Bloggers should be treated just like any other
customer or advertiser you deal with as a PR
professional. Bloggers now have a lot of power.
Although bloggers are not journalists, they function
in a similar fashion. While journalists usually
write the facts, bloggers write their opinions, and
these opinions are slowly ranking higher and higher
on search engines. Consider a few of the reasons
bloggers should be important to the PR industry:
If your PR agency hasn’t taken a second look at the
blogs available on the web, don’t sweat it. Although
a lot of PR agencies have been utilizing bloggers,
more have been either ignoring them or using them
incorrectly. Consider a few of the things your PR
agency should be doing to get the most out of a
PR/blogger relationship:
Four Correct Ways to Get Started Working with
Bloggers
Bloggers can be a quick and easy way to help get the
word out about your latest project or event. In most
cases, bloggers will welcome the chance to help out
someone in their community or a PR agency with a big
name. Consider a few of the ways your PR agency can
get started:
1. Start a Blog — One of the best
ways to start connecting with bloggers is by
starting a blog yourself. Whether it be a personal
blog or a company blog, this is sure to help you
find your way into the blogging circle (blogging is
usually a
home based job, so it should be fairly
convenient). Comment on others work, write articles
of your own, and follow these bloggers on your
social networks. This will help you create
relationships (one of the most important things in
the blogging world).
2. Aim to Help — Although many
bloggers enjoy hearing from PR agencies, they do not
appreciate being asked to do something. You need to
try and help bloggers; not just use them. Find a
balance between their motives and your own. For
example, bloggers do not appreciate being sent a
press release with absolutely no explanation other
than “could you post this on your blog.”
3. Research — All blogs are not the
same. Do not find a list of blogs and then begin
sending out ideas. You must research the different
blogs circulating the web and discover which ones
accept outside information. Look for an “about”
section on each blog to get a feel for the type of
material the blog likes to publish.
4. Respect — Bloggers should be
treated the same way you would treat someone from
The New York Times. Bloggers have something to
offer, so when you pitch a story to them or offer a
business proposal, treat them as you would every
other media source you target. This may seem
obvious, but this is one of the things bloggers
complain about when it comes to PR agencies.
The most common misconception between bloggers and
PR agencies is this idea of worth. Some journalists
and PR agencies feel they have more to offer than a
blogger, and while this may have been the case a few
short years ago, bloggers have carved out an
important spot for themselves online. Bloggers know
they are important, so they have no problem saying
“no” to a PR professional. For this reason, it is
important to start approaching bloggers in a new
manner. In the end if done correctly, it is a
win-win situation for everyone.