When I started my blogging business back in 2010, there weren’t many in-person networking events filled with either prospective clients or people just like me. Fast forward a few years and now it seems like these kinds of events are popping up everywhere – from blogging conferences to freelancer co-working days.
I also admit that a few years ago I was guilty of hiding behind a computer screen. I attended all these online events like Twitter chats and even online speed networking, but I was terrified of going to live events. I somehow thought that if I attended live events then my blogging business would become real – and I wasn’t yet confident enough to deal with that.
Fortunately, I’ve since gained the confidence and am happy to report that going to live events has allowed me to double and possibly triple by blogging buisness revenue this year. Here’s how you can grow your blogging business by attending live events.
Real-life connections.
Meeting all of my online friends and colleagues in person has helped tremendously in moving my business forward – especially in an age where we’re all constantly on a smartphones. I admit there’s something nice about having lunch with real live people as you discuss how you can support each other in growing your businesses.
Additionally, nothing can replace in-person connections. I know for a fact that many of my media mentions, speaking engagements, columns and writing gigs have come as a result of meeting someone in person.
Opportunities to learn.
Another way to grow your blogging business by attending live events is to find opportunities to learn. For instance, I recently attended an event by a local community of bloggers. The topic of discussion was how to get more company sponsorship opportunities which is something I’m currently working on expanding in my own business.
At this particular event, I learned what I should be doing with my social media accounts, how to better engage with brands and what some of these brands are looking for. In my case, I also learned that because of the stage of business I’m in, that it’s time to invest in things like Facebook ads.
Opportunities to teach.
Perhaps one of the greatest was to use live events to grow your blogging business is for opportunities to teach. This could mean teaching the entire group on your particular expertise or skillset or it could be as simple as meeting one person than you can help.
I always make it a point to meet at least one person I can help at one of these events. I sit down with them, answer any of their questions and simply get a conversation going. This could potentially turn into a coaching client, someone who buys a product or simply a new blog reader. Sometimes it’s all three.
Make friends.
The last way to grow your blogging business by attending live events is to make some friends. Let’s face it, being a freelancer can be incredibly lonely. This was certainly the case for me in the beginning. I felt like no one understood me or what I was trying to do with my career.
It’s been so helpful to attend these live events and not just find ways to grow my business, but also make friends in the process. These are the friends that support me during the crazy times.
