This Saturday I had the pleasure of attending The SITS Girls’ Bloggy Boot Camp in Philadelphia.  It was an amazing day chocked full of valuable, inspirational information that can help any blogger take their blog from drab to fab.

Since the Bloggy Boot Camp only makes four stops a year (St. Louis, Philadelphia, Dallas and Las Vegas), I thought I would give the rest of you a sneak peek into their wealth of knowledge by sharing the top five lessons I learned from the conference.

Bloggy Boot Camp Is Perfect For Beginners

Although I’ve been at this blogging thing for awhile now, I’ve never actually gathered the courage to attend a blogging conference until I saw the ad for Bloggy Boot Camp.  I had been apprehensive for such a long time because I consider myself pretty small time and I was afraid that others would be unimpressed by me.  I thought that everyone would come with their online friends and totally leave me out.

Luckily, the organizers of this conference realize that many of the bloggers are just as anxious and nervous as me.  They specifically assign you to tables for each talking session.  Every time a talking session was completed, the organizers asked everyone to move to a new assigned table.  This was a great way to interact with tons of different people without setting my nerves on fire.

The topics covered were also perfectly framed for all levels of bloggers, beginners included.  I never felt like the topics were over my head or that the speakers were put off by basic questions.  It really was the perfect place to get my feet wet.  Everyone I met with was incredibly friendly and gracious, even the big timers like Laurie Turk from Tip Junkie (she actually remembered me from a cocktail hour event…so cool!).

So whether you are an old timer or a brand newbie blogger, Bloggy Boot Camp is perfect for you.

Market Yourself

Besides using the conference to gain more blogging knowledge, you should use the conference to network with other bloggers, brands, and marketing/pr personalities.

Before heading to the conference, I made some business cards for my blog on a total whim.  I thought if on the off chance that someone asked for a card I would have one readily available.  Little did I know that these kinds of conferences live on business cards.

Anytime I sat down at a new table, people instantly starting exchanging business cards. So much so that I have this crazy stack of cards to go through tonight.  And I’m not overwhelmed by it at all–in fact, I’m really excited to explore all these new finds.

So if you are headed to a blogging conference, don’t forget to bring along some business cards for your blog.  You’ll miss out on a lot of great marketing opportunities if you don’t get to leave a lasting impression with a card.

Your Blog Does Not Need a Niche

So many blog tips out there focus on this idea that your blog must fit neatly into a little niche.  You are either a craft blogger or a food blogger or a mom blogger.

At one point during a talk about finding your blogging niche, a brave blogger raised her hand and asked, “What do you do if you don’t consider yourself a niche blogger?  My blog covers lots of different topics.”

Then, the hilariously outspoken Cicely from Uppercase Women chimed in to let us know that she is a successful no niche blogger.  As someone who covers a variety of topics from recipes to crafts to weddings to personal moments, it was so validating to hear that I didn’t have to be constrained to a niche to be successful.

What’s more important than having a niche is being yourself.  Your niche for your blog should be your personality.  No matter what topic you write about, your readers should be able to see you shine through.  Because the point is that your readers like you for you, not because you only talk about crafts or food or being a mom.

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

In an industry where you constantly compare yourself to others, it’s easy to get jealous and envious of other bloggers’ success.  You think, “Well, my blog is funnier, smarter, wittier {insert other adjective}.”

But the speakers at the conference made it clear, this envy will ruin your blog.

When other bloggers succeed, it makes it easier for all bloggers.  When Pioneer Woman signed a deal with the Food Network, it opened up the opportunity for all bloggers to move their format onto television.  And the same can be said for any other amazing opportunity that has been given to bloggers.

I receive the benefits of your blogging success just as you receive the benefits of mine.  If we work together to prove to companies and brands just how fierce and influential bloggers are, it will benefit us all.

So instead of engaging in negative talk about other bloggers’ success, let’s work together to show the world that we are a force with which to be reckoned.

Swag Is Awesome

Up until this point in my life, the coolest swag I’ve ever received was a pair of blue oversized sweatpants with a sorority logo on the hip (my husband thanks you for these Zeta ).  So needless to say, my expectations for the swag from this conference were pretty non existent.  I have to say The SITS Girls totally knocked it out of the park.

From left to right, we got this cool BPA-free acrylic lidded cup from Care.com (an online community for parents to find resources and advice about all of their family issues–thanks for recognizing the importance of being BPA free).  An apron and a thumb drive from King’s Hawaiian, who also catered our lunch and made the single most amazing bread pudding I’ve ever had (recipe coming soon!).  An assortment of organic baby food from Happy Baby.  I just finished the apple rice cakes–delicious and nutritious.  A cork screw from Mirassou, who sponsored our cocktail hour.  And then finally, the piece de resistance, a brand new handheld Waterpik shower head–I’ll definitely be installing this baby later.

So not only did I absorb tons of invaluable blog bits, meet some incredibly inspiring women, and renew my love for blogging, I walked away with tons of cool stuff.  Total win-win.

If you have a chance to do to a Bloggy Boot Camp conference (they’ve still got two conferences left for this year–one in Dallas and the other in Vegas), seriously you have to go.  The synergy created by surrounding yourself with a room full of inspiring entrepreneurial women is literally priceless.  I received more tips and hints than I could ever cover in this post.  It was completely and totally worth the $99.

If you have any questions about my Bloggy Boot Camp experience, don’t hesitate to shoot an email my way (mrandmsadams@gmail.com).  I would be more than happy to share!