Brands & Bloggers: Making it Work!

PUBLICASITY OUTCOMES MATTER

• WHO WE ARE

• BRAND AND BLOGGERS – WORKING TOGETHER

• OUR RESEARCH – FEEDBACK FROM 40 TOP BLOGGERS

• INSIGHTS FROM JEN STANBROOK

• QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

IN THE NEXT 40 minutes


InfluenceONE OF THE MOST MISUSED WORDS IN OUR INDUSTRY

WHAT IS INFLUENCE?THE ABILITY TO CAUSE OR CONTRIBUTE TO A CHANGE IN OPINION OR BEHAVIOUR

WHO IS AN INFLUENCER? A PERSON OR GROUP WHO POSSESS GREATER THAN AVERAGE POTENTIAL TO INFLUENCE, DUE TO ATTRIBUTES SUCH AS FREQUENCY OF COMMUNICATION, PERSONAL PERSUASIVENESS OR SIZE OF, OR IMPORTANCE IN, A SOCIAL NETWORK



WHY THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR BRANDS?

• THIRD PARTY CONTENT PROVIDES LEGITIMACY

• BRANDS CAN ACCESS ESTABLISHED, ENGAGED SOCIAL COMMUNITIES WITH SPECIFIC INTERESTS

• MULTI CHANNEL EXECUTION

WHAT ARE THE WAYS IN WHICH BRANDS CAN WORK WITH

Bloggers…?

BRAND/INFLUENCER PARTNERSHIPS


SPONSORED POSTS

SPONSORED POSTS ALLOW THE BRAND STORY TO BE TOLD WITH A UNIQUE VOICE AND GUARANTEED REACH ACROSS CHANNELS


SPONSORED POSTS

BLOGGERS ARE INTERESTED IN EXPERIENCES, NOT NEWS STORIES


CREATING BRAND ASSETS

IMAGES, VIDEO AND ARTICLES FOR BRANDS TO USE ON SOCIAL AND IN PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL


REVIEWS

YOUR PRODUCT MUST BE OF GENUINE INTEREST TO THE BLOGGER AND READERS.IN ORDER TO BE LEGITIMATE, REVIEWS SHOULD NOT BE SPONSORED


COMPETITIONS / GIVEAWAYS

COMPETITIONS OFFER MULTIPLE WAYS TO GET THE BLOGGER’S FOLLOWERS INVOLVED - AND GENERATE NEW CONTACTS FOR THE BRAND


GIFTING

PROVIDING A PRODUCT OR EXPERIENCE WITHOUT ASKING ANYTHING IN RETURN CAN YIELD TREMENDOUS RESULTS


EVENT SPOKESPEOPLE

A DEEPER LEVEL OF PARTNERSHIP CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH BY APPOINTING THE RIGHT INFLUENCER TO BE YOUR BRAND’S VOICE


Our Research


WE SURVEYED 40 LEADING UK BLOGGERS AND VLOGGERS TO FIND OUT THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT BRAND PARTNERSHIPS:

WHAT WORKS?

WHAT DOESN’T WORK?

HOW THEY SEE THEIR ONLINE INFLUENCE CHANGING OVER THE NEXT YEAR?


OUR SURVEY SUBJECTS ARE INFLUENTIAL ACROSS THE FOLLOWING SECTORS

Lifestyle experience


28% OF BLOGGERS HAVE 5+ YEARS EXPERIENCE

OVER HALF HAVE BEEN AT IT MORE 3+ YEARS

Their experience


What social channels are they currently using?

92%100% 100% 100% 12%

blog

100%

* Their interest expands beyond their own platforms – 65% write guest posts for other blogs or publications)

62%


What channels will be most important moving forward?

16% 16%50%83% 2.5% 2.5%

Social media channels bloggers said would be most important next year

25%


Video is a major focus62% ALREADY HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL THAT THEY REGULARLY UPDATE

70% PLAN TO SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF VIDEO CONTENT THEY PRODUCE NEXT YEAR

THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOUTUBERS HAVE EMERGED AS A FORCE TO RIVAL TELEVISION



But it has to be appropriate


InstagramersINSTAGRAM-ONLY INFLUENCERS ARE STARTING TO SECURE PARTNERSHIPS WITH BRANDS

HUGE REACH IS POSSIBLE BUT WITH MINIMAL COPY OR IN-DEPTH INFORMATION. LINKS TO EXTERNAL SITES MAY ONLY APPEAR IN THE BIO

CAN YOUR BRAND STORY BE TOLD THROUGH A VISUAL MEDIUM?


Which content is most engaging?

BLOG POSTS GET THE MOST ENGAGEMENT, FOLLOWED BY INSTAGRAM PICS

THERE ARE A GROWING NUMBER OF INSTAGRAMERS AND YOUTUBERS WHO SEE MOST ENGAGEMENT ON THOSE CHANNELS – BUT LINK CLICKS REMAIN HIGHER ON BLOGS


BLOGGERS ARE FREQUENTLY APPROACHED BY BRANDS: • 26 APPROACHES PER MONTH ON AVERAGE

• BUT THEY WORK WITH FEWER THAN A QUARTER OF THESE (24%)

WE BELIEVE THAT PROPER RESEARCH BY THE BRAND OR THEIR PR AGENCY IS THE KEY TO CREATING SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS WITH BLOGGERS

Bloggers are in demand



TOP REASONS BLOGGERS CHOOSE NOT TO WORK WITH A BRAND:

1. NOT THE RIGHT FIT FOR THE BRAND (52%) POOR RESEARCH BY BRAND / BLOGGER IS NOT PERSONALLY INTERESTED IN THE BRAND

2. LACK OF BUDGET (41%)

3. UNREASONABLE DEMANDS (16%) WANTING FOLLOW LINKS OR TOO MUCH CONTROL OVER CONTENT

Where brands go wrong What bloggers

want from brands


THE KEYS TO AN EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP:

1. GOOD COMMUNICATION

2. A CLEAR BRIEF (AND EXPECTATIONS)

3. GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP (WITH AGENCY OR BRAND)

4. A LONG TERM FOCUS

5. A BRAND THAT CO-PROMOTES THEIR CONTENT

What bloggers want from brands



SELECTED BLOGGERS (ACCORDING TO REACH, RELEVANCE, FREQUENT, ENGAGEMENT) SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS (THROUGH BLOGGER AGREEMENT) LET BLOGGERS TAILOR CONTENT TO SUIT THEIR OWN STYLE PROVIDED ASSETS AND MESSAGING TAILORED TO EACH SPECIFIC SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNEL BOOSTED REACH THROUGH PAID PROMOTION

HOW THIS WORKED WITH HOMESENSE


Remember!1. UNDERSTAND THEIR KEY CHANNELS AND HOW FOLLOWERS INTERACT THROUGH THEM

2. HOW DOES THIS MATCH YOUR DESIRED OUTCOMES (CLICKS, MENTIONS, REACH)?

3. REVIEW PAST PARTNERSHIPS THAT THEY HAVE HAD WITH BRANDS

4. PUT TOGETHER A CLEAR BRIEF THAT LAYS OUT MUTUAL EXPECTATIONS

5. THINK BEYOND THE POST – HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE CONTENT?


Marketing

Brands & Bloggers: Making it Work!