#ALTSUMMIT RECAP

So, where do I even begin? First off, man am I tired! I could have slept all day yesterday when I got home, but I knew there was work to be done.

Secondly, wow! Alt Summit was amazing. I finally got to meet so many of the people that I had been in contact with over the last couple of years, and I have to say, it makes it so much easier to put a face to a name! My red notebook is crammed with really great advice from top bloggers/designers, and I’ve already started another project that sparked while I was in Salt Lake City (more about that soon).

Before I get into all of the lessons learned, I’ll show you some pictures from my trip:

Amazing views front the walk to the Grand America Hotel:

Delicious food. I’m kind of afraid to cook. Not sure if I can get used to macaroni & cheese again!

And I met some amazing girls! There are way more than just this picture. I wish I would have gotten one with everyone!

Doesn’t it look like so much fun? I definitely recommend going next year, because the best part for me was to finally get to meet some of these girls in person. I love face-to-face contact, so this is definitely what I needed! Okay, so now the important stuff. I took away a lot of great information, but I wanted to share a couple of really inspiring tidbits that really moved me. Maybe they will resonate with you, also.

Regarding collaborations:

1. Work with someone whose strengths are your weaknesses and your strengths are their weaknesses. If you can play off of each other, you will come out with a very diverse product.
2. Make it easy for people to say yes to your idea. Present them with an idea (i.e. guest post) and give them guidelines that are hard to turn down.
3. Decide from the beginning what is expected from each person in the collaboration. You don’t want to feel like you’re doing most of the work.
4. Don’t always focus on the monetary value. It should be about working together, not about getting rich.

Regarding advertising & sponsorships:

1. Have a media kit
2. Start by giving away ads for free (don’t tell anyone though) or trade ad space with fellow bloggers.
3. When you’re just starting, you will need to guess your rates and change them based on feedback.
4. Never take an advertiser who isn’t PERFECT for your brand.
5. To maximize your revenue, you need a clean layout that allows ads to easily be seen.

Regarding building a community on your blog:

1. Listen, be personal, inspire action, continue to listen and think ahead.
2. Pretty pictures aren’t enough. Readers want to know who is posting.
3. No matter what you blog about, act like there is only one person on the other side of the screen.

Regarding kickstarting your next project:

1. Always get a second opinion about the project.
2. Do a reality check and make a project plan.
3. Try something new (and be okay with failing at it).

Regarding your blog as a marketing tool:

1. Use consistency on your blog (i.e. same color correction on your photos, same fonts).
2. Show readers what you’re working on.
3. Tell your audience what to do. If you want them to hire you, then tell them to hire you.
4. Speak in your own voice.

Regarding growing your readership:

1. Original content is key.
2. Have a professional look. Hire a web designer (hire me) to create a blog that will make you look like a bigger blogger than you actually are.
3. The quality tends to go down when the frequency starts to go up. Focus on original quality content to grow your own blog.
4. Have a story that people can follow. They will be able to relate to your situation and respect you better.

Regarding building your personal brand:

1. Find a niche and establish yourself as the expert.
2. Define your brand. Decide what makes you different than every other designer/blogger/photographer.
3. People choose designers, not designs. Have a personality and make people fall in love with you. They will either love you or hate you.

What I learned from Ben Silbermann, founder of Pinterest:

1. “You should be surrounded by people who inspire you.”
2. Ignore what product will make you money and focus on what you want to do and love.
3. “Make One Thing Perfect”
4. “Hire people that are better at your job than you are”
5. His wife told him, “I’d rather you fail at something you love than succeed at something you hate,” and I love that!

I hope you can take away some of these ideas and run with them. The conference was very inspiring and I loved meeting everyone!