For all my regular readers, BlogHer was a conference that took place recently intended for women who blog to come together not only to learn something about blogging but also to network and meet other woman bloggers. My regular readers can all tune out now because The Blog Her Conference is a waste of your reading time.
Last year the conference was in L.A. and I didn't go because they were sold out by the time I found them. Then after the conference there was a flood of posts about how "great" it was. I found that, to read about it from an outsiders point of view, I never wanted to go. It sounded way over my head with sessions that were focused more on bloggers who wanted to launch their career via their blog. While I realize the conference isn't only for mommybloggers, I still had a hard time figuring out why a mommyblogger would go. I also realize that there are non-SAH mommybloggers but still what is the point of going if your blog is not a launching pad for a career in writing?
This year, the conference was in Chicago and after the bad taste everyone had left in my mouth from last year, I didn't even mention to my husband that there was a conference. And boy was I right. Again, the flood of posts reassures me that BlogHer is not the place for me. With posts calling out a woman who was "curt" and discussion's about monetizing and advertising, it makes me wonder shouldn't the conference be renamed Blogging Conference for Businesswomen (who use big words). I read the entire post about the "curt" woman and I have no idea who she is. I went to her blog. Nothing exciting. I know the poor woman doesn't need any more bad PR. Was anybody there who wasn't a big name blogger? If so, what did they do while the big time bloggers argued over whether they think they'll get a book deal soon? Is there a list of people I should read up on before I am allowed to go because I would look like a total idiot?
Honestly, is this really the place for all women bloggers? I most assuredly say no. Why target top bloggers with huge traffic numbers and invite all women. I think the conference is misadvertised but a good place for business women.
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8 comments:
i am not a mommyblogger.
i don't have huge traffice over at my blog.
i went to blogher anyway.
i wouldn't consider my experience a complete success, but i need a little more time because i'm not sure if i'm to blame--too shy! should have tried to talk to more people!--or if the enterprise, as a whole, is a waste of time.
here's the thing: i didn't experience a love-fest of any sort, but i did learn a few things. and i only found you by following links from people who were there, as well.
so, that's something, i suppose.
also, i know that 'traffic' does not have an 'e' on the end. but try telling that to my semi-drunken fingers.
Tiffany,
Thank You! You are the first person to really admit it. That BlogHer was as 100% wonderful and super great and I'm so excited I got my book deal! It's great to hear that you did learn things.
Know what's funny? I only insisted I was a mommyblogger when people called me out. That's the middle child in me. There comes a time, however, when you stop writing obsessively about poop and move onto bigger issues.
Right?
Well, I never even had a blog while my kids were in diapers, but I can say I wouldn't have written like that anyway. Unless it was a funny story. Because poop can be funny.
I don't want a book deal, I want connections with writers. I want dialogue about social situations and why we even feel the need to start a blog. Not much of it is figured out for me, but now that I'm considering leading a session then I have to wonder - is it the educator in me? Perhaps.
You brought me here today because of your dialogue in my comments and I wanted to personally thank you for them. Your words are your worth.
I had actually thought about going to the conference, but it sounded as if it would be a how to monetize your blog and although I’m doing that with my website I surely didn’t want to go to a conference and talk about it.
As yourself I caught the aftereffects by reading posts from various bloggers.
It sounded like the ones that were speaking were popular within the blogging community while that is "great" and I’m sure they are picked because of the traffic they might draw I would prefer to see “regular women” speaking also. Did they have any?
A person doesn’t necessarily need a prestigious title or receive a lot of traffic for people to hear them.
Some of my favorite women bloggers don’t receive a lot of traffic. I guess I’ll have to read more from those who attended the event.
I’ve read numerous post about the racism in advertising question.
I agree that this is truly a problem It reminds me, in some ways, of how some bloggers treat others. You have some who will ignore you if you aren’t at a certain level with your blog and that frankly always turned me off. After a few visits I won't return.
Surprisingly I’ve found this more with women bloggers than men, lol. However, recently I have met a group of fabulous women bloggers and I visit them often. I didn’t meet them on a woman’s forum I found the (or they found me) while surfing the blogosphere for blogs by women.
I'd love it if you'd visit my blog and read about the two panels I enjoyed most, both of which I volunteered to live-blog as a way of paying my freight, so to speak. One was called "Blogging is More Than Words," and was ostensibly about visual artists, but wound up being so much more. The other was "Small Is Beautiful, or It's Your Passion, Not Size That Matters." That panel was just exquisite, and it was all about how to retain your authentic self and voice, and not be concerned with "traffic" and "stats" and whether you're on the A, B, or C-list of bloggers.
I don't blog for the world--I blog for my family, particularly my daughter. I'd give a million dollars if MY mother had written journals when I was small--just to know what she thought about day to day things would be a treasure to me. (Ironically, my other live-blogging assignment was the session about building traffic. And boy, was it BORING and STERILE.)
I think that BlogHer is like anything else: You get out of it what you put into it. If I can afford it, I will absolutely go again, and I will choose panels that mean something to my heart, not ones that are concerned with "networking" or "branding." Truly, there was something there for everyone. I'm glad I went.
I think you raise some great questions. I wish my session didn't devolve into monetizing. We were supposed to talk about about privacy, what prompted us to start writing our blogs in the first place, and talk more personally. But the nature of a group discussion is that it is directed by the people in the audience. And then time ran out.
Most of the so called mommybloggers I know don't want to launch a book deal. While I wouldn't turn someone down who came a knockin' I am not seeking one out. Ultimately my blog is for me, for my children, a record of my days as a mother who tries to find the humor in life so that I don't run off naked and screaming down the street.
I see Blogher as a time to connect with people whose blogs I enjoy, people I have come to view as friends, and to meet new people and hear their stories.
There were 800 women there, many of them have small blogs or niche blogs, I know I haven't heard of most of them and would venture to guess that you haven't either. So it really isn't a conference just for "big" bloggers. Maybe because smaller blogs are less visible you haven't read what they took away from the conference? I am speculating here.
Like Belinda said above, there is something for everyone.
Chris would totally get a book deal if she went running naked and screaming down the street. Just sayin'.
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