Image by Katrin Greiling
DAY 1, Thursday, May 16th *
8:15 AM Pacific Time
KEYNOTE #1: The Art of Being a Goal Getter
Speaker: Joy Cho
9:30 AM Pacific Time
PR on a Shoestring Budget
Teacher: Adrienne Arieff
Your blog may or may not be making money yet, but either way there probably isn't enough in the budget to pay for a marketing guru to take your blog to new levels. Learn what you can do yourself and what items are best hired out to make a splash on a small budget.
10:45 AM Pacific Time
Graphic Design for Bloggers 101
Teacher: Laurie Smithwick
The first class in our Graphic Design mini-series will cover the basics every blogger needs to know about design. This class will teach you why layouts and typography can make or break your blog’s visual appeal. Basic graphic design elements will be discussed to help you create the best blog you can, without having to get a graphic design degree.
12:00 PM Pacific Time
How to Work with Brands (Sponsored by Bing)
Teacher: Natalie Bowman
Want to land that sponsor? Looking to collaborate with your favorite brand? Learn how to nail the basics of a pitch, what brands care about and how to be confident in negotiations in this class taught by ad industry veteran and Bing's Marketing Director, Natalie Bowman.
1:15 PM Pacific Time
Get Answers: Ask a Lawyer and Ask an Accountant Combo Session
Teachers: Amanda Schreyer and Helena Swyter
Especially for our online conference, everything you wanted to know about the legal and financial side of blogging. You'll learn the most important things you need to know about setting up a blog as a business, what you can and can't expense, what you need to know about signing sponsorship contracts, and more in this combo class taught by a lawyer and a CPA. Ask away and get your ducks in a row!
2:30 PM Pacific Time
Photoshop for Bloggers
Teachers: Mike and Alma Loveland
You have Photoshop, but don't know how to harness it's awesome power? Learn the tips and tricks that bloggers need most — like how to make those cool photo collages you've seen on all your favorite sites. Knowing how to use Photoshop will put your blog on the awesome fast track.
3:45 PM Pacific Time
Organized Online: What Every Blogger Needs to Know
Teacher: Liz Stanley
Managing your blog can get chaotic. Have finances, your editorial calendar, and that never ending inbox ever made you cringe? In this class, Liz Stanley, of Say Yes to Hoboken, shares her tips, tricks and secrets to wrangling in and getting control over your work online. You don't want to miss this! *This class is for advanced bloggers and will cover such topics as invoicing and hiring contributors.
5:00 PM Pacific Time
Photography Best Practices: Photo Styling 101
Teacher: Susan and William Brinson
What makes a good photo great? What makes a great photo even better? The styling! If you have a photo you love and you can't quite put your finger on what makes it great, assume it's the styling. It makes all the difference. Get a handle on photo styling, and make your blog the next Pinterest sensation.
7:30 PM Pacific Time
Meet-up #1
Pajama Bash - come ready for fun conversation, networking and collaboration ideas. All the fun of an Alt party but you can show up in your yoga pants.
DAY 2, Friday, May 17th *
8:00 AM Pacific Time
KEYNOTE #2: The Art of Being a Goal Getter
Speaker: Joy Cho
8:00 AM Pacific Time
Meet-up #2
Coffee and Conversation - come ready for a fun chat, networking and collaboration ideas. All the fun of an Alt party first thing in the morning. There is no better way to start your day.
9:15 AM Pacific Time
Craft the Perfect Pitch (Sponsored by Yoked)
Teacher: Alison Dutton
Yoked is focused on connecting brands with bloggers, so who better to share the tips and tricks to pitching? Learn what goes into creating a great pitch from Alison Dutton, co-founder of wellyoked.com, and get that collaboration you have been dreaming of. What's stopping you?
11:00 AM Pacific Time
iMovie for Bloggers
Teacher: Jenner Brown
You know video is a great way to make your blog stand out. You've heard video will make you more accessible to readers. But video can be so intimidating! Where do you start? How about right here in this class. Learn how to edit video quickly and easily with iMovie. In no time at all, you'll be creating awesome videos for your blog.
12:15 PM Pacific Time
Graphic Design for Bloggers 201:
Teacher: Laurie Smithwick
The second class in our Graphic Design mini-series will cover fonts and colors. How to pair fonts, what to avoid, and how to choose a color palette for your brand and website, will all be demystified by Alt Channel’s Design Guru. Want to make your site pop and stand out from the crowd? Then learn all the graphic design you can.
1:30 PM Pacific Time
How to Get Paid What You Are Worth
Teacher: Sara Urquhart
2:45 PM Pacific Time
Your Blog is a Business: Blog Documents
Teacher: Chris Gardner
Yes, there is the joy of blogging — writing, creating, photographing, crafting, collaborating! But, like any other business, there's a lot of paper work involved as well. Learn about all the documents you should have for your blog and how to create them, from FAQ pages, to EIN#s, to affiliate disclosures and more!
4:00 PM Pacific Time
Please Like Me: Using Social Media to Grow Your Blog (Sponsored by Bing)
Teacher: Natalie Bowman
Social media is a tool that can be used to amplify your brand and increase your readership. Natalie Bowman, Bing's Marketing Director and ad industry veteran, will give you tips and tricks on how to use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more to grow your blog and get your message heard by the masses. Use social media to put your blog on the map.
5:15 PM Pacific Time
DIY Advertising: How to Sell Your Own Ads and Sponsor Spots
Teacher: Liz Stanley
If your community is growing, chances are you've started to think about how to move from hobby to business and start making money on your blog. Maybe you're curious about adding sidebar ads. Or maybe you're considering sponsored posts but don't know where to begin. This class will teach you everything you need to know to get started with ads and sponsors for your blog.
6:30 PM Pacific Time
Making Money on Your Blog Beyond Advertising
Teacher: Melanie Blodgett
Sometimes a blog is an income generator all by itself. But in many instances, a blog is too small to earn much, but plenty big to come a portal for dozens of other cool opportunities — like paid columns and freelance blogging gigs and hosting events. This class will cover lots of different options for bringing in revenue beyond traditional display ads.
DAY 3, Saturday, May 18th *
8:45 AM Pacific Time
Meet-up #3
Coffee and Conversation - come ready for a fun chat, networking and collaboration ideas. All the fun of an Alt party first thing in the morning. There is no better way to start your day.
10:00 AM Pacific Time
Graphic Design for Bloggers 301
Teacher: Laurie Smithwick
The third class in our Graphic Design mini-series will dive into advanced graphic design theory and skills that every blogger needs to know, with a focus on how to create an amazing logo. Join the Alt Channel’s sought-after teacher as she shares the secrets to great design to make your identity shine, both online and off.
11:15 AM Pacific Time
Pinterest Skills Every Blogger MUST Know
Teacher: Jill Nystul
What should you be doing to use Pinterest to your advantage? How can you get more followers and direct readers to click to your site? Learn actionable skills, find out how to utilize the new Pinterest analytics, get familiar with best practices, and grow your following. You'll love this class!
12:30 PM Pacific Time
KEYNOTE #3: The Art of Being a Goal Getter
Speaker: Joy Cho
1:45 PM Pacific Time
Growing Your Blog: A Case Study
Teacher: Jordan Ferney
In this class Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day explains how she went from a hobby blogger to a professional blogger in a year. Jordan shares clear steps and examples of what worked and what didn't. Also, at the end of the class Jordan will shove a cake in her face.
3:00 PM Pacific Time
Working With Brands
Teacher: Sara Urquhart
Great news! Your dream brand wants to work with you. But now what? It’s important to know how to negotiate prices, finalize timelines and details, and set up a contract (or just read one), before you do any work. Learn the best practices when working with brands, find out what information you need to communicate to your sponsor, and discover the tricks for making sure both parties have a fabulous experience, so that you can keep the relationship for many years to come.
* NOTE: This is a working schedule and is subject to change.
