This was my first Problogger Event (#PBEvent) and I’m delighted to say it was well worth the investment to attend.

Here is my review of Problogger Evolve and recap of what I learned during the 2017 conference and mastermind. These have been condensed from 15 pages of typed notes! Here goes…

1.  Problogger is not a conference about blogging.

Whilst blogging is part of a online business these days, most of the attendees I spoke to were making a profit from an online service based business which happened to have a blog. It was made quite clear by the speakers throughout the event that it’s almost impossible to draw a full time wage from a blog alone. Some other product or service is needed to monetize the blog. A business’s blog generally exists to provide free and valuable content to attract the right audience for other offerings. The art and science of blogging was just one aspect of the overall problogger experience.

2. We are in the era of the podcast.

Podcasting is huge and our ears are seeking valuable content when our eyes are not able to be in front of screens (e.g. in the bathroom or when driving). I may have a Zockmelon podcast coming soon – watch this space!

3. Going viral is overrated.

I have said this before myself, but we should never be too fussed by ‘going viral’ and it shouldn’t be a motivator in our content creation. Darren Rowse reminded us all “Usually the day after something goes viral, it goes back to normal”.

Usually the day after something goes viral, it goes back to normal.

 

4. Curate your digital garden.

With many online businesses having blog content that is years old, these old posts should be regularly curated, updated or removed. Only those blog posts still attracting traffic should be maintained, and everything else on our websites should be weeded or pruned like a purposeful online garden.

5. Everyone wants a community.

Everyone (business, brand or blogger) wants a community and now Software as a Service (SaaS) businesses are creating communities through blogs and their social media presence. If you have a community of supporters you should nurture them and continue to provide value to them. This inside information came from Shayne Tilley.

6. Online monitoring and metrics are optimising the online experience.

Again from Shayne, that metrics are becoming more sophisticated, and websites are monitoring our every movement online. Are we making the most of this on health, Government and not for profit websites to ensure that we provide an amazing online experience? I suspect the answer is no.

7. We should all know our “north star”.

Another Shayne Tilley nugget of gold I gained was the concept of the “north star” which is the point in the relationship between service provider/business/government where the customer can see the value in what they are offering. This is not always at the point of transaction or when the decision has been made to purchase. It could be after the customer improves, when they realise the time they saved, the fun they’ve had, or the quality of the service. What is your service’s “north star”?

8. Work in partnership and plan for 3 years not 1.

Jadah Sellner was exceptionally generous with her ideas and problem solving during the mastermind. She reminded me “Things that are not fun are more fun with people around” which is a key lesson for working in partnership to address difficult issues.

She also spoke a lot about planning for 3 years and not just 1 year ahead. “We overestimate what we can do in a year. We underestimate what we can in 3 years”. As a result we should plan to do less in our 1 year plans, and add some extra goals and turn them into 3 year plans.

We overestimate what we can do in a year. We underestimate what we can in 3 years.

9. Planning and consistency.

The key to success is consistency. And the keys to consistency are routine and being in the rhythm of the week. Darren Rowse and Pat Flynn talked about their calendars and they were exceptionally scheduled. Success online looks more like sticking to a effective and efficient schedule and less like sipping cocktails on the beach. I’ll be tightening up my own routine as a result…but will factor in some beach time still.

10. Evolve don’t revolve.

It’s easy to fall back into bad habits after a conference or event like this so we should aim to “evolve not revolve”. Do something different and lean into the fear, excitement and learning that comes with every evolution.

My review of problogger in summary…

I thoroughly enjoyed Problogger Evolve and benefited from every one of the speakers both at the conference and mastermind.

I cannot wait to make some changes and improvements to Zockmelon which will serve my clients in the public health industry.

Kristy Schirmer and Darren Rowse at Problogger 2017