8 Great Blogging Tips I Learned at Girls Lunch Out! #GLOLunch

I was so excited to head down to Maggiano’s at Costa Mesa’s South Coast Plaza this past weekend for the California debut of Girls Lunch Out! Prior to learning about this afternoon via The SoCal Lady Bloggers, I was unfamiliar with what Girls Lunch Out is; popular on the East Coast, GLO is all about bringing female bloggers & business women together for a fun, relax day of mingling, networking, door prizes, swag, wine & of course, LUNCH 😉

Our Guest Speaker was the fabulous SoCal gal behind Whoorl, Sarah James (above). Not only did I take away so much regarding keeping your blog & writing authentic, but Sarah herself is such an authentic, personable person. Currently dealing with auto-immune conditions herself, plus family life, plus the blog, plus just happy to be well enough to be out & about again, Sarah gave us some great advice that really hit home for myself; first & foremost, keeping your content original. I have been writing here at Along Comes Mary for 2 years now, & I am sure my readers have noticed I have been lucky enough to get some extremely great sponsored posts lately. While that’s always been my vision for the page, I do not want anyone to ever think it’s over kill. Her solution?

Get an editorial calendar.

Don’t be afraid to tell a company you’re loaded with posts right now, but you would love to consider them in a few months.

Limit your posts that include a disclosure to once or twice a week. It really is too bad sometimes we might question the authenticity if that is the first sentence noticed on your post. Whenever I feature a brand or product or event, it’s because I believe in them &/or use the line already. I hope most feel I have a good balance on ACM.

Another great subject Sarah covered: Quality over quantity. Her tips for creating that authentic space?

Take your time! Don’t feel like you need to post every day, or even multiple times a day, for that matter, just to be posting. Post when you have that great writing, imagery & your heart is there. As Sarah knows first hand, your life, health & family come first, She watched her numbers dwindle when she was posting for the sake of it. Your readership is reading your blog for YOU. They will be there when you can come back 🙂

Networking is the KEY. Commenting on blogs, asking questions, finding great Facebook groups & attending conferences that fit your niche are some of the best keys to success.

Instagram is your BFF. Companies are literally hiring Social Media gurus to strictly search out hashtags relevant to their brand. Are you gluten-free? Hashtag your dinner with #GF & #GlutenFree. Love your dog? I have met awesome pet friendly companies since snapping shots of Hammy with the hashtags #Dogs & #PuppyLove.

Which…raises the next question…how much is TOO much with hashtags? You do not want an entire tweet to be like that hilarious Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake skit. Try to limit it to 3 tops, unless you absolutely need a few more for the networking.

I learned so much in such a short time. If you’re a female blogger, GLO is the perfect way to get out for a fun afternoon of networking & lunch. Maggiano’s was a perfect spot for this event. They were so kind to those of us that are gluten free & made sure we were comfortable. To learn more about Girls Lunch Out, click here!

10 Things to know about blogging Beginning Blogging Bloggers Bloggers in LA Can you make money at blogging? Female Bloggers Gluten Free South Coast Plaza Hashtags Instagram Orange County Bloggers Sarah James Sarah James Whoorl

Donna
May 7, 2014 at 10:34 am

I’ve seen a lot of great pictures of GLO — I wish I’d been able to go! I love the tips shared as well, really helpful. I hate hashtag overkill and the right ones can really help bring new people to your feed. Thanks for sharing!
1. AlongComesMary
  May 7, 2014 at 2:17 pm
  
  Hey Donna! So glad you stopped by. I wish you had been there, too. You’re one of my faves to read yet I forget we have yet to meet IRL. Soon! 😉
Mindy
May 7, 2014 at 11:32 am

These are all really important tips. I love the “work hard and be nice to people” one, and the tip about overusing hashtags. I hate when IG photos have 20 hashtags! It makes it seem unauthentic.
1. AlongComesMary
  May 7, 2014 at 2:16 pm
  
  Hash tags are such a balance! Sure, the more you have, the broader your post may go, but I am really trying to stick to 3 or under. Thanks for reading, Mindy!!
Ann
May 7, 2014 at 1:19 pm

It was such a great luncheon! Glad we got to meet up there too. We should definitely look into doing this again!
1. AlongComesMary
  May 7, 2014 at 2:15 pm
  
  Yes! I will email them 😉
wendy
May 7, 2014 at 1:36 pm

I am so thrilled you came, Mary! Such a treat to meet you IRL and chat – even for a few minutes! I agree, Sarah was wonderful and full of practical suggestions. Thanks so much!! Sharing your post with the GLO owners now!
1. AlongComesMary
  May 7, 2014 at 2:15 pm
  
  Sarah is, by far, one of the best speakers I have encountered since my blogging journey began. I am here right now soaking up her videos, even 😉 Great to hang with you, Wendy!!
Erica
May 7, 2014 at 1:41 pm

Thank you so much for joining us and writing such a great re-cap!
1. AlongComesMary
  May 7, 2014 at 2:14 pm
  
  Thank you SO much for stopping by, Erica! I plan on emailing GLO as I would be interested in hosting some day 🙂
Susan Cooper
May 7, 2014 at 3:19 pm

The GLO lunch sounds like a lot of fun and a great learning opportunity. Wish I had still been in Southern California. I would have loved to attend!
1. AlongComesMary
  May 7, 2014 at 5:52 pm
  
  Are you completely out of your OC home now? 🙁
Ruth Zankich
May 7, 2014 at 8:04 pm

Agree on the hashtag. I heard 1 or non for Facebook. Two the most on Twitter. And three for Instagram. I can’t stand when people use hashtags galore on Instagram. It drives me crazy! Or hashtags that I have to decode 🙂
LaShon Renee @ For the Love of Curls
May 7, 2014 at 10:22 pm

Sounds like an awesome event. I will definitely look to attend future events. I love networking with fellow bloggers. Such a fun group!
Susan@ofeverymoment
May 8, 2014 at 12:59 pm

I have been thinking it would be fun to network in person with some bloggers, but don’t know of any events in my area. Thanks for sharing these tips!
1. AlongComesMary
  May 8, 2014 at 5:06 pm
  
  You’re so welcome, Susan! I highly recommend a GLO event 🙂 You learn so much in a short afternoon, & its so intimate that you can talk & network with everyone.
Raquel
May 16, 2014 at 3:15 pm

Oh I am so glad to read this! I had wanted to go but was out of town. It sounds like it was an informative and fun event. Hope you are doing well Mary! I have not seen you in a while. Happy Weekend!