Why I took my Daughter to a Blogging Conference
A few weeks ago, I saw an announcement on Linkedin reminding me that Hobbies on a Budget is 5 years old. As most bloggers can agree, blogging is often a family activity. Even though it is my blog, the kids are often involved in the reviews and sponsored posts. When we travel to a new city or historical attraction, the family plays a major role in covering the event. Since my kids are an intregral part of this blog, I decided it was time to take my daughter to a blogging conference with me.
Blogging conferences can be an important way to learn and network with other bloggers who are pursuing the same goals. But picking the right conference for her first time experience was an important decision. I wanted one that would be a good fit for a tween. I decided that SoFabUOTR Brooklyn was the perfect opportunity to combine work and fun while giving Natalie an opportunity she would never forget.
What is SoFabUOTR? Social Fabric is a blogging community that offers a series of conference in cities near you. SoFabU on the Road is a unique conference series that allows influencers like you to take advantage of face to face educational opportunities to help grow your business.
Why I took my Daughter to SoFabUOTR
Conference Size
Some blogging conference cans be large and overwhelming for adult bloggers and especially tweens. I chose to take Natalie with me to SoFabUOTR Brooklyn last month. These conferences are typically between 50-100 attendees and offer a chance to have one-on-one interaction with the speakers and Social Fabric leadership.
I love the fact that I was able to introduce my 11 year old daughter to the amazing team that I work with on a daily basis. Not only was she able to meet them and get to know some of the smartest people in the blogging business, but she was exposed to some of the best speakers!
Practical Tips
Since our tweens are living in a social media age where photography is often key to success, Natalie was given a perfect opportunity to learn from some of the leaders in the industry. When one attendee approached me and mentioned that Natalie must have gotten a bit tired throughout the sessions, I was surprised to see that not only had Natalie been taking notes, but she had also been trying out the tips that were being delivered throughout the day.
While we were taking a brief walking tour of the Brooklyn Heights area, I captured this picture of Natalie and some of the Social Fabric team members. Each of the ladies was trying to capture the light and angle of the historic brownstones and amazing architecture. Natalie was right there with them – learning from them and taking it all in.
With three top notch speakers, Alea Milham, Nate Engals and Kirsten Thompson, I knew this day would be a great experience. One of the speakers that stuck out to Natalie was Alea Milham. If you haven’t heard Alea speak in person, then you need to sign up and attend a conference where she is speaking! Alea was speaking about ways to improve SEO and keywords of existing posts. I love the fact that Natalie was listening and learning about things that could potentially help her in future jobs.
Oppotunity to Network & Grow
Many tweens and teens get their first jobs babysitting or working at fast food restaurants. But as a daughter of a blogger, our kids have an opportunity to naturally grow into a job in social media or blogging. Natalie is currently apprenticing for her favorite author, Jill Osborne and learning how to maintain a blog and website. By going to a conference like SoFabUOTR, Natalie was able to talk to other bloggers and pick up tips for growing and maintaining a social media presence.
Have you considered taking your tween to a blogging conference with you? What do you think the advantages are of exposing our tweens to leaders in the social media world? Natalie is already looking forward to the next opportunity to learn more and grow at another conference!
