Page 4 - Engage -- no.11 -- Winter 2018

INSIGHTS
Winter 2018
NEWS | REVIEWS | IDEAS | OPINION |
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING »
The Case for Blogger Outreach
And Why Your Brand Probably Needed It Yesterday
w hen Oscar Wilde said, “There is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that
is not being talked about,” he certainly wasn’t thinking about how he could use bloggers to get his plays more publicity. Still, he understood that word-of-mouth exposure is infinitely more powerful than self-promotion. The same holds true for your brand. Word-of-mouth marketing today comes in all shapes and sizes. Working with bloggers is one of them.
Multiple studies and resources
will tell you that blogs heavily influence consumers’ buying decisions, mostly because bloggers tend to deliver honest reviews of services and products and because consumers want to hear from sources they trust. A Hubspot.com study reported that 47 percent of buyers consumed three to five pieces of content before taking their first step toward making a purchase. Blogher.com, the largest online community and conference
for women content creators in the world, published a study that said 61 percent
of US online consumers have made a purchase based on recommendations from a blog. (A side note: having your own brand blog is smart too. TechClient.com stated that featuring a blog as a key part of your website will improve your likelihood of being ranked higher on search engines by 434 percent.)
Convinced that connecting with bloggers might help your business? Thought you might be. So, where to begin? Blogger outreach starts with identifying bloggers—preferably with strong content and loyal followers—who will write positively about your brand. You can, of course, treat bloggers like you would various other forms of media— feed them information in the form of press releases or send them products to review—or you can develop a specific strategy to forge lasting relationships with bloggers in whom you see value. If you
want bloggers to work with your brand, it’s important to understand the effort they make to produce content and nurture their network of followers and subscribers.
For starters, be sure what you’re asking for is equal to what you provide. Bloggers work hard to earn the loyalty
and trust of their readers, so offering
an adequate incentive for their valuable services is crucial. That could come in
the form of content no one else has
(an interview with an expert source, for example), a product sample, a giveaway they can share with readers or—in some cases—even monetary compensation. Secondly, keep it personal and avoid mass emails you might still be using to reach your normal media contacts via press releases, etc. Set aside time to get to know bloggers’ work, ask their advice, and be clear about what you’re looking for.
Before you contact a blogger, know how you want your campaign to unfold. The tone, messaging, and visual
components are crucial to the direction you give the blogger not only to ensure that your brand message is delivered
how you’d like, but also to maximize the value you bring to the blogger. When you provide them with the tools to post about your news, product, or service, make sure the assets are of the highest quality. That means high-resolution images, videos, logos, and the key phrases and messaging that help them tell the story. Whenever possible, the assets should also fit with the theme of their blog. After they’ve published their post, thank them for the publicity. Studies show that long-term, ongoing relationships with bloggers produce better results. A personalized thank-you note or even a small gift can cement the partnership and keep a good thing going.
Having bloggers review your products or write stories about your brand is the most common and simplest partnership between a brand and a
BRANDS EXCELLING WITH BLOGGERS
These three brands work e ectively with bloggers to deliver their intended message to their target audience.
Best Buy – The electronics-store chain recruits new bloggers via a hub on their website and constantly updates the hub with new, exclusive content, product
reviews, and inside information. They also have a call to action on their home page inviting bloggers to apply to join their Blogger Network through the website or through their Blogger Network Facebook Page. They have an extensive list of more than 15 blog topics for bloggers to choose from, including travel, wedding, technology, DIY, and fitness, to name a few. Brand marketers can also request assistance in connecting to bloggers who are loyal to Best Buy and to their brands.
prAna – The Southern California- based maker of athletic and casual clothing made from sustainable and responsibly sourced materials works with
bloggers twice per year around their seasonal launches. In forging partnerships with hundreds of bloggers for their spring and fall launches, prAna’s goals are to create buzz, place authentic content and real stories in front of their target audience, create reusable social posts, and attract new consumers. Visit their website to read about their prAna Influencer program and sign up to receive their seasonal printed catalogs. And, of course, they are printed using FSC-certified paper from responsible sources.
Coyuchi – When the organic-linen brand launched their “Little” line of organic bedding for babies, they worked
with parenting bloggers who had an affinity for an all- natural lifestyle. By giving them the product before
it was released to the public, Coyuchi created buzz and communicated with new moms through trusted third parties. Coyuchi also provides an informative blog on their website, partnering with guest bloggers to help educate consumers about the industry and importance of organic cotton.