As some of you may already know, I provide Digital PR and Blogger Outreach services to brands, as well as freelance writing and full-time blogging. I have met and worked with so many cool brands, as well as bloggers. And many of the brands have stayed on as regular clients. But I have also met many brands that do not understand the value of bloggers and what we can bring to the table. So this post is for them.
Majority of the bloggers I know and follow, are super creative and dedicated to their blogs. They churn out many well written and engaging posts every week, that strikes a chord in the hearts of their readers. Their blogs are the best platforms to showcase products and services. Especially if it is a new business, or a not so popular brand. Investing in bloggers is the best thing you can do for your business, and I will tell you why:
People relate with bloggers
Their blog posts are word of mouth referrals and they are what people want to read and see these days. I will believe a review on a blog, than in a magazine. I don’t watch ads on TV, that is what the rewind button is for. And I don’t pay attention to ads in magazines and newspapers when I do read them, because they are just way too many and I can’t relate with them anyway. But I read hundreds of blogs each week. I comment on hundreds of blogs each week.
Bloggers are story tellers, and people relate with stories, written by real life people. Unlike outright adverts the public just consumes. Setting out a budget for a blogger outreach campaign should take priority over any other advertising budget.
Value for Money
You get value for money when you invest in a blogger outreach. Whether you send out products for review, or you pay bloggers for sponsored posts or tweets. As long as you target the right bloggers in your niche, you will get return on investment. Where, brand get it wrong is where they target blogs that do not have much to offer in terms of traffic, followers and quality, or target blogs that are not relevant to their niche. Once you employ the right outreach person (ME), then you can be rest assured your campaign is in good hands.
Still on value, once a blog post is on a blog, depending on arrangement, it can be on there for as long as the blog remains online. So millions and millions of people will come across the blog post and your brand at some point. Unlike other forms of advertisement that lasts only for a limited period of time. How many people read old newspapers or old magazines? Not many, if any.
I know many business owners are obsessed with getting featured on the mega big blogs and magazines. But there are high quality medium-sized bloggers that will give you a better return on investment, if you get the right hands to find these blogs.
I also know of brands that look down on bloggers, and can’t see the value in them. Well, blogs are like reality TV shows, Hollywood looks down on. The beauty in similarities of both blogs and reality TV shows is that they are here to stay.
What are your thoughts on the blogger – brand relationship?
You made some excellent points. Well said!
Thanks Jay.
Amen to that. Bloggers are way more influential than any standard ad could ever be. Hopefully more brands will be allocating more spend towards blogger outreach!
Yea we are x
Fun shoot!
Kisses
http://blamod.com
Thanks.
I have family and friends that laugh at my idea of starting a blog (2. Same, but Different audiences). They ask what value I bring. Well, I’m still new at this, but I’m hoping to reach that parent, that child that’s struggling with life. Maybe there’s something said no matter how small that can change them. Then they ask why I promote products. Well, there’s some things I know about, use and love that someone else may have never heard of and possibly never hear of. It’s a win/win/win (reader, company, me). People spend a lot of time online, so companies need to be where the consumers are.
Don’t worry. We all had to cross that bridge at some point. They will start taking you seriously soon.
It really disheartens me when some get in touch and don’t offer anything? As if what we do, don’t really count. As if we don’t spend so much time and energy promoting our blog posts. But on the other hand, there are also lovely brands to work with who know your worth as a blogger and don’t really mind (like you mentioned), not being one of the big bloggers out there.
Yea some do value bloggers a lot. I have worked with quite a few good brands.
This is a fabulous post. The truth is I think brands totally undervalue bloggers and what they can offer – especially in the UK. It’s not good at all and so frustrating!
Yea it is frustrating..
Always perfect!
https://ecobloggercristinacarrillo.com
Thank you.
Very well written, I do think some brands do not understand the influence bloggers can have x
Yea some are so slow..
Wonderful post. This will definitely uplist bloggers and encourage up coming ones. I really appreciate your tips. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading x
Great post.
X
Thanks hun.
Blogger outreach programs are very important and I know many brands that have really benefitted from them
Yea me too.
Well said, even if you do not have the biggest following you have the ability to resonate with readers through the medium of storytelling and they lap it right up!
Yea so true.
Well said some companies really don’t get how infulantinal bloggers are.
Some brands do really under value us as bloggers.
I agree Joanna.
Also, compared to normal marketing costs blogger outreach is so cheap! for example giving bloggers some products to write about… companies don’t really pay as much for the products as RRP would suggest so even fairly pricey items for review are quite a small investment for a company.
Yea it is dead cheap. Another valid point.
So true. Bloggers can spread the word quickly and to a large targeted audience regarding products that they love! 🙂
http://lilinhaangel.com/
Yea that is true.
I do think this is a good way to develop grassroots support and awareness for your message or product. I think lots of businesses are starting to look into this.
Yea they are. Thanks Liz.
Blogger-Brand relationship is one of the best ways to monetize your blog. Just make sure to go with brands that value bloggers a lot and give an equal deal.
Yea true that.
Bloggers are so influential now and I think that brands are quickly seeing that.
Yea they are.
Totally agree with everything you said,as a beauty blogger I depend on product reviews to make my purchases. I feel like magazines aren’t honest about the products they advertise. Bloggers are more authentic and detailed. Great post.
Yea bloggers are definitely more authentic.
I agree with what you said! The thing is there are many brands out there who do not pay at all to bloggers and look down on them!!! That pisses me off!! And I believe the thing u said that it is better for brands to invest on high quality medium sized bloggers!! this is bcoz these are the bloggers who have actual communication with both brands and the audience and therefore have better profit!!! Well, the most important thing is to have actual followers rather than so called fllowers! Number is not important, the ost importannt thing is communication and good relationship between the bloggers and the audience and only then a blog will be successful!!!! 🙂
I really love your outfit, especially the second picture!!!! 🙂
Fabia
http://www.afashionholicslife.blogspot.com
Thanks for reading Fabia. Appreciate your comment.
I like this Stella. I think readers see blogs as more real, a step away from the advertising world. And they are savvy, the readers know what’s real, so they trust blogs in a way that they don’t trust advertisers and marketers.
Exactly.. I hope brands and their PRs read this post.
I would like to think it is often not about the followers but also about the engagement the blogger does with others x
It really comes down to followers 90% of the time.
I love reviewing products on my blog and I am always honest about what I really think of the item. Most brands like me being honest has they can then improve their product, but I have had one or 2 that haven’t been happy with my review and have asked me to remove them, which I have refused, as I think it’s important to let people know what you really think of a product instead of sugar coating it
Yea it is important. I am yet to have a brand tell me that. I hope I don’t have to deal with that.
Blogger outreach still seems a fairly new thing to brands in the UK, PR companies seem to handle it a bit better than inhouse teams. Great post – hope some companies read it 🙂
I hope so too..
i agree with you and there are lots of medium sized brands out there that support and value bloggers – being the biggest does not always mean being the right place for every blogger to reach out. Blogger outreach is something that is not too common here in Austria yet – slowly but surely it will though. Important to me is being able to say what I think.
It is still fairly new in the UK as well compared to the US. I hope brands read this and understand how valuable we are as bloggers.
Couldn’t agree more!
Nice.
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