We are so excited about this year’s Blissdom conference and we’re not the only ones! We’ve found so many articles by women who are getting their cute shoes ready for the bash and we want to share them with you.

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Audrey (@AudreyMcClellan) of Mom Generations is a fashionista and vlogger. When she talks about fashion, people listen. She’s walked the red carpet with Tim Gunn for cryin’ out loud! Today we’re sharing Audrey’s post on how to pack for a business trip…and make no mistake, Blissdom is your business trip!

Fashion Tips for Business Trips

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This is it! The home stretch! Blissdom is this week and we’re doin’ the countdown. The helpful posts on this page offer advice on everything from what to wear to how to prepare to meet your blogging friends in real life. Amanda (@oohamanda) of Oh Amanda has been hosting Bliss*Tastic in an effort to help attendees (and non-attendees) prepare their blogs for Blissdom. After all, your new friends are going to check out your digs online! The article we want to share with you today is a Bliss*Tastic submission from Amy (@amysfinerthings) of The Finer Things in Life has advice on building your blog readership.

Building Your Blog Readership

Blissdom is edging nearer! I have to admit, I’ve been getting very insecure and nervous about my blog lately. I think no matter how long you’ve been blogging the thing everyone wants is to attract more readers. Listen to how Amy from The Finer Things in Life attracts people to her blog…

Content is King. At least, that’s what they say. Yes, compelling writing is important to any blog; but if no one’s reading, the time and energy that goes into blogging quickly loses its appeal. What does every blogger want? Followers. Loyal fans. Groupies. Dedicated readers. Traffic.

In addition to sharing what I’m passionate about on The Finer Things in Life, here are a few strategies that have been time well spent for me as I strive to gain readership.

Interact with Readers. I spend time each week scrolling through all of my comments, responding to those that ask a question or contribute to my post or the discussion at hand. I also do my best to keep my inbox manageable and respond to reader questions or requests. As time allows and if they leave a link, I’ll try to visit their site and comment. I want my readers to know that they are valuable.

Offer Guest Posts. I’ve written guest posts for many different blogs. Sometimes I’m asked, sometimes I offer. Guest posting for others puts your work in front of a new, usually larger, audience. It also might make you a new friend, as “bigger bloggers” are often quite busy and will welcome a quality, relevant post for their site.

Be Visible on Twitter and Facebook. Social media can be a complete time sucker, but I’ve met, connected with, and collaborated with so many wonderful bloggers that the time is worth it. The key is to not just promote your blog. Interact. Re-tweet interesting tweets. Respond to requests or funny comments. Have conversations! It’s very likely that some people you “meet” on twitter will become frequenters of your site.

Promote Other Bloggers. Seems the opposite would be true, but it’s kind of like never being able to out-give God. When I take the focus off of my own blog and share the love, I reap the benefits. Link to others in appropriate posts on your own blog. Tweet or re-tweet a post that moved you to action, or just moved you to a fit of tears or giggles. Link to a site on facebook so your friends and fans can get to know another writer. Stumble (thumbs up) your favorite posts and drive traffic to that blog. It’s important that we cheer for each other.

Content may remain king, but reaching out to your readers, meeting and supporting other bloggers is key to growing your readership.

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Of all the positive things that have come out of Blissdom (business partnerships, entrepreneurial ideas, new friendships, cute shoes, etc.), a baby may be the best yet! Susan (@susanwjackson) of Working Moms Against Guilt attended the first Blissdom in October, 2008 and the rest, as they say, is history.

No Sleep Till BlissDom

The BlissDom conference for women bloggers is just one week away, and I’m all a-Twitter with anticipation and excitement.

The conference takes place at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, which looks fabulous. I’m driving and rooming with one of my all-time fave people, Shannan of MommyBits blog fame. We’re basically going to spend three days hanging out with old and new bloggy friends, learning blog stuff, getting some awesome goodies from the conference sponsors, and taking a well-deserved break from the everyday, neverending to-do list of working motherhood.

BlissDom has a pretty special place in my heart, because it was at the very first BlissDom conference back in October 2008 that I decided to have another baby. I happened to meet the delightful Kelly (a.k.a Mrs. CPA) and her then-newborn baby Maddie. We went out to dinner with Kelly and Maddie and I got a chance to hold that sweet little baby … oh Lord, I think my uterus flip-flopped!

I called my hubs the next day and screamed something like “Let’s make another baby as soon as I get home!” (much to his delight). Lo and behold, sweet baby James was born in July 2009 (see photo at left).  I should make him a onesie that says something like “This Baby Was Made Possible by BlissDom.”

If you’re a WMAG reader who happens to be attending BlissDom next weekend, leave a comment so I know to keep an eye out for you. I’d love to meet you in person (or have a little reunion if we’ve met already). If you’re not going, you can follow me on Twitter for plenty of updates (including oohs and ahhs over Harry Connick Jr.’s appearance at the Friday night cocktail party!) and check back here on the blog for a conference recap. Bliss, here I come!

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Today we continue with some tips for prepping for Blissdom if it’s your first time attending. Here are 5 more tips from Mary (@givingupperfect) at Giving Up Perfect.

How to get ready for Blissdom (part two)

Yesterday we talked about several ways to prepare for Blissdom. This annual women’s blogging conference shouldn’t be intimidating, but as I know from last year, it can be just that if you’re not prepared.

Don’t worry! I’m here to save you from your unprepared self. After all, I don’t want any of you to arrive in Nashville all nervous and excited, only to end up so overwhelmed and scared that you retreat to your hotel room, spending prime networking time on IM with your real-life blogging friend at home.

Not that I know anyone who did such a thing.

The first five tips for preparing for Blissdom were register (duh!), print business cards, get connected through social networks, find out who’s going and make a friend. Because I’m sure you followed my instructions immediately after reading them and are now signed up, printed, connected and hooked up with at least one new conference buddy, it’s time for five more tips.

1. Do your homework. This little idea of mine to offer tips for attending Blissdom? Turns out it’s not the most original thing on the planet. Not that I’m copying anyone, but the fact is, we’ve all fretted a little bit (or a lot bit) before a big event like this. And that means most of know that any and all advice, insight, suggestions and tips are more than welcome. So, Google it up, girls. (Or, if you like to earn money for your research, Swagbucks it up.) I’m including the posts I know about, but believe me, there are more. If you’ve already found them, please leave a link in the comments!
   • What Should You Wear to Blissdom – This is the post that introduced me to Jenny last year, and I found it immensely helpful when shopping/packing.
   • Blisstastic – To get ready for Blissdom, OhAmanda is featuring several top bloggers in a weekly feature. So far, we’ve gotten tips from the amazing ladies at Musings of a Housewife and Boston Mamas.
   • Advice for Making the Most of Blissdom – And speaking of Jo-Lynne, she wrote a great piece on her own blog about getting the most out of Blissdom.
   • Conferences Put the “Social” in Social Media – It’s true. Going to a conference can transform these squishy, can’t-quite-see-your-face online relationships into solid, hug-your-neck-and-miss-you-when-I-go-home friendships. Sarah at Real Life Blog writes about the social benefit to social media meetings.
   • 8 Things You Should Know Before Blissdom: Great tips from Darcy at Life with My Three Boybarians, including how to win friends and influence people with a power strip. Seriously.
   • Dos and Don’ts for Surviving Blissdom – Edie keeps it simple and includes advice that includes not letting your inner seventh-grader take over.
2. Map out your strategy. So you registered, booked your ticket and reserved your hotel room. All set, right? Not quite. When I arrived at Blissdom last year, I was surprised to learn I had to choose between two tracks. This year I’ll have even more choices, but I’m going in prepared. You should, too. Choose the classes you want to attend with the agenda, and keep your eyes and ears open for events going on during the weekend.
3. Shop (and pack) early. I’m not here to tell you what to buy or pack. I’m just here to tell you to start early. Do your research and find out what the seasoned bloggers suggest you bring. You may not be as list-y as me, but I highly suggest making a packing list. And remember, if you must buy something, keep the receipt. One luxury of planning and shopping early is the ability to change your mind. More than once.
4. Prettify yourself. Don’t get me wrong; Blissdom is not the prom. (Also known, at my house, as the day my mom gave me hooker eyes decided I should experiment with eyeliner. Yes, it was traumatic, thank you for asking.) But while your fellow bloggers won’t be impressed by your painful pointy shoes and expensive trendy haircut, you will feel better if you put your best (comfortable) foot forward. I don’t know exactly what that means for you, but for me, it means Crest Whitestrips, Jergens Natural Glow and a Great Clips trim (with a coupon, even!).
5. Sleep. Last but not least: get yourself some shut-eye. Do not under any circumstance stay up late the night before you head to Nashville. After all, you don’t want to be spaced out and droopy at the cocktail party, do you? No. Go to bed and get your eight hours so you can be your most clever and charming self. (At least on the first day. I won’t even pretend like you’re not going to bed early during the conference. Not when my roommates and I are already giggling about our weekend-long slumber party!)

What are your tips for getting the most out of a conference?

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Mary (@givingupperfect) at Giving Up Perfect was a Blissdom newbie last year and she’s using her experience to help you prepare for this year’s conference! She has 5 tips in this article and we’ll be posting another 5 tomorrow so stay tuned!

How to get ready for Blissdom (part one)

I must have been out of my mind. Last year, without knowing a single soul who was going or really why I had a blog in the first place, I registered for Blissdom.

Blissdom is “the premiere conference for women who find and express their bliss by publishing online.” It’s put on by online magazine Blissfully Domestic and One2One Network, a women’s word-of-mouth marketing network. And it’s held each February in Nashville.

And that little paragraph up there? That’s about all I knew as I got on a plane and headed south almost one year ago.

Since that weekend in February – and because of it, really – I have made several amazing friends and had a couple incredible opportunities. All thanks to blogging and the insane, what-was-I-thinking decision to attend Blissdom.

This year, I’m excited to return to the conference that helped me see blogging as more than a random way to pass the time after putting my daughter to bed. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better with a larger attendance and a fancy-schmancy hotel. And ohmygoodness, have you heard? Harry Connick, Jr., will be there!

[Insert pounding heart and, let’s be honest, crazy eyes here.]

But more importantly than even Harry and the chance to stay at the Grand Ole Opry hotel? (Well, slightly more important than Harry…) The one-two knockout punch of information-packed seminars and the chance to hang out with my blogging friends and meet more amazing women who don’t look at me strangely when I say things like, “Wait! Can you do that again? I want to take a picture for my blog.”

As someone who went to last year’s conference completely unprepared and proceeded to get completely overwhelmed, I’m here to offer you some advice. Here are the first five ways to get ready for Blissdom:

1. Register. Now, this might seem obvious, but I’d be willing to be my sturdy yet cute Lands End tote bag from last year’s conference that somebody reading this post has been thinking about going for a while but has not had the nerve to register yet. Stop thinking about it and do it! Only 500 tickets will be sold, and I suspect most of those are already spoken for. So, first order of business: Go straight to the registration page and get yourself a ticket!
2. Order business cards. Perhaps this, too, is obvious to some of you. Last year, it was not so clear to me. So learn from my mistake. Though most of Blissdom will feel like a girls’ weekend retreat, it’s really a business meeting. And you’d never go to a business meeting without some way of helping people remember you! This doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. A basic design or even a template will do, and plenty of printers offer economical options. I printed mine at FedEx Kinko’s, but I’ve also heard lots of people talk about Vistaprint and MOO.
3. Get connected. Join the Blissdom Facebook group and follow @Blissdom and the Blissdom hashtag (#blissdom) on Twitter. This will give you access to all the fun chatter about the upcoming conference, including tips and insights from people who have attended before. (For example, if I’d done this last year, I would have known to bring business cards.) Following the conversation on Facebook and Twitter will also tell you who’s going this year. And that leads me to #4 . . .
4. Find out who’s going to Blissdom. I’m not saying you should stalk your fellow conference attendees. But I am saying you should find out who’s going, read their blogs and follow them on Twitter. You could even, if you’re as crazy organized as me some people, make a list of people you want to meet throughout the weekend. The place to start for a list of attendees would be the Facebook group, but another place would be The Nester’s link-up and Lisa Boyd’s link-up at Simply His.
5. Make a friend. If you’ve been blogging for any time at all – or even just lurking around the blogosphere – I would bet you’ve got a bloggy friend or two. However, if they’re not attending, you still have time to make new friends who are. When you find someone you like, whether through the Twitter stream, the Facebook group or a link-up of people attending, start commenting on their posts. Or send a quick e-mail. Who doesn’t like hearing, “I love your blog and look forward to meeting you.”?? Follow that up with a quick, “I see you’re going to Blissdom. So am I! Maybe we can see each other there!” and you might just have yourself a new friend.

I’m serious on that last point, you all. When I was frantically trying to figure out WHAT ON EARTH I WAS DOING shortly before last year’s conference, I stumbled onto Jenny Rapson’s blog, Mommin’ It Up. I left her a comment, she replied with an e-mail, and instantly I felt like I wasn’t quite so alone on this conference adventure. She, of course, was super nice when I met her in person last year, and while we didn’t hang out, it was just nice to see a familiar face and to be greeted with a smile.

All right, that’s the first five tips I have for you. As my ninth grade history teacher would say each day as we fled his classroom, “Read, study and comprehend.” And then come back tomorrow for the last five ways to prepare for Blissdom.

Are you going to Blissdom? If not, have you gone to other conferences in the past year?

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Wondering what to wear to Blissdom? Well, cute shoes are always welcome, but the key is comfort. If you’re comfortable, you’re confident. Jo-Lynne (@dcrmom) of Musings of a Housewife guides you through what to wear to meet your peeps.

What to Wear to Blissdom

So you’ve got your plane ticket, and you’ve got your conference pass, and you reserved a room at the Grand Ole Opry Hotel with two of your best blogging buddies. Let me guess. The next thing on your mind is:

WHAT DO I WEAR?

When it comes time to pack for a blogging event or conference, the first thing to consider is what outfits you feel good in, and what will you be comfortable wearing all day? What makes you feel comfortable and confident? Those are the outfits you want to bring. The last thing you want to do is go out shopping and buy a bunch of stuff that isn’t really you, because you think it’s what you’re “supposed” to wear.

During the day, you can wear pretty much anything you are comfortable in. Shop your closet. You will see business casual, you will see dresses and pearls, but you will also see plenty of jeans. You will find me in jeans and sweaters. Here is a photo from last year of the day we arrived. We were all wearing jeans and a sweater or top of some sort, although Lisa takes the cake with her “I’m cooler online” t-shirt.

It’s really up to you — what are YOU most comfortable in? Go with your instincts.

If you feel like your wardrobe is a bit stale, consider adding some inexpensive accessories to pop your outfits. After all, the only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.

Quick, name that movie!

Pick up a cuff bracelet or some bangles at Target or Forever 21. And long necklaces are all the rage right now. Or there’s also the scarf. Be sure to check out Chic Critique for a fun new way to wear your scarf.

For the evening, you will probably want to glam it up a bit. This year, there is a cocktail party both Thursday and Friday nights. (See the agenda for all the deets.) Friday night is also the Tastemaker party. Be sure to RSVP! These are the nights to bring out the dressy jeans or a slinky dress.

Last year I wore my trouser jeans and a sweater and red patent leather pumps. Here I am with my roomies, all dressed up and ready to paint the town red.

There were lots of slacks and dressy blouses. And there were little black dresses and sexy strapless numbers. Amy from Mom Advice took the prize though. Look how adorable she was. That dress is to die for, and I love how she dressed it down a bit with accessories.

Photo credit: Secret Agent Mama

You will also want to bring cute pajamas or sweatpants to hang out after hours. Saturday night is the pajama party, and that’s the night to get comfy and watch a movie or just visit in the lobby like I did last year.

But before that, there is the final closing keynote and the Harry Connick, Jr. performance with a meet-and-greet afterward, so you’ll probably want to wait to put on your PJs until after you’ve had your picture taken with “The Vice-Chairman of the Board.” But that’s totally up to you.

If you have any questions, I’ll be glad to answer them in the comments, but the most important thing is to be yourself and have fun! Remember, a confident woman is a beautiful woman.

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This post from Mela (@MelaKamin) at MelaKamin.com shows how she and her son made the most of every part of the package the Blissdom crew and sponsors sent to attendees. How creative!

We HEART Blissdom

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Our first post is from Hillary (@theothermama) who writes The Other Mama. She’s giving you some good advice about how to prepare for Blissdom ‘10.

Blissdom- What I Wish I Would Have Known LAST Year

With BlissDom right around the corner and loads of articles and tips and advice in the blog world out there, I thought I’d go through my own list to share with you!

Don’t know what BlissDom is? It’s a conference for bloggers and all the info is on their conference site. It’s hosted by Blissfully Domestic and the One 2 One Network and is… well… Blisstastic.

Last year was my first year at Blissdom. Jason gave the ticket to me as a present since he noticed I had vanished into the “blogosphere”. He thought it might be nice for me to meet some of my own. And it was amazing! I read that someone compared it to being a smurf your whole life and walking in to find a huge room of smurfs! That was exactly it!

But looking back, I realize I was SUCH a rookie and really had no idea what was going on.

Here are some tips for other rookies that might be going this year:
10. Read ahead and find out about the sessions.
This will help you not look like a tourist studying your “map” at the conference. We will all have cameras around our necks, though, so you can’t totally escape from that look.

9. Find out who the speakers are.
Oh, how I wish, I wish I would have done this. I didn’t know ANYONE and that little tip would have saved me much embarrassment. Need we mention the Lisa Leonard incident? I think not.

8. Have business cards made.
I had NO idea this was like a networking thing. What a dork.
They don’t have to be fancy, but something with your name, blog and other info would be helpful if you meet a new friend. {And if you don’t have the mind of my man Chuck you will be thankful for everyone else’s cards, too!}

7. Do not be afraid.
Everybody else there is pretty geeky and will speak the same blog lingo. PROMISE.
And if you don’t even speak “blog”, there will be people there to translate.

6. Do NOT room by yourself {if you can avoid it}.
I was such a dork and {since I didn’t know ANYbody} just assumed I had to stay by myself. Get out there and hunt for other people going that you can split the room cost with! And you will surely find some new buddies that way! This year I’m staying with 2 of my favorite bloggy buds- Mary at Giving Up On Perfect and Jessie at Vanderbilt Wife.

I’m wondering if we will sleep. Magic 8 Ball says: “Outlook not so good”.

5. Learn the attire needed.
Oh my word. I had no idea there were cocktail parties there!
The word “cocktail” doesn’t scare me; it’s when combined with “party” that I start to quiver at the thought of wardrobe choices. Because my selection is saa-lim. Especially when I didn’t pack a thang.
Such is the case for last year when I arrived in jeans.

And nobody cared because they are cool like that. But it would have made ME feel better to have looked like I cared instead of a schlep.

4. Get on Twitter and figg-ur it out.
It’s a little kooky; I’ll be the first to tell you that. But, if you get the hang of it BEFORE BlissDom {unlike I did last year}, you will be WAY on top of the game. I had no idea what the proper usage of the word “Twitter” even was a year ago. {e.g. “Did he just Twitter on you?” “I don’t give a tweet what she said.” “Tweetle deedle dee, I think I just retweeted.”}

Let me know if you have Twitter questions and I might put together a very short post about the things I know about Twitter. I’m still not an expert, but Alli is {she even wrote an e-book on it}, so check that out.

You can start to follow the hashtag {that’s the number sign #} #BlissDom and get all the updated info and buzz on the conference.
Oh- and you can follow me on Twitter at @theothermama. Original. I know.

3. Take your computer.
This might seem like a no-brainer. That I might or might not have done last year.

Now that I think back, I think I took the hoopty laptop. I’m pretty sure I can’t convince Jason to let me take his very cool Mac Book Pro {because it’s his work computer… excuses, excuses}. Anyway, most people take their computer with them to the workshops. I hid my sad hoopty in my room {all by myself}.
And will most likely be doing that again this year.
Danggit.

2. Plan ahead.
Try to find out who is going and who you would like to meet! That really is the fun part.
E-mail new friends {or friends to be} and set up times to meet, sessions to sit together and any other plans! I can’t imagine anyone not being flattered to meet a blog reader, so let them know you’ll be there!
It’s like stalking their blogs… only better.

1. Have Fun!
I am SO stinking excited. And I’m sure it has NOTHING to do with the fact that Harry Connick, Jr. will be serenading us.

Uh huh. That’s right.

Don’t get drool in your keyboards, girls. I’ll be sure to bring you up close and personal details. You might recall that I have a slight crush on Harry.

Just a little one.

So I’m looking forward to the trip!

Are you going to BlissDom? I’d love to meet you!
If so, is this your first year?
If not, would you ever consider going to a blogging conference?