(Editor’s note: for the uninitiated, BlogHer and BlogHer Business are annual conferences of women in social media, typically held back-to-back. BlogHer is a conference of female social media participants, while BlogHer business is a conference on marketing to women via social media. Our guest poster, Jennifer Polk, attended both, and shares her thoughts here. Thanks, Jennifer!)
I was fortunate to attend both BlogHer and BlogHer Business for the first time. As a marketer, blogger and conversationalist, I relished the opportunity to influence and be influenced by other marketers and bloggers and learn from some of the most passionate women bloggers of today.BlogHer Business Conference 2010
An intimate group of around 200 brand representatives and bloggers got together for a little pre-meeting the day before BlogHer Conference 2010. We traded notes on topics such as funding social media marketing programs, hearing from PepsiCo’s Bonin Bough, who talked about the Pepsi Refresh Project and the importance of internal marketing and consensus building to unlock internal budgets.
The group also heard from Estee Lauder’s Dina Fierro on Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign and how the campaign successfully married cause marketing and social media. While one can’t deny the success of this campaign, many of left the room questioning the takeaways for marketers and bloggers looking to use social media without the aid of a well known social cause.
Then came the break-out sessions. It was hard to choose whether to learn more about Twitter and Facebook implementation strategies, FTC guidelines, or using monitoring and measuring to make the case for social media marketing. I chose to attend the session about consumers as co-brand managers and messaging to moms. Each was a good choice.
Representatives from Ketchum Digital, Liberty Mutual and Kodak led the discussion on listening to consumers, in particular female consumers, many of whom walk away from brands they feel are not listening to them. Panelists stressed the importance of monitoring, both their brands and competitors brands; participating in conversations; and responding to consumer needs.
After several hours of thinking like a marketer and fully expecting to continue thinking that way, I attended “Is Your Messaging to Mom Outdated,” presented by Parenting Magazine. Sounds like a course for marketers, right? Wrong. It turned out to be a session on moms and their comfort or discomfort with social media tools in the hands of their kids and teens.
Parenting Magazine had conducted research of moms on BlogHer and moms in general and discovered very interesting themes around what worried them most about social networks and when they introduced various types of media into kids’ lives. Led to a great discussion among the moms on our responsibility to understand these tools and educate our kids on how to use them appropriately.
BlogHer Conference 2010
Following BlogHer Business, over 100 businesses, from consumer brands to niche small businesses, arrived in Manhattan to connect with women who might represent their brands with an authentic voice, opening a gateway for marketing to their readers. They were there to hear the thoughts of these 2,400 women bloggers who represent millions of women through their expression of the written word.
Women bloggers came from far and wide, some with their babes in tote, for the chance to network with one another; find inspiration in the works of others; and learn from other bloggers and the experts at BlogHer. Many were also there to be courted by major brands looking to share their products. Others were there simply for the experience and exposure, coming with no preconceived notions.
Businesses were there to influence and to woo with swag bags and giveaways; interesting experiences, like the P&G House; opportunities to create and share content, such as the live chat on responsibility at the Liberty Mutual booth; and even celebrity appearances by Bruce Jenner, Mrs. Potato Head and the Pillsbury Doughboy. BlogHer Conference 2010 had officially begun.
The conference started and ended with awe-inspiring speakers, from the welcome address by founders Elisa Camahort Page, Jory Des Jardins and Lisa Stone to the closing keynote around the theme of empowerment through the voices of women. In between, break-out sessions were built around Passions, Personal, Professional, with three additional areas of focus—Geek, Writing and Job Labs.
I attended two of the lab sessions and took away great tips on usability and blog design. More importantly, I got to know fellow women bloggers, sharing my voice and hearing theirs.
Jennifer Polk is Director of Social Media Strategy for a Fortune 1000 retail brand. She blogs about social marketing and personal branding at Socially Savvy One, and can be found on Twitter.
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on 11 August 10
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I loved that The Balancing Act from Lifetime was able to take the social media aspect of the conference and transform it into a media opportunity. When you can engage women from conferences, to digital to media thats social marketing at its best.