A Lady Goes West

A healthy lifestyle blog by Ashley Pitt

  • Home
    • Popular Posts
  • About
  • Fitness
    • Les Mills Group Fitness
    • Workouts
    • Fitness Tips
    • Class Reviews
  • Food
    • What I Ate Wednesday
    • Recipes
  • Clean Beauty
  • Mom Life
    • Fit & Fertile Book
    • Baby
    • Pregnancy
    • Postpartum
  • Press
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

iFabbo Social Media Conference in San Francisco

October 13, 2013 By Ashley 5 Comments

I was invited to a blog and social media conference, and I came home with a serious bag of swag.

My last amazing bag of swag was from Live in the Vineyard back in April, and boy there is nothing quite like the joy I feel when receiving free stuff.

About a week-and-a-half ago, iFabbo, an international organizer for bloggers and fashion and beauty brands, reached out to me with a free ticket to the iFabbo Social Media Conference taking place in San Francisco on Saturday.  It just so happens that the BODYATTACK group fitness class I teach was canceled for the day, so I knew it was meant to be that I attend on a rare free weekend morning.

Who attends the iFabbo conference?

The event was held at Merchant’s Exchange building in the Financial District.  I don’t know exactly how many people were there, but I’d guess around 250 or 300 — 98 percent of who were women, naturally.  The audience included panelists, who are experts in technology, social media and public relations; fashion, beauty and lifestyle bloggers; people representing beauty and fashion brands; and companies that provide blogging and social media services.

All of the panel discussions were held in one ridiculously freezing room, and other than a few breaks (including a cute cupcake and lemonade break sponsored by Luvocracy), much of the time was spent listening to the panel discussions.  (I’ll provide a more detailed overview on what I learned in each panel in a future post.)

As any good conference organizer would, the hostess of the day encouraged attendees to visit the sponsor area during the breaks, where about 10 companies were offering free products and consultations.

The best interactive and engaging sponsor booth of the day was by BooHoo, a UK clothing company, which had a rack of clothing hanging by its table.  Next to the rack was an A-frame poster with simple rules to follow:  Choose your favorite item.  Take a picture with it.  Post it to Instagram, and tag BooHoo.  Done and done.  What did you get if you did it?  That favorite item of clothing in your size.  I chose a black leather peplum top, and I can’t wait to wear it.  The company offers some fashionable duds, and they are just entering the U.S. market.  Definitely worth checking out the website.

What do you learn at the conference?

Being that I stem from a communications and public relations background, I have a pretty good understanding of how to create engaging content on social media and increase your reach as a blogger, which is what made up a good portion of the discussion.  But I learned new information about many services available to help bloggers (affiliate link providers, paid video subscription services, etc.) and how to optimize your use of things like Facebook Fan Pages and Google + Communities to grow your following.

An interesting interaction occurred during the social media panel, when a Facebook and a Google rep sat side-by-side, and you could feel the tension.  They each took turns answering questions from the moderator and audience, doing their best to promote their company’s social media channels and tools as the number one.  I loved that part.

There was a lot of discussion of Instagram and YouTube.  Because people are so visual, a big part of what fashion and beauty bloggers do is create and share pictures and video.  Whether it’s using Instagram to share outfit or make-up looks, or filming “how-to” videos for YouTube, there are plenty of ways to create authentic content on a blog that people can enjoy without doing a lot of reading.  (YouTube was actually referenced much more than you would expect.  It may not be the newest channel out there, but it’s still the second most popular search engine and should not be neglected for its potential.)

That’s the top line description of what we discussed.  For now, let’s get to my thoughts on the crowd.

And what about the fashion?

Everyone was really well-dressed.  Nearly everyone had great makeup and hair, and waves and messy bed-head ruled the day.  I saw a ton of dark red lips and dark red nails too.  I also saw a lot of dark tights with dresses.  I chose black leather pants, a striped top and a bright jacket.  I had toiled and toiled over whether to wear heels or shiny flats to the event.  Originally I had planned to walk there, which would have required me to be in flats.  But at the last minute, I put on some high-heel booties and had Dave drop me off.  Great decision!  San Francisco is usually very laid back and dressed down, but that was not the case at the iFabbo conference.

What does this mean for this blog?

As a reader, you know A Lady Goes West is not exactly a blog sitting in the fashion and beauty space.  In fact, I’m considered more of a lifestyle blogger.  But that doesn’t really matter when it comes down to the principles of good blogging.  Even though the conference wasn’t tailored to my specific interests, I still appreciated and learned from the panelists, whose expertise applies to a blogger in any field.

You may see some new things on my blog based on what I learned today.

I tend to write on longer-form posts, which detail my discovery of life in San Francisco, including the food, the style, the way of life, as well as my endless group fitness obsession.  I’ll continue to do that, and maybe from time to time, I’ll add write more about the specific products, clothes or services I’m enjoying, and I’ll ask some questions from you.  Why not?

I’m so grateful to iFabbo for inviting me.  And I’m grateful to all the sponsors, who filled the day with helpful information and filled the amazing swag bag full of more than $400 worth of goodies.

A totally different way to spend a Saturday in the City, and one that inspired me to do more with my blog.

iFabbo Social Media Conference
TAG EVERYTHING that you post, said the opening screen at iFabbo Social Media Conference.
iFabbo Social Media Conference
The PR panelists told some jokes and discussed how to make a media kit and work with agencies.
iFabbo Social Media Conference
A nice lady representing Becca Cosmetics debuts the one perfecting brush, which was supposed to be in the swag bag, but I didn’t get one!
iFabbo
And here I am with all the loot. Yes, I displayed it when I got home just for the photo opp.

Filed Under: Blogging, San Francisco, Writing Tagged With: blogging, BooHoo, iFabbo Social Media Conference, San Francisco bloggers, Swag bag

SIGN UP FOR A FREE GIFT

Get a free "How to have a great week of workouts" checklist and action plan when you sign up for the list. And you'll get new posts by email.

About Ashley

I'm a mom and fitness instructor in Charlotte, North Carolina. And A Lady Goes West is where I share fitness, wellness and clean beauty tips, as well as stories from my life.
 
Stay in touch ...
Bloglovin', Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest & Facebook.

Comments

  1. kireilauriel says

    October 14, 2013 at 6:29 pm

    Great description of the atmosphere during our Social Media panel! I wasn’t consciously addressing any issues of tension, but I’m glad that both products have differentiating highlights (e.g. advertising targeting vs SEO boost).

    Nice write-up – thorough and I liked hearing your perspective and summary of the day! 🙂

    Reply
  2. aladygoeswest says

    October 14, 2013 at 6:59 pm

    Thanks for stopping by. You were great in the panel. And yes, you were definitely part of the well-dressed attendees. 🙂

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Blogging tips from the iFabbo Social Media Conference | A Lady Goes West says:
    October 15, 2013 at 12:34 pm

    […] ← iFabbo Social Media Conference in San Francisco […]

    Reply
  2. My first full year in the City | A Lady Goes West says:
    December 22, 2013 at 11:44 am

    […] received a few products to review and invitations to events because of this here little […]

    Reply
  3. That’s What She Said event in SF | A Lady Goes West says:
    March 27, 2014 at 6:22 pm

    […] was my second blogging event since I’ve been working on A Lady Goes West. My first was the iFabbo Social Media Conference back in October, when I met the glamorous Victoria who writes Witty Fashionista. She is always […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

ashley bio pic

Hi, I'm Ashley. I'm a mom and fitness instructor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. I love to help you live a balanced life with no extremes, making sure you never skip a rest day. A Lady Goes West is where I share my workouts, simple meals, clean beauty tips and wellness insight with you. Find out more about me and stay awhile!

Connect with me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Search This Blog

Follow

Get my ebook

Fit & Fertile ebook: How I found my body's fitness from the inside out by overcoming hypothalamic amenorrhea.

Recent Posts

  • How to start meditating and why you should start
  • Current faves: LEAD conference, “Shameless” and workouts
  • Ask-me-anything A Lady Goes West Advice Corner: second edition
  • Current faves: Easter fun with my mom, a challenge and workouts
  • Les Mills On Demand vs. Peloton app: Everything you need to know

SIGN UP FOR A FREE GIFT

Get a free "How to have a great week of workouts" checklist and action plan when you sign up for the list. Your email address will automatically be added and stored to receive new posts by email and more. See the Privacy Policy for details.

Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

The latest on Instagram

How many times have you thought back on what you w How many times have you thought back on what you were doing this time last year? For me: I do that all the time. While I don’t like to live in the past, I do like to use perspective as a tool for my mindset in the present. And I’m feeling so much growth, change and lessons from a really tough year of challenges with the pandemic and other stuff. Now, when I’m out and about and enjoying somewhat normal things, I have a sense of gratitude that wasn’t there before, based on everything that happened. Have you noticed this too? If not, give it a go, because a lot can change in a year, and I’m hoping some things are better for you now than they were this time last year. Also, swipe through for the photo-bomber, who is always just a step away. It’s the little things, friends.
It’s been 3.5 months since we moved back to the It’s been 3.5 months since we moved back to the east coast, after our 8-year adventure out west. In the last couple of months, we’ve bought and moved into a house, enrolled Brady in preschool, met some super-nice people, hosted family visitors, and I may have even found my new gym home too, which is so exciting ... The thing is: When we were talking about moving cross-country months ago, it seemed so overwhelming to think of everything we needed to do, and I couldn’t wait to get it all over with. Well, even though life remains busy, so much of the big transition is behind us, and it’s such a good feeling. We still have a lot to learn about our new city, but it’s totally starting to feel like home. Here’s your friendly reminder that if you’re in the midst of overwhelming transitions, remember that eventually you’ll get through the other side. 😍
Negativity be gone. "Think about negativity from o Negativity be gone. "Think about negativity from others as junk mail. Learn to sort your mail, and don't let that junk in the house." -- I heard this thought from @glennondoyle over the weekend while soaking up the annual @beautycounter virtual conference, and boy it spoke to me, as someone who used to get really upset when others didn't treat me well. I no longer internalize any of that junk, nor allow it, and it's freeing. And it's a lesson for us all.
.
I'm all about the unfollow for people or accounts that leave you feeling icky or less than. And I think you can use the unfollow both literally and figuratively in your life. Remember, if you've been experiencing negative energy from someone or something -- sort your mail and leave that junk in the trash, don't even bring it into your house. Have a good night, friends. xoxo -Ashley
Because focusing too much on what you eat and how Because focusing too much on what you eat and how you move can lead to a restrictive routine, and once you’ve been there and done that — you don’t want to go back to that place. Friends, be kind to yourself, fuel yourself well, and always make time for life. xoxo -Ashley
Peloton or Les Mills? This is divisive debate, bec Peloton or Les Mills? This is divisive debate, because people are rightly obsessed with each platform and tend to have strong feelings either way. Here's the deal: I think the Peloton and Les Mills platforms are both AMAZING, because they are getting more people moving and giving more people access to incredible workouts, all at a reasonable monthly price. I use both apps every single week, and I think that you can definitely enjoy both. I wrote a whole post on the blog this week about Les Mills On Demand vs. the Peloton app, and I went through everything you need to know to make a choice. You can check out that post later, but here's a top-line overview:
.
Peloton vs. Les Mills On Demand:
-The monthly price is fairly even for access to both apps and both have free trials for 30 days
-There is great variety of workouts on both apps, but @onepeloton has a larger quantity of workouts and more short workouts
-Peloton has the fun-connected-digital community vibe and trackable data nailed down, but @lesmillsondemand workouts are better tested and programmed (and they are always effective, whereas sometimes Peloton workouts leave you wanting more)
-Both apps offer "programs" with workout calendars and I highly recommend following them to get better results
-There are incredible instructors on both platforms, and it depends on your personal style which instructors will resonate with you
-You can get in a great workout on either app, but you have to make sure you're doing the right mix of cardio and strength each week, rather than choosing randomly, in order to get more fit
.
I'm in the camp that you can enjoy more than one digital fitness platform, especially because the price is better than the cost of one live-studio class. If you want to check out more on this, head to the blog here: https://aladygoeswest.com/les-mills-on-demand-vs-peloton-app-everything-you-need-to-know/
.
Keep moving, friends! I'd love to know. Are you team Peloton, team Les Mills On Demand or other?
I teared up a little after receiving my first dose I teared up a little after receiving my first dose of the vaccine, thinking about the last year and all we’ve been through. Whether you choose to take this vaccine is up to you, but it’s a choice I wanted to make. And it’s given me a lot of relief and hope for what’s ahead. Thank you to all the health-care and front-line workers out there for all you do.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

As seen on

A Lady Goes West is a personal blog meant for entertainment purposes only and does not serve as a substitute for professional advice from your own doctor, trainer or nutritionist. While I'm a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, the workouts, food and plans I post are what works for me and may not work for you. Please enjoy these stories and tips from my life, but proceed with caution. Also, know that affiliate links and sponsored posts appear from time-to-time, and I appreciate your support. For more information about how your data is stored, visit my Privacy Policy. Thanks for reading!

Copyright © 2021 Ashley Pitt (A Lady Goes West) · Design by MakeMe{dia}Over