Skip to Content

4 Mistakes To Avoid When Meeting Sponsors At The BlogPaws Conference

4 Mistakes To Avoid When Meeting Sponsors At The BlogPaws Conference

This post is sponsored by the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated as a BlogPaws Conference Ambassador to help share information about the BlogPaws 2017 Conference but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. BlogPaws is not responsible for the content of this article.

When I attended my first BlogPaws conference back in 2013, I was unprepared.

It was my first blogging conference and my brain just couldn’t grasp the fact of how important a conference like this could be for me. Now if we’ve ever met in person, you might of picked up on the fact that I’m a little scattered brain in settings like this. I am 100% that person who sees something shiny and wanders away.

We could be in a group conversation and all of a sudden I’m gone.

I like to look it as I’m always looking for an adventure but my husband would respectfully disagree with that.

My point of admitting this major flaw that I have is that you don’t want to be this way at a big blogging conference with hundreds of your peers and potential blog sponsors.

Focus is key, especially if you’re serious about taking your blogging/social media influencer status to to the earning level.

4 Mistakes To Avoid When Meeting Sponsors At The BlogPaws Conference

You can follow BlogPaws on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Here’s 4 key things that I’ve done wrong at past BlogPaws Conferences in regards to interacting with sponsors.

Know the sponsors. I did not look at who the sponsors would be for the conference ahead of time.  I walked into the Exhibit Hall  clueless and it was overwhelming.  My only option at that point was to walk around aimlessly 4 times before I decided who I wanted to approach.  My tip is to check out the list of sponsors that will be at the conference now. Get familiar with them and make a list of who you think would be a good fit for your blog. Not every sponsor is going to be a fit for everyone but try to real zone in on what the sponsor has to offer.  I already have a Top 10 List of Sponsors that I want to try and connect with this year.

Don’t forget your confidence. If you’re a new blogger like many of us once were you may be intimated by all the veteran bloggers that will be there.  Be confident in yourself to approach sponsors. Sponsors are there to meet you. They are there to connect with bloggers and social media influencers. My lack of confidence at my first BlogPaws Conference lost me sponsors. Don’t be concerned about your numbers either. If there’s a connection between you and a sponsor, there’s a connection. Some sponsor booths will have a crowd and it may be difficult to get through, no worries. Move onto a booth that has less congestion and you’ll get more valuable time with them. You can always go back to the other sponsor at a later time.

4 Mistakes To Avoid When Meeting Sponsors At The BlogPaws Conference

Register for the BlogPaws 2017 Conference today and use discount code: BP17-10off-Ambassador to get 10% of your registration.

Remember business cards. I forgot my business cards for the second BlogPaws conference and it was a HUGE mistake. There’s nothing like finding a sponsor that is a perfect fit for your blog, making a connection and then them asking for your business cards and you’re like, “Don’t have any with me.”  First, it’s not very professional and second it’s REALLY embarrassing.  Sponsors aren’t going to remember every blogger that they talk with so it’s good for them to have something to refer back to when they get home.

And last but certainly not least, be yourself. The best compliment that I’ve ever been given is that, when I meet a person for the time, I’m exactly how I am on the blog. This is what I want the sponsors to see also. I write a humor blog.  Most of the time I keep things light and fun and my readers expect to laugh when they come here. That’s not always a good fit for some sponsors so what I’ve tried to do this year is add a little bit of my personality to my business cards.  On the back of my card I’ve added my favorite Dr. Seuss quote in hopes that when a sponsor is going through all the business cards that they accumulated at the conference they’ll think, “Jen from My Brown Newfies = goofy newfies, writes humor and thinks outside of the box. That could save both us a lot of time in the future if we’re not a good fit.

I hope this helps some of the first time attendees from making the same mistakes that I’ve made in the past. When in doubt you can always seek me out at the conference. I’ll be the one chasing shiny things 🙂 And if you’re newbie, make sure to check out the Newbie Group in the BlogPaws Social Learning Center. There’s some valuable tip in there!

 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of BlogPaws. The opinions and text are all mine.

Sharing is caring!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Yasaar Nakchbendi

Tuesday 25th of April 2017

Thanks for this valuable info for newbies like myself. Hope to meet you at the conference and so looking forward to this!

Jodi Stone

Monday 24th of April 2017

Oh yes, I was planning on bringing a leash with me this year. LOL Good tips here Jen, I plan on checking out the sponsor list before I go.

Callie, Shadow, and Ducky's Mom

Sunday 23rd of April 2017

Sounds like great advice, Jen! I wish I could go to the conference this year if only to meet you and my other blogging buddies. But, alas, finances forbid it, as do family obligations. Maybe the 2019 conference will be a bit closer to home.

Monika & Sam

Wednesday 19th of April 2017

Great advice! So wish I could get away to attend this conference. But I'm probably a little like you. Ooh so-and-so vendor, I've been wanting to meet you...wait, what nice collars and leashes...oh yum, the fur-kids would love those treats. SQUIRREL! ?

The Daily Pip

Wednesday 19th of April 2017

You mean wandering away in the middle of a conversation is not normal? Dang! I kind of do that all the time.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Homemade Cranberry Dog Treats 20 Easy Halloween Pumpkin Carving Ideas The 4 Stages Of The Newfoundland Dog Homemade Apple Dog Treats No-Bake Pumpkin Dog Treats