Bloggers Speak Out: New paid and pitching techniques to score more placement

PROPRIETARY & CONFIDENTIAL 7/8/15

Sandra Fathi President, A!ect Web: www.a!ect.com

Blog: www.techa!ect.com Email: sfathi@a!ect.com Twi"er: @sandrafathi

Bloggers Speak Out: New Paid & Pitching Techniques to Score More Placements

Ragan Webinar July 9, 2015

PROPRIETARY & CONFIDENTIAL

SANDRA FATHI

!  President, A!ect !  Public Relations and Social Media Firm !  Serving Technology, Healthcare and

Professional Services Clients

!  Current A"liations: !  PRSA-NY Board Member !  PR Council Member

!  Previous A"liations: !  Chair, PRSA Tri-State District !  President, PRSA-NY Chapter !  President, PRSA Technology Section


AGENDA

I.  What’s New

II.  Influencer Marketing Strategy

III.  Targeting: Research & Tools

IV.  Social Media Relations

V.  All About the Content

VI.  Money Matters: Promotions & Sponsorships

VII.  Great Expectations: Product & Service Reviews


Part I: WHAT’S NEW

Citizen Journalist

Blogger

Social Media

Influencer

Platform Star

Traditional Media

Publication Blog

Online Only Publication

Social Media

Channels


PRIMARY FUNCTION/FOCUS

TEXT

IMAGES

VIDEO


BLOGGER REVOLUTION TO EVOLUTION

Ear

ly B

logg

ers Deep Subject

Experts Distinct Audiences Platform Agnostic Engaged as Individuals

Sec

ond

Gen

erat

ion Broad Categories

(i.e. Mommy Blogger) Topic Creep Platform Limited Engaged as Individuals but Often in Groups or Blogger Networks

Nex

t Gen

erat

ion Specific Domain

of Influence (Not Expertise) Micro-focus Platform Specific Engaged as Individuals or as Part of Platform-Specific Networks


NEW TYPES OF ENGAGEMENT

https://vine.co/v/ODgI2ZJYMnD










Part II. INFLUENCER MARKETING STRATEGY

1.  What is the Business Outcome We Want to Achieve?

2.  Who is our target audience? •  Customers •  Prospects •  Employees •  Investors

3.  Where are they congregating? 4.  What are they interested in? 5.  Who are they listening to? 6.  What action do we want them to take? 7.  How will we measure success?


THE BLOGGER SPECTRUM

Personal Blogger - Hobbyist Professional - Journalist


THE HOBBYIST

!  For the Love

!  For the Cause

!  For the Money

!  For the Fame

!  For the Freebies

!  For the Soul


THE PROFESSIONAL

!  For the Editor

!  For the Job

!  For the Readers

!  For the Clicks

!  For the Fame


RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

!  Journalist

!  Separation of Editorial & Advertising Functions

!  Clear Editorial Policies

!  No Compensation

!  Paid Programs Through Advertising or Marketing Dept.

!  Hobbyist

!  May or May Not Separate Editorial & Advertising Functions

!  Unclear Editorial Policies (Read the Blog or Ask)

!  May or May Not Accept Compensation

!  Paid Programs May Be Through the Same Individual


Part III. TARGETING: RESEARCH & TOOLS


FINDING INFLUENCERS: DATABASES


FINDING INFLUENCERS: SM PLATFORM SEARCH


FINDING INFLUENCERS: BLOGGING PLATFORMS


FINDING INFLUENCERS: SEARCH


FINDING INFLUENCERS: PAID


PART IV: SOCIAL MEDIA RELATIONS

Engaging & Building Relationships.

Where to Start:

1.  Set Goals & Strategy

2.  Provide Full Disclosure

3.  Seek Opportunities for Relevant Engagement

4.  Become a Resource/Thought Leader

5.  Value Over Noise – Quality Over Quantity

6.  Bring Online Offline

7.  Create Partnerships for Long-term Success


ENGAGING & BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Quick Tips:

1.  Give & Get: Retweets, Likes, Shares, Favorites

2.  Read & Comment: On Articles, Blog Posts, Videos etc.

3.  Ask & Answer: Ask Questions (Bloggers are People) and Answer

Requests (Help them find sources)

4.  Know Your Target: Their Habits, Pet Peeves, Special Sections,

Biases, Personal/Professional Background etc.

5.  Know Your Target’s Audience: Same as Above


WHAT TO AVOID

1.  Stereotyping, Making Broad Biased Assumptions

2.  Releasing Confidential Information

3.  Attaching Blogger’s Name to Irrelevant Content

4.  Blatant Flattery

5.  Repetitive Content

6.  Inadvertently Outing a Blogger’s Story or Methods

7.  Compromising Their Ethics

8.  Asking ‘Too Much’

9.  Confusing Paying Someone with Buying Someone


Part V. ALL ABOUT THE CONTENT

1.  Make their job easier !  Educate !  Provide publish-ready resources

•  Images •  Infographics •  Slideshows •  Quotes •  Feature releases/press releases •  FAQs •  Links

2.  Be willing to invest !  Provide access to executives !  Customize content

!  Offer exclusives !  Provide incentives, samples,

and giveaways for the community

3.  Distinguish between editorial engagements (earned) and promotional (paid) engagements

4.  Be transparent, comply with all legal and ethical and disclosure obligations

5.  Offer fair compensation


INFOGRAPHICS


INFOGRAPHICS


IMAGES & VIDEO


CONTENT CREATION


PART VI. MONEY MATTERS: PROMOTIONS & SPONSORSHIPS

1.  Read the website – is there an advertising, sponsorship, marketing,

about or FAQ section?

2.  Read the blog – see if mention of how to work together with brands

is clearly articulated or previous examples are visible

3.  Ask the blogger directly – separately from your editorial content –

about advertising and promotional opportunities and policies

4.  Ask if they work with a representative or sales person

5.  Approach (cautiously) with your own suggested program

6.  Go through a blogger network or platform network


BLOGGER


BLOG AD NETWORK


BLOGGER CONTESTS/PRODUCT PROMOTION


ILAND CAMPAIGN


Part VII. GREAT EXPECTATIONS: PRODUCT & SERVICE REVIEWS

!  Free vs. Paid - Don’t mix and match – determine your priority for initial

outreach based on your goals and knowledge of the outlet

!  Try to separate church and state – try not to mix the earned and paid

conversations in one, even when the blogger does. It can get

confusing, messy and lead to a frustrated blogger (and client).

!  Try to confirm in advance, willingness to review product before

sending valuable samples. Never send out product you expect to have

returned without explicit prior agreement – and even then, it may not

be returned. Make the process as simple and painless as possible for

the blogger (prepaid, return envelopes/delivery services).


PAID REVIEWS - CLEAR COMMUNICATIONS 1.  Introduce your company, product/service and make your intentions clear.

For example: !  This is a promotional opportunity….We are offering to

o  Pay you $X

o  Provide X free samples for you or your readers o  Provide you with use of our product for X time

2.  Be clear on your expectations in return. For example:

!  We are asking our partners to o  Write a blog post, product review or other type of content o  Post on social media X times

o  Conduct a giveaway or contest with their readers 3.  Explain any parameters or limitations. For example:

!  Only available to the first 50 respondents

!  Must post by X date !  Must be able to provide proof of readership above X


FOR CONSIDERATION

!  Understand the consequences of a poor review – will the blogger still write about it?

!  Determine your level of editorial control, if any, over what is published

!  Don’t be petty regarding the value of the product or service if it’s insignificant, or insignificant to the client (However, understand the ‘use’ of a product may have significant value even if it is returned – such as a car.)

!  Always abide by the rules of disclosure, and insist that the blogger does as well

PROPRIETARY & CONFIDENTIAL 7/8/15

Contact Information & Resources:

On Slideshare – www.slideshare.net/sfathi

Sandra Fathi President Affect 989 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor New York, NY 10018 212 398 9680 [email protected]

Twitter: @sandrafathi LinkedIn, Facebook: Sandra Fathi Web: www.affect.com Blog: www.techaffect.com

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