Hello My Name is Blogger - BrightonSEO slides by Hannah Butcher - April 2016

@whitedotnet@HannahFButcher

HELLO,MY NAME IS BLOGGER. DON’T MAKE ME MAD!


I occasionally write some stuff.

And get to eat burgers on my travels.


Why work with bloggers?


The advantages of working with bloggers:

Bloggers are usually very focused on niches1

Bloggers usually have veryengaged communities of readers2

http://whdot.net/getmustr-guide


Hannah Butcher @HannahFButcher • Mar 30

Calling all #PRs & #SEOs: why do you work with bloggers? Give me your top reason for #outreach

107 votes • Final results

Link Building

Product/place reviews

Publishing your content

Social shares

22%

22%

28%

28%


Why do bloggers want towork with you?


Hannah Butcher @HannahFButcher • Mar 30

#Bloggers: why do you work with #PRs? #journorequest #bloggerrequestLonger responses welcome!

144 votes • Final results

Exclusive content

Review products/places

New opportunities

Relationship building

14%

22%

35%

29%


So, how are we f*cking up?


We blame:

Time & budgets

“I’m not going to spend a week emailing each blogger individually waxing lyrical about how great their blog is for the sake of pleasantries with no guarantee it’s going to be worth it. What if I spend an hour reading a blog, crafting a pitch and the blogger doesn’t reply?”

– Laura, Six out of Ten

http://whdot.net/sixoutoften-prs-bloggers


We forget:

Bloggers are not journalists

“People start blogs because they love something, and want to share that love and their own view on it, in a different way. They do not get paid for their time, and often spend considerable hours making their blog perfect.”

http://whdot.net/mediavision-pr-blogger-relationship


We ignore:

That we’re partly to blame

“Editorial coverage (not advertorial, which is paid media) is earned media that a brand receives from publishing companies because the information was compelling enough for its audience to cover the information.”

http://whdot.net/socialmediaexplorer-bloggers


We made paid links the norm

Penalty warnings caused bloggers to react, and we adapted

Instead, we then made a shift & offered “great content”

But bloggers can't separate our link building efforts & PR efforts


Calling all #PRs & #SEOs: why doyou work with bloggers? Give meyour top reason for #outreach

Link Building

Product/place reviews

Publishing your content

Social shares

22%

22%

28%

28%

Remember this?


And this?

#Bloggers: why do you work with #PRs? #journorequest #bloggerrequestLonger responses welcome!

Exclusive content

Review products/places

New opportunities

Relationship building

14%

22%

35%

29%


So, the struggle is real?


“WTF is ‘nofollow’?”


http://www.amuse-your-bouche.com/blog-tips-when-to-use-nofollow-links/




We’ve made bloggers (ir)responsible.


Let’s see what one bloggersays about us!

(eek)


Featured in:

National GeographicMatador NetworkThe Huffington Post


- Janet,

I saw this cute, but painfully accurate, cartoon shared by Gloria from The Blog Abroad and it made me laugh, cry and

get quite angry all at once.

Mainly thanks to the amount of emails I have received this week asking me to do things for free.

Oh sorry.

I meant for exposure.


http://whdot.net/oatmeal-exposure


Ridiculous misconceptionsabout travel bloggers

http://whdot.net/journalistontherun


Travel bloggers only want free stuff.

“Sometimes I believe the older generation has no freaking clue how hard us bloggers work. They think it’s a cute little hobby and thus they can ask us to do things or for us to be their little guinea pigs and that we will be grateful for anything that comes our way.”


Travel bloggers aren’t good brand ambassadors.

“If you think my blog and Instagram is so good that I should be your ambassador, show a little respect and don’t ask me to pay to promote your business!”


Travel bloggers aren’t travel writers.

“Here’s the response I got from the Head of Marketing:

The way I see this relationship working is that you provide us content of luxury travel and we increase your viewer account on our blog and our social media. I really think we can do some great things together.”

Janet:6,000+ Followers

Travel brand:269 Followers


Travel bloggers don’t work hard.

“I heard an anecdote on this subject summed up so well by Irish YouTuber Clisare at the recent Blog Awards Ireland event in Dublin.

She was saying that people think a bloggers job is so easy. All they need to do is think of something to write about, then write it. Anybody could do that.”


Let’s look at how tomake things better


Get better at:

Transparency

http://whdot.net/browser-media


Get better at:

Understanding digital PR


If PR efforts focus on earned media, but bloggers associate themselves with journalists, how come blogger outreach is paid media?

When PR people go to the blogger and ask for them to help promote a product, and the savvy and deserving blogger replies with his or her standard charge for that type of promotional partnership, the PR firm has to say no, because they usually don’t have the budget for it.


Get better at:

Budgeting


If bloggers are important to your campaigns, you better start thinking of who to target & how valuable they are to you, or if you should be spending time wooing the press instead.

Is the blogger worth their buck? Or are you just ticking boxes that could easily result in alienating your outreach targets?


8 Blogger Relations Tips:from a Blogger

http://whdot.net/prnewswire-tips


Start your research on the blogger’s ‘About’, ‘Disclosure’, and ‘PR’ pages


Then do even more research. If the blogger doesn’t write about your topic, post giveaways, or review products, your time is better spent pitching someone who does


Build the relationship before you pitch. Try reading their blog and leaving a comment – as yourself


Provide advance notice. If you’re pitching an event, don’t wait until the week of the event


Be clear, but realistic with your requests

Blogger: Sorry for the delay in getting this live - I took a lot of video footage and I'm trying to find the time to finish editing it. Won't be long now though.

Hannah: No worries at all! For some reason, this time of year seems to get busy for everyone. I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing the video footage. �

Blogger: The post is finally live :) sorry for the delay:

http://quintessentiallyme.co.uk/2014/10/chefs-table-martyn-meid.html


Think beyond the blogger.Know the blog’s audience

Loves beer. Loves local stories.


Be prepared.Be helpful


The relationship doesn’t stop at the blog post


Takeaways:

• Decide whether blogger outreach is the right tactic for your budget

• Figure out whether you’re looking for links or you’re trying to engage and expand your brand audience

• If your campaign has a need for bloggers, find the ones who fit your budget and be fair – neither party should get taken for a ride

• Take the opportunity to develop the skills of the blogger you work with; build a better relationship by sharing your knowledge of best practices

• Be nice. A happy blogger is a happy brand!


Don’t be:An outreach horror story


Thanks for listening!


*Bonus tips from Econsultancy*


Bloggers and PRs:the 10 commandments

http://whdot.net/bloggers-prs


1. Thou shalt not send stationery.

← Start sending donuts.


2. Thou shalt not use a quirky subject line.

A quirky greeting is better.


3. Thou shalt not be formal.

It takes time to get to know bloggers as people but if you do, you win.


4. Thou shalt not get something for nothing.


5. Thou shalt not telephone.


6. Thou shalt not be unaware of blog output.


7. Thou shalt not avoid comments, social, ‘the churn’.


8. Thou shalt not have an opinion.


9. Thou shalt not entertain pie in the sky. If you’ve got something, give it up.


10. Thou shalt not hide raw data and background.