The Travel Bloggers Show, Orlando, Florida September 2010: Day 2

The Travel Bloggers Show, Orlando, Florida September 11 – 14, 2010: Day 2

There are many bloggers on the Internet with lots of Interests. Finding the top bloggers is key to seeing how they did BUT remember, being yourself is what will sell you. If you are an Orange, you really can’t be a great Apple. Just be the BEST Orange you can be and use these other bloggers as guidelines. @trvlbloggershow

Keynote Speaker Chris Elliott, the top Travel Blogger:

Covered seven steps to being a Travel Blogger

1. Find a topic
   • What are you interested in? Passion? Talent? Developing? Start it will come to you.
2. Get tools
   • host
   • WordPress
   • there are others but start here
   • Google.com/webmasters/tools
   • https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
   • http://www.google.com/trends/hottrends
3. Be a reporter
   • Journalism 2.0
4. Connect with audience
   • Comments make a blog interesting
   • It may take awhile unless you can connect with a group
   • Social Media icons
     • StumbleUpon, Digg, Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, and RSS
5. Make money
   • Ads, adsense, banner Ads, ebooks, syndication
6. Be an influencer
   • Be interesting
   • Get Recognized
   • Be Viral
   • Make lots of friends
   • Traffic, traffic, traffic
   • Encourage others, help others
   • Make the World a Better Place
   • Collaborate
7. Turn it into a Franchise

Influencer in the Blogging Field

Problogger (Affiliate Link) has two ebooks that will take your blog to the next level. Darren Rowse is honest with the facts and not into the hype. He outlines getting a niche and an Elevator pitch (focus) in his 31 Days to Build a Better Blog (available in ebook). Working the book with a group gives you support for comments and knowing others are doing the same thing at the same time. Darren is a huge help to others and works with groups giving back to the community of bloggers.

Darren shares on website: Make Money (Tab) his top money making areas. Yes he got into awhile back.

1. Adsense
2. Affiliate Programs
3. E-book Sales
4. Continuity
   • Update regularly with GOOD content
5. Private Ads Sales or Sponsorships
6. Chitka
7. Amazon Associates
8. Problogger Job boards
9. Speaking Fees
10. Other

More informative topics and people

Edward Hasbrouck : Working with Travel Marketers and PR Agencies

1. Write a pitch page of how you want others to work with you
   • Email
   • Phone
   • Twitter
2. Tools to register or unregister yourself
   • Cision
   • Vocus

Panel of bloggers

• Jeaninne Barone @JCreativeTravel, Kim Mance @kimnance, Beth Whitman @wanderlust, Janice Waugh @solotraveler, and Matt Kepnes @nomadicmatt
• Video Kevin Mims posted to Vimeo

Travel Bloggers Show – Speaker Excerpts from Kevin Mims on Vimeo.

Prizes for Best of Show Blog from Tripatini @tripatini

1. Why a Disney Cruise by Heidi Marlowe
2. Top 10 ways to save money on a Disney World Vacation by Allison Jones
3. A Night in Kenya with the Maasai Lions by What Boundaries

The Trade Show Floor

Many of these vendors pay Big Bucks to be at the Tradeshow to make sure we know about them. Spending time seeing their booths, gathering information, and of course collecting the fun stuff is important.

Lots of free stuff.  Pens with Shuttle on the clicker from the Kennedy Space Center. Sticky note pads in really nice containers from Tradeport and Endless Vacations. Lots and lots of pens of all sizes, shapes, and uniqueness. Lots of good eco bags that can be used for groceries while advertising the Marriot, Hilton, The Trade Show, Costa Cruises, and Air Tran.

Technology Pavilion

Finishing off the afternoon with a YouTube marketing Technology Pavilion Presentation with Digital Design Video Company. YouTube is #2 search Engine

• Use insights statistics to see where referrals are coming from. One minute videos. My personal experience is tutorial videos can be longer if they are very focus and on point.
• Copyright is important on music. Watch it so you are not sued.
• Don’t have sound start on load
• Can put it on your facebook BUT if you are trying to drive people to your blog, help them get there. One of the ways to do that is make it look like video start button that then takes them to the page with the video

Links I had in my notes but not the reason why

• emarketeer.com
• reelseo.com
• hubspot.com
• entrepreneur.com

Evening

The day was full but there was more fun to be experience. A Travel Blogger reception hosted by Orlando Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau @VisitOrlando at Rosen Centre @RosenHotelsOrl was over the top with Chefs, sushi, delectable deserts, cheese cubes, strawberries covered in Chocolate and an open Bar with Bloggertini’s for those daring enough to try the green drink. Harris Rosen spoke and mentioned his Properties are Debt Free. Orlando sees 48 million guests a year and is #4 for shopping

Bus transportation was provide to bring us to the next party at Cuba Libre at Pointe Orlando with more food, open bar, and very tasty hor d’oeuvres with people walking around with trays to pick from and try. Music with dancers who were proficient to entertain us with the moves. A separate room with Turkey, salad, roll, and guitar for a more settled, laid back sit down eating style. Never made it upstairs where I understand there was more food. I missed the Chocolate Chip and Bacon cookies.

Other Reports on the Travel Blogger Show

1. Adventures with Ben
   • Part 1 of 2
   • Part 2 of 2
2. Chris Cruises
3. Chris Elliot
4. Edward Hasbrouck