3 Reasons Every New Blogger Should Attend A Bloggy Boot Camp

It's not just for chicks.

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of being one of two guys (hey Todd!) in a room full of nearly 200 women.  I could have easily clammed up and hid in a corner, being grossly outnumbered in this estrogen charged environment, but it was much easier to engage, participate and learn from some of the best bloggers in the business.  Here are my top three reasons that every new blogger (yes, even dad bloggers) should attend a Bloggy Bootcamp event. 

Access To The Pros (At An Affordable Price)

The ladies that plan Bloggy Bootcamps are great at getting the best presenters (seriously, check out that list!) at their conferences. In Philadelphia, we had the pleasure of hearing from experts in blogging, writing and social media.  The best part is that these were people who "made it" on their own, and they were willing to share their hard-earned knowledge with us!  I wish I had gone to one of these conferences a year ago when I first started blogging, then I wouldn't feel the way I do today - like I have wasted an entire year of going about it the wrong way.  Granted, it's not that dramatic, but I did learn a few things that I can do to make this blog better.  You will see some changes coming to this blog, some drastic, some subtle, but all for the sole purpose of being more useful for YOU, the reader.   

I know that a lot of other dads read this blog, and I also know that dads are more actively talking about fatherhood online than ever before.  Attending a Bloggy Bootcamp will help you focus on what you want to accomplish with your blog and also give you the resources to make your blog work for you.  For some of you coming from a writing background, you might want to brush up on your blog business savvy.  For those of you that come from the online marketing or business world, you might want to pick the brains of some of the smartest writers in the blogosphere.  Bloggy Bootcamp serves BOTH needs and at a very reasonable price compared to other conferences.  If you're within driving distance, you should really do whatever it takes to get yourself to one of these conferences.  The value of attending far outweighs the cost.

The New Friends (and Food)

I do have to say that the ladies at Bloggy Bootcamp Philly made me feel very welcome.  I wasn't seen as someone "infiltrating the ranks," although all of the 50 Shades of Gray jokes were lost on me.  I was accepted as a fellow blogger, and around every table, my opinion was valued.  Yes, I did wear a home made shirt that said, "Don't Call Me Mr. Mom" in bold font.  Yes, I did shamelessly self-promote my blog on the back of my shirt.  But guess what, I have a lot of new followers because of it.

The SITS girls also get a lot of good sponsors for their conferences.  The lunch sponsor of the Philly event was King's Hawaiian bread (it's crazy good, seriously).  The food was fantastic, and the way that these ladies represented their brand was awesome.  The sponsor of the "afterparty" was Mirassou Winery, and they had a great selection of wines, especially their Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir.  

The Swag

Since this was my first time attending a Bloggy Bootcamp, I had no idea that there was such a thing as a "swag bag," but I was happy to hear that everyone in attendance would receive a new Waterpik shower head, along with other great stuff from King's Hawaiian, Happy Baby Food, PopChips, Care.com and more.  My wife was thoroughly impressed with my swag haul when I returned home, and at the end of the day, isn't that what matters?