Lily Pickard on the panel (third from left)
Last week we attended the very first TLLWTL (This Little Lady Went to London) PR/Blogger Outreach Event at Vinopolis. Our creative director Lily Pickard was on the panel – formed of bloggers and PRs – to discuss the best ways to work together to get great results for both parties. JJ from TLLWTL tells us she invited us to take part because ”[you] have always been one of the companies that have impressed me with your understanding of “our” world”.
Based on strong blogger relationships we’ve developed over the last few years, here are our top tips for a successful relationship:
Don’t blind date: treat a blogger relationship as you would a personal relationship – start with the dating, getting to know them, familiarise yourself with what they write about, what they’re interested in, what they will write about and what they won’t, so you don’t end up on a blind date the first time you make contact
Square peg, round hole: once you find the right blogger, instead of trying to get the blogger to fit your brand/product on their blog, come up with creative ways to get the brand/product to fit in with the blogger’s style of content and interest, so work backwards
Do your own thing: like traditional journalists, bloggers want their own exclusive, they don’t want to see the same story/event repeated time and time again in the blogosphere. How can you cut and dice one story several ways? Can you give them access to behind-the-scenes content, sneak peek at a new product, access to someone who is usually inaccessible…?
Hard day’s night: lots of bloggers also have full-time jobs so if you are holding an event or want them to interview someone during the day, they’re not always going to be able to make it. Change the event to the evening and think about how you can help those who do blog full-time. Can you compensate their travel or any expenses incurred by what you’re asking them to do?
Commercially speaking: it’s not always all about blog posts; you can work with bloggers in other ways. If it’s a style/design blog, get them involved in styling a shoot, an event or stand space. Agree on the terms e.g. are you going to pay them, let them brand the space? What can you expect in return for the agreement? Draw up a contract or official agreement as you would do in the offline world
Be brave, be bold and educate: bloggers can write what they choose (and rightly so), which includes being absolutely honest if they don’t like something, and that doesn’t always go down well with clients and brands. But the right blogger(s) can be crucial in reaching your target audience in impactful ways that really resonate, so educate clients and brands on why bloggers are being recommended and what the expected outcome is
Long-term relationship: following some or all of these tips could have you in a serious, long-term relationship with bloggers, making them true advocates for your brand
