For the past two days I have been @......

I just attended the Design Bloggers Conference 2014 here in Atlanta, which was filled with the latest information about blogging AND social media. I attended not as a blogger, but as a social media consultant (I created my own category)with the intention of learning more about the impact social media is making on the design world and how to make it work to your advantage. The focus, make no mistake, was blogging.

Over 400 people attended; the grand ballroom at the Hyatt was full. There were interior designers, furniture designers, fabric designers, and the majority of them were bloggers. Traditional Home and Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles sponsored portions of the conference so there were editors and freelance writers there as well.

To blog or not to blog seemed to be the underlying question. Jennifer Boles, Tobi Fairley and Paloma Contreras were just a few of the established bloggers who participated in panel discussions and were there to answer questions afterwards. The answers to this question, and advice provided, varied a little but the bottom line was quality over quantity.

A few presenters mentioned blogosphere etiquette. Have you written a new post where no one comments, likes or shares? Speaking from experience, it makes you feel as if your blog isn't being read and it is a little discouraging. One thing I learned about these bloggers, as influential or established as they may be, they still appreciate your comments. Think of it as if you are visiting someone's home, the least you can do is say thank you. If you take the time to visit someone's blog, it would be nice if you “like” it or say “nice post”. After all, aren't we all monitoring how many followers, likes, shares, friends, pins, favorites, reviews we receive? If you are a blogger and you read other peoples blogs, it increases your visibility if you make comments and those bloggers are more likely to find you and follow your blog.

If you would like to learn more about any of the above, I would be happy to share. Let me know when you want to meet!

Thank you for reading.

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