Our blogging friends have been hard at work. Ever since Y’all Connect Presented by Alabama Power, we’ve seen post and post after post overflowing with good ideas and tips from the 2014 conference.
Check out their blogs and catch up on all the speakers and sessions from June …
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See the full list of blogs and other coverage on our Media page.
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“4 Things I Learned at Y’all Connect,” The Writeous Babe Project
Javacia Harris Bowser talks about the power of free incentives, defining an identity, time management and visual content.
[Kim] Garst spoke a lot about the value of visual content. Articles with photos get 94 percent more views, she said. She believes every brand should develop a visual content plan.”
“A Little Black Dress, for Your Blog,” The Writeous Babe Project
Javacia digs a little deeper into visual content by sharing a handy app.
“Word Swag is an app that allows you to create beautiful custom text layouts in a matter of seconds!”
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“Y’all Connect to Reach Your Success,” Growing HOPE
Kathryn Lang gives seven tips for building relationships.
“Be honest. You can tell people the truth or people will see the truth for themselves – but the truth has a way of making it to the surface.”
“Getting Lessons on Stepping Out,” Growing HOPE
Kathryn shares several examples of getting out of the comfort zone can pay off huge dividends.
“Laurie Heard – Asking for help can be intimidating, but asking for help from some of the leaders in the industry can cause the strongest heart to run in fear. She stepped right up and reached out for ideas and tips from the speakers and others at Y’all Connect.”
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“Y’all Connect talks look to future of social media, apps and how that can help your pizzeria,” Slice of Life
Melanie Addington shares Jenny Schmitt’s 9.5 trends to watch in technology and social media.
“Heritage in a brand is no longer required and sometimes can hurt a business. Having a long established brand can now be baggage because it means you may not be modern.”
“Brand Advocates can help tell your story,” Slice of Life
Melanie delves into lessons from Ramon De Leon on turning employees and customers into brand advocates.
“If you empower your employees they in turn empower your brand. They in turn can make a difference in the lives of customers who in turn can empower your brand. De Leon said he often gets one question: ‘What if we invest in our people and they leave?’ and he always answers with a more important question, ‘What if we don’t and they stay?’ “
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“How to Succeed in Reading Business Books without Even Trying,” The Snail on the Wall
Lady Vowell Smith found five business books at the conference worth reading and sharing.
“I expected to come away armed with a long list of goals, a bigger network of blogger friends, and a whole new set of digital strategies, tips and takeaways. I did not expect, however, to discover a bunch of must-read books — and in an entirely different genre.”
“Snails, Stories and All the Books You Need for Social Media,” Church Street Shop
Our friendly local bookseller Carrie Rollwagen threw in another recommendation on top of Lady’s picks.
“I had a lot of fun, since my idea of fun is attending a conference and talking about books (seriously, it is). I met some fantastic people, got some great new ideas, and discovered new blogs.”
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“Y’all Connect,” HilaryJohnsonLife
Hilary Johnson recaps three of her favorite sessions from Jen Barnett, Syed Balkhi and Ike Pigott.
“My absolute favorite quote from Mr. Pigott that I could not get out of my head from this session is, ‘If you want people to remember one thing, then by God write about one thing.’ It is as simple as that.”
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“Guest Post: Relocating Freelancer Stays Connected,” Write Naked
Williesha Morris has three ideas for building connections as a freelance writer in a new city.
“Even if you’re not 100 percent sold on a networking event, go anyway. Force yourself to leave your comfort zone and meet other people. The fact that you’re new to the area is a great way to start a conversation.”
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“Who is Benito Badoglio,” Stump: The Librarian
Alan Samry of Fairhope made time to check out our city while in town for the conference.
“We walked around Railroad Park and Regions Field, home of the Birmingham Barons minor league baseball team. It is a wonderful downtown redevelopment. Right across the street from the main entrance to the baseball field was a place for skateboarders that was blended seamlessly into the park’s urban landscape.”
“Where Have I Been?!” No Script to My Life
Giann has been traveling quite a bit this summer but took a day to volunteer with us.
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“Size matters in social media,” Chanda Temple Writes
Chanda Temple gives some of Kim Garst’s best tips for making blog posts stand out.
“Does your post pass the share test? Is it funny? Does it help people? Does it inform? Are you providing analysis? Don’t just post for the sake of posting. Your post should at least be shareable.”
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If you have a blog post related to Y’all Connect,
let us know so we can include it.
