What I learned at the ABC: My Cheat Wrap-Up

Kleenex Mums asked the question What Did You Learn At The Aussie Bloggers Conference.

I'd like to say a hearty thank you to @kleenexmums for compiling that list of questions today because, really, it has made my waning creativity in the aftermath of the high energy weekend quite a lot easier. I have a partially concocted blog post in my drafts folder. But I also have a little Lolly Gobble Bliss Bomb doing her very very best not to interrupt me. It's not going too well. It's time for a walk for us now, I have to tear myself away from Twitter and Blogger and just go. The post will wait. Her hot chips date at the local café will not. Apparently.

So I've cheated. Here is a copy and paste of my reply to the question Melissa has posed at the Kleenex Mums website. If you have anything to add, why not go and comment as well? You could end up in their upcoming e-book on the topic! And if you have something to add here, well... of course, don't be shy. Go ahead and leave me a comment!




What did you learn?
First and foremost, there is room for everyone in the blogging community.
Keep at it. Be consistent and persistent with your writing and your goals for your blog. As Mark Pollard said, "Like attracts like." I will hold onto that thought as I really step my own blog's marketing up a gear.

My greatest learning was on a personal level. I learned not to hide my writing light under a bushel (so to speak) and to be proud and confident with it. It was hugely confronting yet so rewarding, in equal parts, to meet people who knew me because of reading my blog. It was also incredibly beneficial to understand that as bloggers, we all started somewhere, we all have a voice and we are as unique and worthy in the blogosphere as we are in life offline.
From my observations of the weekend and the inspirational perseverance through some truly unspeakable adversities, I have been reminded and heartened to once again return to writing like no one is reading. It is honestly the only way I enjoy my blog and I am doing it a disservice by not putting in anything less than my own voice.

What inspired you the most?
Watching the faces of bloggers around the room as they made connections. It was something I will take with me for a long time to come and I am emotional now as I recall it again. The sense of community was unexpectedly warm and welcoming, beyond my hopes and expectations. I hope it never changes, no matter how big the community grows.

Is there anything you think you’ll start doing differently now?
I have already made my avi consistent across my social media accounts - Twitter, blog, Facebook. I am also planning to move my blog across to its own dot-com (I already have the name) now that I have received advice from the bloggers at the conference about the plug-in I will need to go from Blogger to Wordpress. And I have to get a Facebook fan page organised post haste!

If you were starting your blog all over again, what would you do differently?
I wouldn't give it a ridiculous .blogger.com name. I began blogging in 2005 and moved to its current home in 2007, and at that time I made the URL long and confusing because I had a few stalkers I was trying to give the flick. Bad mistake! It is causing me a bit of hassle now as I plan to move across to a name more inline with my 'brand' (which I did not realise was so strong until the conference... so I'm doing something right, at least!).