{"id":9244,"date":"2015-04-22T09:00:58","date_gmt":"2015-04-22T16:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogsitestudio.com\/?p=9244"},"modified":"2016-05-05T15:46:17","modified_gmt":"2016-05-05T22:46:17","slug":"how-to-blog-a-conference-fun-accurate-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogsitestudio.com\/how-to-blog-a-conference-fun-accurate-way\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Tips to Blog a Conference the Fun and Accurate Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you\u00a0blog\u00a0a\u00a0conference, you’re providing information\u00a0with a sense of immediacy that is a welcome departure from the typical post. Who doesn’t like to read the latest words of wisdom spoken by industry influencers?<\/p>\n

Conferences and\u00a0Meetups are great places to acquire information of interest to your\u00a0readers\u00a0and\u00a0blogging about them requires almost no research. You just\u00a0report what the speaker(s) said. All the weight of supporting their thesis is theirs. Our\u00a0job as bloggers is to listen and report correctly and entertainingly.<\/p>\n

\"blog<\/a><\/p>\n

Over the years, I\u2019ve posted a lot from Blogging Meetups<\/a> and Wine Conferences<\/a> and have a few tips on how to blog a conference.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Be accurate<\/span><\/h2>\n

That is my top tip: never\u00a0be wrong. Corrections suck, so check every fact and quote and spelling before hitting Publish.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Live blogging<\/span><\/h2>\n

This is the act of blogging on the fly to publish your post as soon as possible during the conference. <\/span><\/p>\n

Live blogging was more popular in the years before Twitter when it was the most immediate form of communication.\u00a0<\/span>Twitter has made it easier to spit out your thoughts 140 characters at a time. And, conferences sometimes display Live Tweets, which are easier to consume than a blog post.<\/p>\n

Live blogging also has the additional trap of being a slave to the venue\u2019s Internet connection.\u00a0<\/span>Considering that dozens of people are tapping into the bandwidth, there\u2019s the ever-present danger of being disconnected and losing your work. This is why it\u2019s better to type offline into a text file, then paste your post into the blog editor.<\/p>\n

The other danger of live blogging is posting something that\u2019s incorrect. Perhaps you heard wrong while taking a sip of coffee or whispering to your neighbour. Live blogging must command all of your attention to pull off.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0For all these reasons, I never live blog a conference.<\/p>\n

3. Record speakers<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re not live blogging you have much more leeway to just enjoy the conference, especially if you record the presentations on your iPhone. Unlike tape recorders, and even Mini Discs,<\/span>\u00a0iPhones record amazingly clear audio that is almost broadcast quality. Actually, it is<\/em> broadcast quality. With the speaker’s permission, you could add an edited audio track to the post. <\/span><\/p>\n

By placing your iPhone in a strategic location \u2014 near the PA system, on the dais, pointed away from the crowd – you can capture audio that can be further enhanced in Garage Band to transcribe later. <\/span><\/p>\n

Use your iPhone to catch a private conversation with the speaker, making it obvious you are recording it. In that case, clarify in your blog post that you were speaking privately.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shooting a video is also helpful, but it doubles the preparation and unless you plan to upload it to your site, video might be be overkill.<\/p>\n

Related:\u00a0The Importance of iPhone Voice Memo for Blogging<\/a><\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Take notes<\/span><\/h2>\n

Recording a\u00a0speech is no reason not to take notes. You\u2019ll want to make a list of talking points you find interesting in the moment so that when you transcribe later you can skip to the good stuff. <\/span><\/p>\n

Also, audio doesn\u2019t describe the visual. Take notes on the speaker\u2019s mannerisms, appearance and actions at the podium. Note valuable information being projected that is not read aloud by the speaker.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use Twitter as your own personal note pad – albeit one the world can read. Your Twitter timeline will remind you what you thought was important at the moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Take pictures<\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s nice to see the speaker or panel in action, so don\u2019t be afraid to march up to the front and take some shots. They expect to be photographed, just\u00a0don\u2019t be a nuisance. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in a good position, get a shot of the speaker with their Powerpoint slide projected behind them. Or, to remember the presentation (if it\u2019s not going to be posted online) take a picture of the slide. <\/span><\/p>\n

I like to shoot from behind the audience not just to see the slide and the speaker, but to illustrate the crowd’s attention to the projections.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Paraphrase<\/span><\/h2>\n

When writing your post after transcribing your recording, you\u2019ll find that sometimes the speaker\u2019s words are not succinct enough to get their message across. Sometimes they meander, sometime digress. That\u2019s when you\u2019ll want to paraphrase their words in a more direct way than originally spoken. <\/span><\/p>\n

Just be sure to pepper the paraphrasing with, \u201cHe said,\u201d or \u201cShe noted,\u201d to make it clear it\u2019s not author intrusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Quote<\/span><\/h2>\n

Quoting your speakers is hand-down the most captivating part of your conference blog\u00a0since it allows readers to hear the persons voice. This is where your Voice Memo recording is critical. It will help\u00a0get the quote exactly right and prevent the need to make\u00a0corrections. <\/span><\/p>\n

If the quote is not succinct\u00a0enough, you can add clarifying words in [brackets] so readers know you are enhancing the quote.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Let\u00a0speakers review<\/span><\/h2>\n

The best way to be accurate is to email the speaker their comments and context. They don\u2019t have to see the whole post, just what relates to them. Not only will you be assured you got it right, you\u2019ll earn their respect as a media professional. By lightyears. <\/span><\/p>\n

Their corrections might even improve your post and their emailed comments may be worth adding. It\u2019s just the professional thing to do. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is another reason post-event posting beats\u00a0live blogging.<\/span><\/p>\n

9. Format the post\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Use callout formatting for quotes, bullet points for lists, and\u00a0bolding for emphasis when annotated. And, keep sentences and paragraphs on the short side for easy skimming.<\/span><\/p>\n

10. Focus the blog<\/span><\/h2>\n

When you blog a conference, you still need a beginning, middle and end to your post.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though you are reporting on public\u00a0knowledge, don\u2019t just regurgite the things you heard. Write the post\u00a0in a digestible format with focus, theme, and hopefully, attitude.<\/span><\/p>\n