- Targeting Bloggers for Online PR
- Finding Bloggers to Target / Reaching Bloggers Where They Live
- Making Contact / Giving Bloggers What They Want
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Making Contact
Obviously, since bloggers work online, you want to communicate with them online. That means email instead of postal mail, and instant messaging instead of phone calls. Find out what the blogger prefers, and go that route.
With traditional media, you’re used to sending printed press releases and press kits. That doesn’t work so well when you’re targeting the blogosphere. If you want to make an impact with key bloggers, put together an electronic press kit, something you can send via email. The email message itself should probably serve as the press release; use attachments to send product photos and other key items.
That email press release, by the way, should include a link back to whatever it is you’re promoting. That could be your company’s home page, but more likely should be a dedicated landing page for this PR event. You want to send the blogger’s followers to a web page that relates directly to whatever it is the blogger wrote; don’t rely on generic links.
You should also include your own personal contact information in the email, so the blogger can contact you directly for more information. Most bloggers want to personalize the information they present, which means you shouldn’t expect exact regurgitation of your press releases. Instead, help bloggers turn your message into something unique to their blogs.
By the way, bloggers tend not to react too well to traditional press releases. Instead, make the accompanying email conversational and personal. Use bullet points to highlight main topics, but always bring the content around to how it will benefit this blogger and the blog’s readers. That means customizing your press releases for each individual blogger, but it’s an effort well spent.
Giving Bloggers What They Want
Once you convince a blogger to mention your company or product, you need to provide him with everything he needs to create an effective blog post. We’re talking web-sized product photos, product spec sheets, links to other information and reviews, and the like.
Now, some of this can be included in or attached to your initial email to the blogger. Other items, however, can be linked to and downloaded from your website.
This argues in favor of creating a section of your website devoted to the press and the media. This online press room site should include not only press releases but product photos at various resolutions; bloggers love to include pictures with their posts. Offer a variety of photos, so that a blogger can choose the one best suited to his blog and readers.
In short, you have to give bloggers all the information and details they need to put up an interesting post. The easier you make it for them, the more likely they are to write about you.