The SEO News Blog from Pat Marcello

Have you been to an offline conference yet? If you’re brand new to this Internet business, it’s understandable. You may think,

I can’t afford it. I can get what I need right from the comfort of my desk chair via computer. I see a lot of the stuff on UStream, anyway, why bother?

Because at conferences, you make important friends.

You make relationships that last a lifetime.

You really need to start saving right now.  Even if it’s only $10 a month, put it away and when you have enough money saved up, put your butt in a car or in a plane and get out there and let people know who you are!

Here are some people I met  or know and got to visit with this week at JVAlert:

Carrie Wilkerson, the charming and brilliant, Barefoot Executive

Erik Stafford and his wife Wendy. They’re made for each other. Both very cool people.

Ross Goldberg, who I’m getting to know just a bit better. He offered moral support for my fibromyalgia, which was severe this weekend. Thanks for that, Ross!

Willie Crawford, along with Mrs. Crawford, who is very nice

Warren Whitlock

Joel Comm

Dan Nickerson

Adam Urbanski

The ever friendly and fun, Jeff Wellman

Felicia Slattery

Alan Bechtold

Gina Gaudio – Graves and her really nice-guy husband, Bill, who’s just a sweetheart

Wendy Y Bailey (Don’t call her Wendy, she’s “Wendy Y” I happen to think that’s cool.)

Carl Galletti

Bob the Teacher (Jenkins)

Ray Edwards

Michael Angier

Bob Burg

Paul Counts. Watch him. He’s a very smart young man.

EricaBiz, who stunned me with her brilliance

Chris Moos

Should I go on? I mean, really. This is a pretty sweet list, eh? I mean, they’re all uber nice folks and it’s a pleasure just shake their hands or to hang with them a while. That was the best part. Really!

But, I also learned some very cool stuff. Adam Urbanski is just charming to listen to, and I imagine he’s a pretty swell coach. Joel Comm gave some really cutting edge info about SMS Marketing, which really interested me. Bob the Teacher did an excellent presentation on teleseminars, though I’m pretty much all set with setting those up, eh? But for people who haven’t done them, he’s a great teacher. Hence, Bob the Teacher, right? He’s very good at what he does. Bob Burg was hilarious and a real pleasure to listen to. I already told you about Carrie, and well…

then, there’s Ken McArthur. He’s just a sweetheart, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him. He’s a great person and what more can I say?

So, you see? I didn’t know most of these folks before last year when I went to JVAlert. I just met Carrie in June, and she’s incredible. I love her energy, her sense of humor and her “mad skills” as she likes to say, as a marketer. Sharp lady.

And I made new friends of people whose names you wouldn’t recognize, but you will and I bet it won’t be too long, either. But new or old friends, it was just awesome.

I even got to hang with a couple of my amazing peeps from Blogging4Boomers, Cathly LaDow and Laurie Tossy. That was sweet! Wish I’d had more time to spend with them. Met some folks in The ListBuilding Club, too, like Daniel Perry, who is an attorney and was a judge for three years. He knows his stuff, and I regret that I didn’t have time to chat with him more. I’ll be interested in his new product, for sure.

The moral of this long and very animated story (Can you tell?) is…

Go to live conferences. Don’t waste the opportunity to meet folks. Except, pick your conference wisely. JV Alert isn’t one of the big impersonal conferences where the speakers are untouchable. Everyone at JVAlert is on a level playing field, and you can just walk up and talk to anyone. It’s great and a ton of fun!

OK… I don’t get a commission. I’m jes’ saying…

I’ve been waiting for this for about a month now…

It’s that time again!

JV Alert time!

God, you know… I just love that conference. Ken McArthur always has the best speakers, and I always come back with new ideas and a buttload of knowledge that I didn’t have before.

And I’ve been around a while, you know? Like 5 years, and working for Tellman has made my brain want to explode at times. But, there’s always more to learn, eh? Things change.

So, I’m planning to learn, to see old friends — yes, the same people keep coming back and it’s awesome. Plan to hang out at a party that Erik Stafford is throwing, which reminds me… I have to secure a small token of my appreciation for him.

And it should be a lot of fun. Erik is an awesome guy.

So, that’s it! I’m off. I’m bringin’ my Flip Vid, so be prepared for some videos, and who knows? I may even find time to write.

I usually do, eh?

Have you ever been to an Internet Marketing conference?

If not, you’re wasting valuable time. Attending conferences and meeting people in this industry is very, very important. You know how it is…

People hear your name or see your website, but you’re still only pixels on a screen. You aren’t real to them. They need to see your face, shake your hand, and get to know you, if only just a little. Believe me, it makes all the difference in the world.

Last weekend, as you know, I went to a conference, and what I took away was invaluable.  I took away relationships with Baby Boomers, who are trying to make it online. There was a whole room full of them! In fact, the absence of younger folks was noticable.

That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of younger folks online.  All of the people I work with are nearly half my age, but I was suprised to see how many people my age were there. It seems we’re getting ready to retire or have already done it, and just need something more to take us into our golden years that we can’t expect the world to provide for us. It’s a very scary time in the world right now. Anyway, I was very encouraged to see how many people my age were in that room. It didn’t used to be that way.

So, that’s what I took away. A bunch of new friends and a new respect for my niche. Many of them don’t even know how to turn a computer on! But for those of us who do, there’s still plenty of time and plenty of hope for a rosier future.

Workin’ on that.