Last week I asked you if you wanted to know anything about my experience at BlissDom ’09. A few of you chirped up…so here goes!

Nicole Feliciano asked:

Did you come away with ideas that will REALISTICALLY and DRAMATICALLY increase readership?

My Answer:

Yes, definitely. But dramatically? That may be hard to measure. Though readership/stats are not an exact science, I know that the right people were on the job when it came to sharing great tips for increasing readership. Some of those tips were:

Use social media, like Twitter and Facebook, to your advantage. Build community, promote your blog and find new opportunities in that way.

Comment, comment, comment. Nothing builds community like commenting on others’ blogs. Being part of carnivals (my own tip) is a great way to increase your exposure and find some great blogs.

Respond to comments. As much as it is possible, especially in the beginning, respond to your commenters. Visit their blogs and make a point to say something about their blog. Find a way to connect, even if its something small.

Label your photos. In a very practical way, you can increase your Google search results by naming the images you use in your post something meaningful. Don’t just leave it as “img_20744″. Name it “BlissDom 09 tips and tricks to increase readership”. Google likes that…and so might you.

And finally, write good content. People will come back, and spread the word, if you offer something they like. This may be the hardest of all, in my opinion. But it makes the most sense, wouldn’t you agree?

Nicole also asked:

Can you compare it to Blogher?

My answer:

Gosh, that’s hard. It was different in so many way. Here’s my personal take (so don’t throw me under the bus!):

BlogHer was in San Fransisco…BlissDom in Nashville.

BlogHer had over 1,000 attendees…BlissDom had 250.

BlogHer appealed to a wider variety of bloggers (political, entertainment, etc.)…BlissDom seemed to appeal more to mommy, craft, tip bloggers.

BlogHer focused a lot on being free to express yourself however you wish because its your blog…BlissDom focused more on finding your niche and writing good, appealing content.

BlogHer didn’t emphasis social media *as much* as BlissDom did (and perhaps that was the difference that 8 months makes).

BlogHer did a good job (as much as I hated it) of making you meet new people with mixers, little games, etc….BlissDom left that up to the person, in a way.

The panels at BlogHer seemed to get off topic with so many questions from the attendees…BlissDom had success in staying on topic with good information while still taking questions from people.

Andrea McMann asked:

Have they released the time and venue for next year’s Blissdom? What’s your best tip (or best tips) for getting the most out of a blog conference experience?

My Answer:

Just this morning I got an email asking for my feedback on the conference. There was “talk” about having it twice a year, in October and February, most likely in Nashville. They also asked our opinion on if they were to increase the attendance, what a good cap would be. This year they kept the attendance at 250 people. That made it such a nice size…big enough that it was worthwhile but small enough that it was still somewhat intimate.

So…they may be opening it up to more people next year, and I’ll be it will go fast. You can sign up for the ’10 conference updates here. That way, you’ll be in the know for next year!

As for getting the most out of the experience, I would have to say to attend every session, ask questions, walk up to people you want to meet (something I need to be better at) and just be involved with what’s going on. Honestly, there were a few things I skipped out on because I was just plain tired and needed some down time. That’s probably one thing I would do differently for next year.

And last but not least, Mrs. Fussypants herself (um, hello????) asked:

What do we need to concentrate on for next year?

My answer:

{Gulp}

I think keeping the venue small, like this year, really lends itself to a better conference experience. As the popularity and “buzz” about BlissDom grows, I hope that the dedication to the intimate setting remains. And if you can come up with some fun, creative, non-dorky mixer games, that would be icing on the cake… (if they even exist).

She also asks:

What *one* thing stood out to make the weekend special for you

My answer:

It was obvious the amount of time and planning that went into the planning of this conference. The logistics, Hotel Preston (minus the possessed elevators…), was just right for the amount of people; the session topics and panelists were right on, the special guests were a definite plus, the sponsors and “swag” was over the top. Everything down to the smallest detail was obviously planned with the attendee in mind, and that made the experience as a whole very positive.

I hope this was helpful. If you want more, you can now download the transcripts from the sessions and the key note speech from Jen Lancaster! Check it out…

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