The New Media: The Ins and Outs of Working with Bloggers

 By Melissa Miller, Senior Account Executive, Consumer

Throughout the last five years, the media landscape has changed drastically. Newspaper staff is being cut left and right, and more and more, we’ve seen an increase in online engagement via Facebook, Twitter and individual bloggers. No longer are the days of sending out simple press release email blasts – it is now equally important that PR professionals take a hard look at the online status of their clients by conducting conversation audits to see where and how people are talking about the client’s brand.

Some of the biggest assets (or liabilities) a brand can have are bloggers. In layman’s terms, a blogger is simple a regular human being that decides to write about a topic (or topics) of their choosing as frequently as they wish. But what does that mean for brands?

Bloggers can be categorized by their role (parent, scientist, advocate, etc.) or topic of interest, but what’s truly important is the content they’re creating and sharing, as well as the fan base they acquire. Bloggers become powerful influencers for their readers, and brands should be acutely aware of how and where they are being discussed. Proper engagement with a blogger can turn him/her into a brand’s biggest advocate, ultimately spreading a positive message that could reach thousands of people in the brand’s target market.

So, how do you properly engage with a blogger? Here are three tips that I’ve learned are a must when reaching out to these online enthusiasts:

1. Use transparency. If you are contacting a blogger on behalf of a client, clearly spell that out in the first sentence of your pitch email. If you’re contacting them on behalf of your own brand, say so! According to FTC Guidelines passed in October 2009, bloggers who make an endorsement of any kind must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service, so it’s critical to be upfront and clear about your relationship with the brand when reaching out to them and helpful to remind them of the FTC guidelines as well.

2. Do your homework. As with any media pitch, it’s necessary to do some background work before reaching out to a contact. This is especially true in the case of bloggers – bloggers only want information that is relevant to them and their readers and can easily choose to say something negative about any pitches they receive that do not to pertain to them or their interests.

3. Personalize, personalize, personalize. This goes along with doing your homework, but it’s key to include details in your pitch note that point out why your brand/product is relevant to this particular blogger. Make each pitch email as individualized as possible, referencing recent posts and comments made by the blogger to show that you have done your research.

It’s a scary world out there because there IS a lack of control in social media. The online community can be tough to navigate, but successful blogger engagement can be one of the most rewarding programs for a brand. Beginning a conversation with a relevant blogger can create a solid brand advocate and demonstrates your brand’s commitment to relationships and dialogue. As public relations moves into public engagement, dialogue with your audiences – in the places and forms that they are communicating – is critical.