Just Another #dpcon13 Post - Day One
"I need another brain so one can concentrate on the speakers and the other on the tweets!" Me via Twitter on the first day.
This pretty much sums up the two full-on days of Digital Parents Conference 2013. There were so many people, sessions and tweets to process that going to sleep afterwards was almost impossible. My brain just would not stop. So I'm going to split this in to two posts and this one will focus on day one.
I had a fantastic time. I met some amazingly lovely people who were just as fabulous in real life as they are in writing on their blogs. I was so starstruck and dumbstruck for most of the conference that I feel like I spent most of it with a stupid grin on my face!
Bloggers are, as a rule, lovely people. But like in any social situation with a large group of people, smaller groups form, people who know each other, or identify with each other, tend to naturally gravitate towards one another and it can be daunting to try and insert yourself in to that circle. But try I did. Not as hard as I could have mind you, because I was damn intimidated by some of those groups of uber-bloggers, but I certainly gave lots of cheesy grins to them all!
When walking in to the main conference room on the first morning I must admit to some pretty hardcore nerves! There were tables everywhere with groups of bloggers sitting around. I made a beeline for the first face I recognised, which happened to be the marvellous host of today's linky, Jess from Essentially Jess.
She was lovely and welcomed me with open arms, making a space for me at her table and introducing me to the other (uber!) bloggers already there (Daisy, Roo and Two, Be A Fun Mum, My Mummy Daze and CRAP Mamma).
After a bit of a chat and some waving and smiling at other bloggers I recognised as they filled the room, it was time for the opening remarks from Brenda and then straight in to the keynote address by Jonno Fisher of WakeUp Sydney! Jonno was fabulous! WakeUp Sydney! is a community of people celebrating kindness, courage and compassion, and they encourage people to perform totally random acts of kindness. His speech on kindness was inspiring and a wonderful way to kick things off.
Following that was the first panel discussion, "State of the Aussie Blogosphere". The speakers, Darren Rowse of ProBlogger fame, David Lee from Nuffnang, and the excellent Eden from Edenland, gave some fantastic insights to the world of blogging and where Australia stands.
Some of the main points I took away from the discussion were -
~ Darren: There is really no magic formula to blogging in terms of frequency or length. Find your own rhythm, have something to say.
~ David: In terms of Nuffnang promotions, their bloggers have seen an increase in readership and response to sponsored posts.
~ Darren: Don't worry about stats, just keep going. Create great content, don't focus too much on reach. There is value in great content. Bloggers need to be consistent to build an audience.
~ Eden: Use your blog as a platform, a way to keep your name out there and find other places to write & be paid rather than doing sponsored posts on your blog if they don't work for you.
The only downside to the conference was the fact that I couldn't get to every session. They were all so good and it was so hard to choose. If you'd like to see the full conference program you can find it here.
On the Wednesday I spent the day in the The Writing Bar, attending sessions run by Valerie Khoo and the Australian Writers' Centre. The sessions I went to were based on writing better blog posts and avoiding common mistakes; and how to get paid to write for magazines and online publications, both of which I got a lot out of. Valerie Khoo is fabulous and I could honestly listen to her talk all day. I am seriously considering doing an online course through the centre after attending these sessions.
The key points I took from The Writing Bar on the first day were -
~ Think of your structure before you start writing your post.
~ If you ask your reader a question, make sure it's one they can say yes to. This engages a reader.
~ Plan and think about what you're going to write before you start. You will save time in the long run if you plan it out.
~ Find a way to define a universal truth.
~ Find the right angle at the right time.
So that's it for the first day. There was some drinks ad mingling after the sessions were done and dusted, and a truly emotional session down in the amazing Curzon Hall cellars of some astonishing women and their stories of motherhood, heartbreak and strength.
Stay tuned later in the week for the next epic post on day two!
This pretty much sums up the two full-on days of Digital Parents Conference 2013. There were so many people, sessions and tweets to process that going to sleep afterwards was almost impossible. My brain just would not stop. So I'm going to split this in to two posts and this one will focus on day one.
 |
| I figured every woman and her blog would have an iPhone so had myself a custom iPhone cover made in case I left it somewhere silly. I thought this would help it make its way back to me fairly easily! |
I had a fantastic time. I met some amazingly lovely people who were just as fabulous in real life as they are in writing on their blogs. I was so starstruck and dumbstruck for most of the conference that I feel like I spent most of it with a stupid grin on my face!
Bloggers are, as a rule, lovely people. But like in any social situation with a large group of people, smaller groups form, people who know each other, or identify with each other, tend to naturally gravitate towards one another and it can be daunting to try and insert yourself in to that circle. But try I did. Not as hard as I could have mind you, because I was damn intimidated by some of those groups of uber-bloggers, but I certainly gave lots of cheesy grins to them all!
When walking in to the main conference room on the first morning I must admit to some pretty hardcore nerves! There were tables everywhere with groups of bloggers sitting around. I made a beeline for the first face I recognised, which happened to be the marvellous host of today's linky, Jess from Essentially Jess.
She was lovely and welcomed me with open arms, making a space for me at her table and introducing me to the other (uber!) bloggers already there (Daisy, Roo and Two, Be A Fun Mum, My Mummy Daze and CRAP Mamma).
After a bit of a chat and some waving and smiling at other bloggers I recognised as they filled the room, it was time for the opening remarks from Brenda and then straight in to the keynote address by Jonno Fisher of WakeUp Sydney! Jonno was fabulous! WakeUp Sydney! is a community of people celebrating kindness, courage and compassion, and they encourage people to perform totally random acts of kindness. His speech on kindness was inspiring and a wonderful way to kick things off.
Following that was the first panel discussion, "State of the Aussie Blogosphere". The speakers, Darren Rowse of ProBlogger fame, David Lee from Nuffnang, and the excellent Eden from Edenland, gave some fantastic insights to the world of blogging and where Australia stands.
Some of the main points I took away from the discussion were -
~ Darren: There is really no magic formula to blogging in terms of frequency or length. Find your own rhythm, have something to say.
~ David: In terms of Nuffnang promotions, their bloggers have seen an increase in readership and response to sponsored posts.
~ Darren: Don't worry about stats, just keep going. Create great content, don't focus too much on reach. There is value in great content. Bloggers need to be consistent to build an audience.
~ Eden: Use your blog as a platform, a way to keep your name out there and find other places to write & be paid rather than doing sponsored posts on your blog if they don't work for you.
 |
| The food was sooooooooo good!!! I love buffetts! |
The only downside to the conference was the fact that I couldn't get to every session. They were all so good and it was so hard to choose. If you'd like to see the full conference program you can find it here.
On the Wednesday I spent the day in the The Writing Bar, attending sessions run by Valerie Khoo and the Australian Writers' Centre. The sessions I went to were based on writing better blog posts and avoiding common mistakes; and how to get paid to write for magazines and online publications, both of which I got a lot out of. Valerie Khoo is fabulous and I could honestly listen to her talk all day. I am seriously considering doing an online course through the centre after attending these sessions.
The key points I took from The Writing Bar on the first day were -
~ Think of your structure before you start writing your post.
~ If you ask your reader a question, make sure it's one they can say yes to. This engages a reader.
~ Plan and think about what you're going to write before you start. You will save time in the long run if you plan it out.
~ Find a way to define a universal truth.
~ Find the right angle at the right time.
So that's it for the first day. There was some drinks ad mingling after the sessions were done and dusted, and a truly emotional session down in the amazing Curzon Hall cellars of some astonishing women and their stories of motherhood, heartbreak and strength.
Stay tuned later in the week for the next epic post on day two!
Comments
Cheers Katy (sitdownmummy.com)
Fairy wishes and butterfly kisses lovely
Ai @ Sakura Haruka
I've just found some handwritten notes from the photography talk and am aiming to action them when I get a minute later... if it happens!!
So great to see you! Wish we had had time for a proper chat. Hopefully next time! x
Loved reading your notes, cause you got different things out of it than I did. And I know what you mean about it being hard to focus! It was insane!!!!
I'm loving reading everyone's wrap-up coz it's so interesting to see the different things and perspectives people have taken away from it.
We def need to have a proper chat next time, hopefully at the next bloggy drinks, I'm excited already!
I've actually found it hard to condense all the info, there was just so much of it!
Yep, my head is still spinning too!
It really was an excellent conference, so good I'm already planning and saving for the next one!
It was so great to meet you and spend time hanging out. We have so much in common! Just shows that not everything we post on our blogs makes up the whole of who we are.
Great post.
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