Alt Service Providers

By Melanie Blodgett. Photography by Darwin Bell.

Alt is offering a whole new service on our site and since so many of you have great talents to share, we thought we better consult with you first. We're calling it Service Providers, kind of like a classifieds section but instead of focusing on gramdma's desk that you've outgrown, it will be focused on services that would be of interest to our Alt attendees. Think designers, consultants and lawyers.

Interested? Great! For rates email melanie@altitudesummit.com - Please send a headshot and short description of what you can provide.

Building an Online Community, Going Deep

By guest contributor Disney.

Building a deep community with your readers is essential to growing a successful blog. Here are a few useful tips that I've put into practice over the years.

Getting to Know Your Readers
Nobody likes to be around someone who talks about him- or herself all the time. Blog readers are no exception. In order to build community with readers, you need to both share your life with them, and get to know them a little as well.

Comments
Comments are a great way to get feedback from readers. But what if no one leaves a comment? When you first start blogging, having fewer comments will be perfectly normal. If you’ve been around for a while, and have started to gain a following, lacking comments could be a sign that your readers don’t feel connected with you. If that happens, then start asking questions. Ask what they think of your post; how they would solve a decorating problem; which version of a project they like better, and so forth. When you do get comments, be sure to reply now and then, especially if a question is asked.

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Successful Events Start with Purpose

By Sara Urquhart. Photography of Alt NYC, Rooftop party.

 Hosting an in-person event can have serious advantages for your business, and you’ll be most successful if the first thing you do is answer a simple—but often overlooked—question: What is your purpose in creating the event?

Do you want to:

• design a space where people can network?
• provide an opportunity for bloggers to discuss best business practices?
• allow people to create collaborations? - provide exposure for one of your sponsors?
• or be seen as an expert who can host great events?

That goal or purpose defines every other aspect of your event. Every decision you make about the event has to pass the litmus test: how does this help me accomplish my goal?

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Five Steps for Contributor Success

By Jenny Batt and guest contributor Brittni Mehlhoff. Photography by Elle Moss.

The first, and probably most important, rule of being a good contributor is simple: don’t be afraid to give away the good stuff. It’s natural to want to hoard your best articles and projects for your own blog, but if you only have a handful of readers coming to your personal blog, it makes sense to reach out to the larger audience. It will get you seen by more people, and you’re gaining blogger street-cred and name recognition as someone readers should know about.

More tips for contributor success:

1. Create amazing content. Always!

2. Be consistent. Make sure that the style in which you write melds nicely with the other content written for the site you are contributing to.

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Congratulations

By Victoria Hudgins. Photography by Agency 26.

Thanks to everyone who entered our Alt conference ticket giveaway! It's been a blast reading your posts, and getting to know what your favorite topics are to discuss. We are thrilled to not only be bringing you new blog content based on your favorite articles so far, but also to be giving away a conference ticket today.

And now, the news you have been waiting to hear. The randomly selected winner for the Alt conference ticket giveaway is: Jessica Turner

Congratulations Jessica! Thanks to everyone else who entered. If you weren't able to get a ticket to the conference be sure to follow us here on the blog as we look to bring you tips from the best and brightest in our industry.