Working With Bloggers: A Step-by-Step Guide
This is a guest post – Eti Nachum is the CEO of BlogsRelease, the #1 marketplace where brands can get product reviews from bloggers worldwide. Eti is a marketing professional with 20 years of experience in advertising and marketing. She likes to follow influential bloggers and works hard on bringing the blogosphere a visible platform to find the latest blogger campaigns in diverse industries. Connect with the team on Twitter @BlogsRelease, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+.
Welcome Eti…
As marketers, we need to face it – our customers are online.
They are seeking purchase information from blogs, review sites and social media. And they trust industry experts more than a branding message or a quirky video ad.
With millions of blogs on the web, it’s easier than ever to put your opinion out there. If it’s consistent and entertaining enough, you will gain a following and become an influencer. Influencers are taking control of the conversation and those working in media, especially in marketing and PR, are noticing and eager to capitalise on the influencer marketing trend.
Influencers are the experts your customers go to for information so they can make educated purchase decisions. A big chunk of these influencers are bloggers.
When you hear of successful influencer marketing campaigns using blogger outreach it seems like a daunting task. However, working with bloggers may not be as challenging as you think. That’s why our team at BlogsRelease, developed a handy step-by-step guide on how to do it.
With these seven steps you can begin your journey to fantastic influencer marketing campaigns.
This infographic was originally published at BlogsRelease.com
1. The Research
Approach each campaign as an opportunity to reach a unique target audience. Make sure you understand what your audience needs and how your product meets that need. Then, think about who will be most likely to get you the quality results you are looking for. Niche bloggers with smaller, loyal followings may be more suitable for certain campaigns.
2. The Offer
Never act like bloggers should be grateful that you decided to approach them. If you’re including them in a campaign, you’re entering into a business partnership. Be respectful and professional. Decide ahead of time what you are realistically willing to offer (whether it’s a product, discount or monetary compensation). Just saying, ‘we’ll get you exposure’ won’t be enough in most cases.
3. The Pitch
Bloggers, especially those who blog professionally, won’t necessarily jump at the chance to review your product, even if you offer fair compensation. If it’s not relevant and not interesting there will always be another company waiting to grab their attention. Tailor your pitch so it’s relevant, fresh, and interesting. The approach itself is also important, as an unclear and unattractive email is a surefire way to alienate bloggers. Don’t be lazy, make an effort!
4. The Tools
Googling ‘cool bloggers’ and manually searching for contact info is a tedious and time-consuming endeavor, not to mention having to figure out what reach each blogger has in their community. Luckily, the internet is here to help yet again with a bevy of tools, companies, and directories dedicated to connecting brands and bloggers. Figure out which one is right for you and you will significantly cut down the work.
5. The Post
If you give several bloggers exclusive access to your new product, for example, you can’t expect them to magically know which areas you want feedback on the most. Discuss word length, the due date, and even the amount of pictures you prefer. If you are sending out something like jewelry, for example, a how-to photography guide is a nice addition.
6. The Promo
The whole point of reaching out to influencers is to use that influence. Agree with the bloggers that they will share the post with their social networks while you do the same. The exposure for both parties is a win-win situation.
7. The Results
Have a strategy prepared that will allow you to measure the reach and effect of your campaign. Some things to consider: how many clicks did the posts get? How many people then went to check out your site? How many conversations were started on social media during the campaign?
If the numbers aren’t what you expected it’s time to reevaluate and analyze what exactly went wrong and in what step – was there not enough promo? Did the pitch not match the bloggers’ audience? Take the time to reflect on your strategy and adjust accordingly for the next campaign.
That’s it! If you master these 7 deceptively simple steps you will quickly start seeing the positive results of your influencer marketing efforts.
What do think of our guide? Any questions? Let us know in the comments!
This post was co-written with Sofie Kouropatov, BlogsRelease Community Director.
About Eti
Eti Nachum is the CEO of BlogsRelease, the #1 marketplace where brands can get product reviews from bloggers worldwide. Eti is a marketing professional with 20 years of experience in advertising and marketing. She likes to follow influential bloggers and works hard on bringing the blogosphere a visible platform to find the latest blogger campaigns in diverse industries. Connect with the team on Twitter @BlogsRelease, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+.
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