International Food Blogger Conference

Is TikTok worth your time?

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My name is Sarah Wohlner and I grew my TikTok account from 0 to 300,000+ followers in 8 months and there is nothing special about me. A quick back story, I was reluctant to join TikTok because I didn’t want to be sucked into another social media platform but just like everyone else, in April of 2020 I had more times on my hands while staying home as a global pandemic unfolded around me. At this point, I did have an Instagram that was noticeably losing followers every day and where I rarely posted a single photo because I had no motivation. TikTok was a new challenge that I never thought would grow as large and as quickly as it did. In two months, I learned how to record and edit video effectively while cooking. In three months, I added voiceovers. In four months, I had 50k+ followers and sponsors reaching out to me. From there the momentum grew. On January 15, I will have a session on TikTok Strategies to Get That Viral Video and if any of the following statements apply to you, I know you would benefit from TikTok:

#1 I want to reach a bigger audience.

According to Tech Crunch, TikTok is estimated to surpass 1 billion average monthly active users in 2021 and this is already after having tripled in size since 2018. Video is only continuing to grow and with more people staying home, the consumer’s shift to mobile, and the pull of social media, views will only continue to rise.

Image Credits: App Annie

#2 I’m not able to grow my account on other platforms.

This was me to the extreme. Not only was I not gaining new followers on Instagram, but I was also losing followers. It was frustrating and made me want to post even less. What’s magic about TikTok is the algorithm. Even with 0 followers, you can reach hundreds if not thousands of people. With just a few hundred followers, one of my simple TikTok videos “randomly” went viral and I got 500,000 views and hundreds of new followers in one day. Check out the video. TikTok also allows you to link your Instagram, YouTube, and website in your bio. That same day I went viral, I started to see new followers, subscribers, and newsletter sign-ups on my other accounts.

Photo Description: Screenshot from TikTok overnight after eight hours of not checking my phone.

#3 I already create videos for YouTube, IG Reels, or other platforms.

You are already doing the hardest part! Repurpose your old video on TikTok, done. Now we just have to talk strategy, which is where my session comes in. Personally, this was not me and I was intimidated by YouTube and the quality and length of video I thought I needed to produce. I would describe TikTok as a more casual, fun platform. They make it easy to shoot and edit all in the app.

#4 I want to repurpose my content and make my life easier.

Same! The IFBC is my full-time job (yay!) and I don’t have time to create and edit recipes, photos, and videos all day for TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, etc. If you also have a full-time job, or kids, or other responsibilities you probably feel the same way. With TikTok, I am able to create one video, repost on YouTube with links to my website, then slightly edit it for IG Reels, which doubles as a main feed post and share it to IG stories. With this strategy, I was able to take one TikTok video and receive a combined 5.1 million views. Not bad for two total hours of cooking and editing.

#5 I want to get sponsored and make money.

We can get more into detail about this at our third 2021 Virtual Summit about Monetization but once you reach 1k followers, you can go live and start receiving gifts from viewers that convert into actual money. At 10k followers, you are eligible to enter the creator fund and TikTok will pay you based on your video views. TikTok is the hot new app and that’s where brands want to be. You will be surprised at how quickly you might be contacted by a company and start receiving products and/or money.

Answer: Yes, TikTok is worth your time. Download TikTok and let’s talk more about this and how you can see similar, if not more, success on TikTok at my session on January 15! Recording now available! Register now.

Four Virtual Summits Planned for 2021 + One In-Person Conference

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We are back! The International Food Blogger Conference is back with FIVE total conferences in 2021. Four will be virtual and one will be in-person.

Four Virtual Summits – Registration Open

You heard right. The IFBC and Jenny Melrose will be hosting four one-day virtual summits each with a different theme. The first one will take place on January 15 and will be all about Social Media. Sessions will include information about TikTok, Instagram YouTube, Pinterest, and more! View the Full Agenda now. Join us for one or all of the eight expert sessions that will help you grow and see success in 2021. All sessions will be live and you have the option to select individually ($7 per session) or make it easy and register for all the live sessions through the All-Access Pass ($25 total). Recordings are included in the price. Registration is now OPEN!

Full 2021 Virtual Summit Schedule

January 15, 2021 | Social Media

March 18, 2021 | Website + SEO

May 12, 2021 | Monetization

July 27, 2021 | Productivity 

One In-Person Conference – Registration Open

We are full steam ahead with a safe and fun in-person conference! We are working closing with El Paso, Texas to host IFBC21 in October, exact dates are TBD. Please take a few minutes to read our new Safety Procedures with COVID-19. We will be announcing more information soon. First announcements will be made at the virtual summits so make sure to tune into a session or two. To read more about IFBC and EL Paso, check out our Information Page.

IFBC Virtual Summit a Huge Success

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The IFBC Virtual Summit was a huge success. Consider these numbers:

  • 220 people purchased an All-Access Pass allowing them to watch all 14 sessions multiple times at their convenience
  • 1,055 people participated in the summit
  • The sessions have been watched a total of 2,300 times so far and counting
  • The Virtual Summit scored 4.19 by attendees on our very tough five-point rating scale

In fact, I am a bit shocked and humbled to relate that the June, 2020 Virtual Summit scored higher by attendees than did 11 previous in-person conferences. That is true for both the overall rating and the content. The event clearly met the needs of the food blogging community.

Our thanks go out to Jenny Melrose, who put together 80% of the content. Jenny did a stellar job finding speakers who delivered content that appealed to you. In addition, I want to thank Sarah Wohlner, in her first job out of college, who did an amazing job running the show through all three days.

We will be reprising our Virtual Summit from January 13 – 15 in advance of our in-person event in El Paso, Texas in October 2021. In the meantime, I will leave you with a few comments from the Virtual Summit attendees.

“I signed up for a couple of key topics and was blown away by the amount of resources provided or accessible by each speaker.”

“Well organized and engaging. Great speakers with content that was actually meaningful!”

“I was impressed with the level of organization and the speakers lineup. The optional fees ($20) was a complete gift and I thank you for that.”

“Much better than I expected from an online conference. Great topics and smooth transitions between sessions.”

“Such valuable and timely information from such a great array of speakers.”

“Really enjoyed it. I learned so much and it definitely gave me a lot of ideas on how to work on my own business.”

IFBC Postponed to 2021

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The 2020 International Food Blogger Conference, planned for November in El Paso, will be rescheduled to October of next year. We will be offering a second Virtual Summit from January 13 – 15.

We were hoping to be able to run the event, especially since it is not until November. But a number of factors led us to postpone it:

  • El Paso is still struggling with the pandemic and the city asked us to postpone it so they can show us their best food culture.
  • Our attendees told us via our alumni Facebook group they preferred delaying.
  • We are just not confident we can run an indoor conference at this time and keep all of you safe.

We just finished our first-ever Virtual Summit and it was a big success. (More on that in another News post.) All-access passes are still available for only $40 for 14 different sessions.

In fact, we have already heard such great responses that we are adding a second Virtual Summit, scheduled for January 13 – 15. These virtual events are a way we can help you, the food blogging and influencer community, with your acquisition of key knowledge while we can’t meet in person. Speaker applications are available now.

More info on the January Virtual Summit and the October live dates will be coming soon!

1st Ever IFBC Free Virtual Summit

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We are excited to announce the 1st ever International Food Blogger Virtual Conference. This event will be free for all food bloggers and content creators. This is NOT a replacement for our normal, in-person conference. As of right now, that conference is still scheduled to run from November 12-15, 2020. In the meantime, we don’t want to leave our food blogger friends hanging, especially in these uncertain times. This virtual event will run from June 17-19, 2020, and will include 18 speakers and 14 sessions.

Date: June 17, 18 & 19
Time: 10 AM PST – 6 PM PST
Where: All sessions will be live on Crowdcast. You must register individually for each session.
Pricing: All sessions are free to attend live. To rewatch speakers, pay $20.00 for an all-access pass.

Agenda

Wednesday, June 17

Register Now 7 AM PT/ 10 AM ET  Attracting Your Dream Audience on Instagram
Register Now 9 AM PT/ 12 PM ET Real Talk With Foodies of Color
Register Now 11 AM PT/ 2 PM ET  Beyond The Ad Network: Exploring Creative Ways to Make Money From Your Blog
Register Now 1 PM PT/ 4 PM ET  How to Connect With Your Audience Through Your Website
Register Now 3 AM PT/ 6 PM ET No Time No Problem – How to Make More Money From Your Business When You Only Have a Few Broken Bits of Time

Thursday, June 18

Register Now 7 AM PT/ 10 AM ET  Featured Q/A with Francis Lam
Register Now 9 AM PT/ 12 PM ET  Get Paid to Write On Your Blog
Register Now 11 AM PT/ 2 PM ET  How to Do a Photoshoot Remotely – The Right Way
Register Now 1 PM PT/ 4 PM ET 3 Ways to Win on Instagram

Friday, June 19

Register Now 7 AM PT/ 10 AM ET Digital Marketing Toolkit: Figuring Out What Works Best For You
Register Now 9 AM PT/ 12 PM ET  Using Research To Write The Right Content That People Are Searching For
Register Now 11 AM PT/ 2 PM ET Learn How to Overcome Your Fear of Live Video and Get the Raving Fans You Deserve
Register Now 1 PM PT/ 4 PM ET Session with Moriah Garnett: Pinterest Expert
Register Now 3 PM PT/ 6 PM ET  The Safety & Future of Travel and Food Blogging Conferences

Virtual Summit Details

The Virtual Summit will run for three days starting, Wednesday, June 17, and ending, Friday, June 19. Speakers will start their session every 2 hours, with the first one starting at 10 AM PST and the last one starting at 6 PM PST. Each session will last 45 minutes.

All sessions will be live so come and ask questions! Speakers will address them live.

Speakers

We have put a lot of thought into our speakers and have reached out to the best of the best. We have a range of sessions spanning from SEO to Pinterest to Instagram and Monetization. Please refer to our Speaker and Agenda pages for the full list.

Registration

Registration is open now! You must register for each session individually to view them live. To view all sessions, check out our Agenda page. To rewatch sessions or view miss ones, you can register now and pay $40.00 for the All Access Pass. You’ll receive access to all the recorded sessions and you can watch them as many times as you want, whenever you want. All sessions will be available to replay at the end of each day.

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