and many other attendees will start to explore the sites of the people you’ve met. That’s when your pre-conference blog prep will matter the most and this checklist will help make it count!
Need a bit of help get things checked off your list? Schedule Your Consultation TODAY – I Can Help!
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7 thoughts on “The Essential Pre-Conference Blog Prep Checklist”
This is perfect for the upcoming blog conference season. It is so easy to get caught up in what to where and the social aspect , you forget the purpose of attendance sometimes. This check list is so helpful!
Thanks Nekeyeta! It really can be and having a way to focus is so helpful. Thanks again and thanks for coming by!
Saving this for future use! I have yet to go to a blog conference but would really love to attend one some day. 🙂
http://www.wonderlandsam.com
Awesome!! Thanks for that Samantha!! I think it’s something every Blogger should experience at least once 🙂 I hope you get to sooner rather than later!
Fantastic tips for conference attendees. I know that I will be doing quite a bit of speaking this summer, and the attendees and sponsors have already started with their clicking! I’m glad that I spend a bit of time each day checking for broken links (I wish that this wasn’t necessary) and making sure that they go someplace valuable.
Thanks so much Natasha!! Yes as a Speaker your exposure and potential reach from a Conference are even higher so being sure your Blog is Visitor Ready is so much more important!! I hate that the link thing needs to be ‘a thing’ too but doing it daily can help make it less of a chore. Thanks so much for coming by!!!