Get top marketing stories of the week.
Tag Archives: Blogger Relations
Should Bloggers Disclose When a Tweet, Facebook Post or Pin is “Sponsored”?
There is no doubt about it that blogs/bloggers continue to be influential, and blogger relations should be considered as part of a company’s marketing/public relations plan. There is also no doubt about it that blogger relations continues to be the Wild West.
Many bloggers have made blogging a full time job. They are looking to secure advertising dollars for not only digital ads, but also product reviews, Facebook posts, Twitter posts and Pinterest posts. Companies see the value in bloggers writing/posting
tweeting/pinning about their products and services and are willing to pay for coverage.
While the FTC did update its guidelines in 2009 requiring bloggers to be transparent when being paid or given product for reviews, this hasn’t really cleared up the blogger transparency issue. And as more social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.) are added to the mix, the lines continue to get blurred.
So while you are seeing “sponsored posts” on Facebook and “promoted” Twitter posts, users and hashtags, this doesn’t incorporate when bloggers are tweeting, pinning or posting sponsored content.
Having a journalism degree and having it ingrained in my head that advertising and editorial are always kept separate (although we can debate that too), there is a very interesting ethical discussion all us PR and marketing practitioners should be having with bloggers about this.
While journalists pride themselves on the separation of editorial and advertising, bloggers have a different motive, and in the end it’s the consumer that will likely suffer.
Show Bloggers the Love!
According to the National Retail Federation, consumers will spend an average of $130.97 per person this year on candy, cards, gifts and more – a total of $18.6 billion. Despite what you hear about Valentine’s Day boycotts and those saying it’s a Hallmark holiday, it’s clear there is opportunity for retailers to share (and feel) the love.
Over the past few years, the blogosphere has been ignited with holiday contests and campaigns. Valentine’s day is one of the big ones. From Valentine’s day coupons, DIY projects to “ideas that will make her fall in love” – how does your company break through the clutter and reach consumers with V-day campaigns?
When developing a blogger relations campaign for the holidays…
- Plan in advance. Get to your most valuable bloggers first before anyone else does. Lock in those reviews so you know they will post during the V-day hoopla. Otherwise, you could be sidelined and promoted after the big day – and what good is your coupon or contest then?
- Creativity is key. Give a campaign legs. Now, more than ever, we have to be thinking about ways to make a campaign stand out and translate across other social platforms. Keep in mind photo and video content creates a buzz and tends to be shared more often. Holiday ties are simple, but really go above and beyond the traditional holiday pushes to make a campaign that stands out above the rest.
- Develop blogger relationships. Remember how important your relationships with media are? Guess what, relationships are important with bloggers too. Think long-term about how you can develop relationships with key bloggers. This will help you in the long run when submitting ideas to bloggers for reviews, promotions, etc. – especially helping your company/product stand out among the holiday pitches that load up their inboxes.
Keep in mind bloggers can hit system overload. They can only handle so many reviews, posts, etc. per month. Make those connections sooner rather than later to make the biggest bang during your holiday promotion!
Savvy Bloggers are Shifting the Product Review Landscape
The landscape of blogger relations and product review campaigns is changing. Through our ongoing work with bloggers – from mommy bloggers to baking bloggers, fitness bloggers, weight loss bloggers, DIY bloggers, and bloggers with diabetes – we have seen a significant shift in how bloggers approach product reviews.
In 2008, we had bloggers lining up to test product. The idea of companies contacting bloggers to conduct reviews was a novelty. Bloggers received free product and often a prize pack for one lucky reader. The giveaways helped the bloggers secure blog traffic as well as Facebook followers and Twitter followers.
Bloggers embraced this. They loved the idea of testing new products or securing an advance review of a product that was not even available to the masses yet. Bloggers even started developing networks to help secure even more product for review.
Then companies started inviting bloggers to their headquarters to educate them, gain product feedback and product innovation ideas. Bloggers loved the special attention from free product to free trips!
Fast-forward to today and bloggers are becoming savvier. They worked diligently throughout the years – with the help of consumer product companies – to build their following. And just like other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube they are determining the best way to cash in. It is not only about free product samples anymore, but also about increasing cash flow.
In addition to more bloggers wanting to cash in on the opportunity, there has been an increase in corporations wanting bloggers to review product. Consider most bloggers are either raising children or hold full time jobs, there is only so much time available to review product and write blog posts.
With the demand becoming higher and higher, bloggers are now more selective with the products they review, and more and more are requiring cash payment for their time.
Yesterday we met as an agency to evaluate this shift and determine the best way to continue to secure quality blog reviews for our clients. We are taking a deeper dive into the subject.
In the upcoming month we will be contacting the bloggers themselves to learn more about their experience and challenges with product reviews. Stay turned for more on the changing landscape of blogger relations.
Blogger Relations: Competitor Match Up!
When researching blogs for blogger relations campaigns, we often find that bloggers have reviewed a competitor’s product. In our experience, bloggers review each product based on its own merits. Within a product review, we have not seen a blogger refer back to a previous review of a competing product…but that does not mean that it has not been done. So, we decided we needed to gain some insight.
We reached out to a handful of mommy bloggers to ask how they felt about reviewing competing products. We also wanted to know if they would consider comparing competing products side-by-side in one review.
Following are scenarios we presented and feedback summaries:
1. You have reviewed “product A” favorably. You have received a competing “product B” for review. Do you compare the two products in your next review, or treat them as individual exclusive reviews?
Our handful of bloggers emphasized that reviews are always individual and exclusive. One mentioned that the only time they would not review “product B” is if the “product A” sponsor had them sign a contract stating they could not do a competing review within a given timeframe.
2. You have reviewed “product A” favorably. How often do you decline product reviews that may negate your favorable review of “product A”? Why?
Each blogger stated that they do not decline reviews based on any previous review. They are two separate products. They decline reviews based on product relevancy to their audience and their review load at that time.
3. How often do you give the product provider a chance to opt-out of a review if you would post negatively about the product?
This response was split. Some bloggers said they would share their feedback on the product with the review sponsor prior to posting negatively – giving them a chance to opt-out. However, other bloggers said they do not give the product provider the chance to opt-out due to accountability with their readers. Several mentioned that readers expect honest opinions.
4. Have you ever been asked to conduct a direct comparison between two competitive products (think of something like the Pepsi/Coke Challenge)? If yes, did you conduct the review? Why or why not?
Several of the bloggers had been offered the opportunity to complete a direct comparison review between two competitive products and enjoyed the experience. All of the bloggers acknowledged that they would conduct the review of this nature if offered.
If you are thinking of conducting a side-by-side comparison review – your product vs. a competing product – we recommend you consult with a legal adviser prior to beginning the campaign. There are some considerations that should be addressed in order to play it safe in the legal sphere.
Have questions about conducting blogger relations campaigns? Feel free to leave a comment below or shoot us an email. We’re happy to help.
6 Tips for More Impactful Blog Reviews
Earlier this year we shared 8 Ways to Determine a Blog’s Value. Here are six tips to drive more influential blogger reviews:
1. Set expectations. You are sending a product sample to a blogger for review. Develop a personal letter that thanks the blogger for his or her interest and explains what you are asking them to do as part of the review process. Be clear and reasonable, and make sure the blogger understands you are a resource if they have questions or concerns about the product or review process.
2. Content is king. In addition to the letter, include as much information as possible about your product. Good bloggers will share key product features and benefits with readers as part of a product review. Make those details easily accessible and you will likely score a longer, more thorough product review.
3. Secure links to your website. Provide bloggers – in your letter and e-mails– with a specific link where readers can find more information about your product, and ask them to include that link as part of the review. Also, think about other ways to drive blog readers to your website. Provide a separate link for bloggers to share that leads to creative ways to use your product, or ask bloggers to direct readers to your website to search for specific information and then post a comment to the blog post about something interesting they learned.
4. Strategize to secure multiple posts. Think beyond the simple blog review post and consider ways to secure ongoing coverage with a particular blogger. Offer a product giveaway to one blog reader; this will often result in a second blog post about your product when the winner is announced. Ask the blogger to write a preview post setting up a problem and letting readers know they plan to try your product as a solution, then write a post about the product itself.
5. Use contests to secure prospect data. Instead of – or in addition to – promoting product giveaways on individual blogs, establish a larger contest that uses blogger product reviews as a vehicle for engaging a larger Internet audience. Ask multiple bloggers to announce a prize that requires consumers to provide contact information on your website. This is a great way to reach potential new customers and secure information for future communication.
6. Ask bloggers to get social. Simply ask bloggers to post a link to their product review on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. and ask permission to post links to their reviews through your own social media accounts. Both your product and the blog are exposed to larger audiences this way.
8 Ways to Determine a Blog’s Value
You probably have a good sense for which trade and consumer publications are most influential in your industry and among consumers. But with blogs, it’s not so cut and dry.
How do you know which blogs to target and which blogs to send product to? Following are eight ways to evaluate a blog’s reach and influence among your target audiences.
1. Traffic. Some bloggers tell you right on their home page or about page exactly how many daily, weekly and monthly visitors they receive. If not, or to verify those figures, use a free tool like compete.com or quantcast.com to get a traffic estimate. Also, review a blogger’s social media extensions (i.e. Facebook and Twitter) to determine how many more people he or she is reaching when they link posts to social media sites.
Just as important as visitors is the number of other sites linking back to the blog. The more external links a blog has the more credible a blog is. Visit technorati.com and enter the blog’s URL to find its authority, or number of links directing back to the blog.
2. Page Rank. Use the free page rank checker tool at http://www.prchecker.info/ to determine where Google ranks the blog on a scale from 1-10. Blogs that fall into the 3-7 range are ranked pretty well. Most blogs will not achieve a ranking of 8-10, which is reserved for sites like nytimes.coma and google.com.
3. Engagement. Review recent posts to determine if readers are commenting often, and if the blogger is taking the time to respond back. The value of blog coverage is it has the potential to spark a conversation. A blog that actively engages readers has more potential to make an impact and influence industry trends and opinions, and its readers are more invested.
4. Frequency. The more often a blogger posts, the more often readers are coming back and the more potential your story has to be seen. It is also very common for new bloggers to lose interest and stop posting all together, but leave their blogs up. Do not target blogs that have not had a new post in more than a month.
5. Depth. Truly influential bloggers don’t just regurgitate facts and news releases; they offer insight and commentary on the story or issue at hand. Target bloggers who take the time to write an original post; your story will have a much deeper and longer lasting impact.
6. Visibility. Do a quick search to determine how involved a blogger is within your industry. Have they penned guest columns or op-eds for influential media, given keynotes or sat on panels at industry trade shows/conference, led or participated in social media events and advocacy? Active bloggers who participate regularly in industry events are perceived as experts and can bring credibility to your brand.
7. Ethics. Without exception, bloggers should be in clear compliance with recently updated FTC rules and regulations. (Read our blog post for a more detailed explanation of guidelines that affect bloggers.) Do not waste time or energy on blogs that do not clearly disclose product review/advertising relationships; otherwise you may face legal consequences for a blogger’s unethical behavior.
8. Competitive/Big Brand Presence. Has the blog covered your competitor? What about well-known national brands? These companies are targeting this blog for a reason; they see value in securing coverage there.
Need help developing a strategic blogger relations campaign to achieve greater visibility for your product or service? Contact me at kayleigh (at) sweeneypr (dot) com. or 440.333.0001 ext. 105 to get started.
Bloggers Going Bonkers for Product Samples
Our company is getting 4-5 requests a week from bloggers for product samples to test and a second product for a giveaway. Should I be sending all these bloggers my product? We are a small business and have to be selective who we send product samples to.
__________________________________________________
By Jennifer Manocchio
The good news is that if you have bloggers coming to you requesting product samples, you have already generated some awareness in the marketplace. We have typically seen an increase in blogger product requests after media exposure or a targeted blogger campaign.
You should definitely be selective with blogger samples. According to a Technorati study, the average blog has only 6 readers! Yes… 6 readers! Therefore, it is important that you research each blog prior to sending product samples. You certainly want to be sending product to a blog that reaches your target audience, is credible and has a significant number of readers to make the largest impact possible.
Following is how we evaluate blogs to determine the credibility, reach and impact.
1. Review the blog: Ensure the content is relevant and tasteful. Take a look at how the blogger conducts product reviews. This will help you determine what to expect and to ask for any alterations you see necessary (including a link to your web site, retail locations, etc.). Also, some blogs list the number of views or followers. This will give you a good indication of reach.
2. Technorati: Visit Technorati and conduct a search on the blog to determine the blog’s authority. The authority is simply the number of other web sites linking to that blog. The more web sites linking to the blog, the more credible you can consider the blog.
3. Track Unique Monthly Visitors: Free tools like Compete and Quantcast can provide estimates for the number of unique visitors a blog receives each month. The only caveat to sites like these is the free versions do not provide estimates for blogs hosted by WordPress or Blogspot.
4. Other Social Media Sites: Conduct a general Google search on the blog or blogger to determine what other social media sites he or she is involved in. If he or she uses Twitter, Facebook, etc. and has a good amount of followers, that can certainly help increase the reach of your product/brand.
You can usually see immediately if the blogger posts reviews on other social media sites. If not, simply ask if that is possible as part of the product review.
5. Google Page Rank: Determine the page rank using the Google Page Ranking tool. A higher page rank will help influence organic search engine optimization.
Also, if you are short on product samples, consider declining the product for the contest or providing a discount or coupon for the blog readers instead. While the product giveaway will likely increase exposure, bloggers will still consider covering a product without a giveaway.
Need help sorting through all the blogger requests or want to launch a strategic blogger relations campaign to increase brand awareness, increase relationships and increase sales, contact me at jennifer at sweeneypr.com or 910.772.1688.
Did Ann Taylor Follow New FTC Guidelines?
Ann Taylor Loft recently issued an invitation to bloggers to preview the retailer’s summer collection, rewarding bloggers who posted about the new line by including them in a gift card drawing. Was Ann Taylor Loft in compliance with the new FTC blogger regulations?
Kayleigh Fitch, blogger relations expert
The short answer is “no”, and there are several reasons why.
First, according to Jezebel, a blog that was invited to participate in the campaign but declined, almost none of the bloggers participating in the campaign disclosed to readers that they would receive the chance to win a high value gift card after submitting their review to Ann Taylor’s publicist.
Whether or not a blogger discloses a material relationship with a company when posting a review, it is ultimately the company’s responsibility to ensure that proper disclosure takes place under new FTC regulations. Ann Taylor should have included a reminder in their invitation to disclose to readers they had received a gift card after submitting their review. Furthermore, it was Ann Taylor’s responsibility to continue to follow up with bloggers until all disclosures had been made.
Additionally, the fact that blogger reviews were submitted to a publicist before gift card values were revealed to participating bloggers could indicate that Ann Taylor rewarded bloggers according to how positive individual reviews were.
When a company commits to a campaign that invites bloggers to review its products, it automatically surrenders any right to control messaging about its product. Marketers should not attempt to stifle or hide negative blogger feedback. Instead, they should welcome such feedback as an opportunity to make product improvements. If a blogger points out an issue with a product, it is likely other consumers will face the same issue. If handled properly, a negative review can become an opportunity for a marketer to continue a public conversation with consumers, showcasing a commitment to customer satisfaction.
Ultimately, it is not illegal to provide payment or some other form of compensation to bloggers who review your products. However, the new FTC guidelines emphasize the importance of transparency in blogger relations and particularly during product review campaigns. And while the responsibility to disclose rests on the blogger, it is the marketer’s responsibility to ensure bloggers are doing so, regardless of how much nudging that takes.
To ensure your blogger relations efforts are in compliance with he new FTC guidelines, check out our recent post, The Impact FTC Guidelines Have on Blogger Relations, to get caught up on the changes.
Want to implement a blogger relations campaign or have questions about the FTC guidelines as they relate to social media marketing, contact me at kalyeigh@sweeneypr.com or 440.333.0001 ext. 105.
The Impact FTC Guidelines Have on Blogger Relations
How can I ensure that my blogger relations efforts are in compliance with the new FTC guidelines? _______________________________________________________________ Kayleigh Fitch, blogger relations expert
While the FTC’s updated Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising can be complex and difficult to understand in entirety, there are specific and clear guidelines a marketer should be aware of when promoting products and services through blogger relations.
The complete text of the Revised Endorsement and Testimonials Guides can be found at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm. In the meantime, below is a list of the basic guidelines to help ensure you are in compliance with the new regulations when it comes to blogger relations.
1. Understand that not all blogger reviews are considered endorsements. A blog review written by a consumer who regularly uses your product or brand, who decides to purchase the product of their own accord, or purchases the product through a special promotion or discount available to most consumers or received through a rewards program is not considered an endorsement under the FTC’s new guidelines.
2. If a blogger reviews your company’s product or service and writes about the experience in a blog post as if he or she has in fact used the product personally, ensure that the blogger has actually tested your product before writing about it or clearly discloses that is not the case. It is not acceptable for a blogger to portray that he or she has used a product personally when that is not the case. “When the advertisement represents that the endorser uses the endorsed product, the endorser must have been a bona fide user of it at the time the endorsement was given.” (Section 255.1)
3. Monitor blog reviews for unsubstantiated claims. For example, if a blogger claims in a post that the skin lotion you asked the blogger to review has the ability to cure eczema and there is no substantiated evidence of this claim, then both you and the blogger are liable under the new guidelines.
“The advertiser is subject to liability for misleading or unsubstantiated representations made through the blogger’s endorsement. The blogger also is subject to liability for misleading or unsubstantiated representations made in the course of her endorsement.” (Section 255.1)
4. It is not illegal to pay a blogger to write a positive review of your products, although Sweeney strongly discourages against pay-for-placement blogger relations. However, if you decide to go that route, you are responsible for ensuring that the blogger clearly discloses that he or she has been paid for their review.
“The blogger [and the marketer] is also liable if she fails to disclose clearly and conspicuously that she is being paid for her services.” (Section 255.1)
5. Ensure that the blogger fully discloses any and all material connections to you, your company, product or service “that might materially affect the weight or credibility of the endorsement.” (Section 255.4) The FTC does acknowledge that connections that are reasonably expected by the audience need not be disclosed. But if you are unsure what is considered “reasonably expected”, err on the side of caution and disclose the connection.
6. Specifically, you should ensure that a blogger clearly discloses when a product or service being reviewed has been provided for free, regardless of the value of the product. The FTC considers both bloggers and marketers responsible for ensuring this guideline is met and specifically states, “The manufacturer should advise him [the blogger] at the time it provides the gaming system [product for review] that this connection should be disclosed, and it should have procedures in place to try to monitor his postings for compliance.”
7. When communicating an endorsement message obtained through blogger relations (e.g. on sales literature or on a company web site) it is not necessary to use the exact words of the endorser. But, endorsements reworded or supplied out of context can come under scrutiny if they falsely represent an opinion or experience.
“The endorsement message need not be phrased in the exact words of the endorser, unless the advertisement affirmatively so represents. However, the endorsement may not be presented out of context or reworded so as to distort in any way the endorser’s opinion or experience with the product.” (Section 255.1 of Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising)
Want to implement a blogger relations campaign or have questions about the FTC guidelines as they relate to social media marketing, contact me at kalyeigh at sweeneypr.com or 440.333.0001 ext. 105.
How to Determine the Value of a Blog
Should I send a product sample to this blogger?
I would love to feature your product with a product review and giveaway! My blog is receiving 18,000+ unique visitors per month – additional stats and information are available on my media page. I am happy to answer any questions and set up a review and giveaway for you.
Beth, marketing/sales director, consumer product company
________________________________________________________________
By Jennifer Manocchio
With millions of blogs on the web it can be a challenge to determine what blogs to invest your time and money. This is precisely why we created a three-step approach at the agency to evaluate blogs prior to committing client’s products for reviews and giveaways.
1. Review the blog content and consider the following: content, voice and interaction. Is the blog well written? Do you like the approach the blogger is taking with product reviews? Do you see other major product brands being reviewed on the blog? Are readers posting comments and interacting with the blogger?
2. Check http://www.compete.com or http://www.quantcast.com to see if the web site statistics are available. Traffic to blogs varies greatly so you want to be sure there is significant traffic coming to the blog. However, Quantcast and Compete will not show statistics from some blog publishing platforms like WordPress and Blog Spot. So don’t rule out blogs on WordPress or Blog Spot even though you cannot get an accurate number of visitors.
3. Get the blog’s authority and ranking on http://www.technorati.com. Technorati is a database of more than a million blogs. While not all blogs are included in Technorati’s database, it is still beneficial to check because most credible and widely read blogs are in the system.
When you enter the blog into Technorati, you will typically get two numbers in the search results – the authority and the ranking. The authority is the number of other blogs and web sites that are linking to that particular blog. The higher the authority is, the more credible the blog. The ranking indicates how well a blog compares to other blogs in the Technorati database. The lower the number is, the higher the ranking, the more credible the blog.
Once you have the data, the next step is to determine whether the blog is a good fit. Blog traffic and Technorati authority and ranking vary by industry. For example, if you are evaluating mommy blogs they tend to get more traffic, have a higher Technorti authority and lower Technorait ranking than a blog focused on a specific topic like diabetes. It will probably be beneficial to evaluate a few different blogs in a specific category to determine if the numbers are favorable.
If you have any questions about evaluating blogs or our approach to conducting blogger relations, please contact me at jennifer@sweeneypr.com or 910.772.1688.
How To Target Top Consumer Bloggers
One of my co-workers is looking for some top bloggers on health products, health supplements, fitness, etc. The plan is to send free product to bloggers to talk about the product… have any tips?
Director of Operations, Canadian health supplements business
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
By Kayleigh Fitch, Guest Blogger
Assuming the health products are being targeted at consumers and that blogger relations is just one element of a bigger, broader strategy, start by developing a blogger list or database of bloggers you want to target – bloggers who write about health products, supplements, fitness, etc.
1. Start by running a general Google search for fitness and health bloggers.
2. Take time to visit and read the blogs that come up as top results. Get a feel for topics each blogger is interested in writing about.
3. Identify the blogs that appear to be the best fit – based on content – for the products you want to promote.
4. Most influential bloggers host lists of related blogs on their own web sites called blog rolls. Use the blog rolls of the first bloggers you identify as starting points to learn about other influential blogs in the health and fitness industry. You can simply click on the name of a blog, and it will link directly to the home page. Now you can scan these newly identified blogs to see if their content is relevant to your product.
5. When you identify a relevant blog you want to include on your list, use free measurement tools to measure the influence of that blog. At www.compete.com, you can track how many unique visitors the blog reaches each month. Using the search function at www.technorati.com, you will learn how many other sites link back to the blog (Authority) as well as the blog’s rank among all other blogs (the lower the number the better).
Keep track of these numbers, and only include blogs on your list that have the highest unique visitors per month, or authority rankings greater than 10.
If the blog isn’t very influential based on these statistics, but the blogger is an active participant in other social media endeavors such as Twitter, consider including the blog on your list.
As you research blogs you will notice certain bloggers are routinely linked to or referenced by other blogs and web sites in the industry, indicating the more popular and/or credible sources. Popular bloggers are often referenced and sourced by the traditional media as well.
6. In addition to measuring the influence of each blog, it is important to ensure blogs are not spam blogs or “splogs”, artificial blogs using unoriginal content created to promote or increase search engine rankings of affiliated web sites. Splogs often lack contact information for the author or a simple blogger profile and are missing a human voice.
Ultimately, you should visit and become familiar with every blog in your database. It is a lot of work, but worth the effort in order to establish a quality database.
That, of course, is the easy part. Now, to run a campaign…
1. Determine the primary goal of your campaign: Do you want to promote product trial and positive reviews? Do you want the campaign to drive traffic to your web site? Do you simply want to build brand awareness and create impressions?
2. Based on your goals, decide whether you would like the blogger to simply review your product, conduct a giveaway for blog readers, or participate in a more involved challenge.
3. Craft an email to send to the bloggers introducing and describing your company, why it would be beneficial to test/review your product and share results with their readers, and what specifically you would like to offer. Be honest and upfront in your email about what you will provide to the blogger and what you expect in return. Bloggers prefer a more conversational tone when communicating as opposed to business speak. Your information should be more like an invitation than a news release.
4. Send the email and wait to see who responds. Be prepared to modify your offering for an influential blogger with a specific request (i.e. more products to giveaway or a greater sample size). Most bloggers do not post their telephone numbers, so follow-up is generally limited to a second email. If you do not get the response you desire, you may need to improve your offer or send an email indicating the deadline for participation is approaching.
5. Once you have a final list of bloggers who have confirmed they will participate in your campaign, ship/mail products and immediately confirm by email when bloggers should expect the product samples. Be sure to include a personal letter to each blogger, information about the product, and tips for product usage in the package to ensure the blogger understands the key messages to communicate with readers about your product.
6. Monitor blogs for reviews.
7. If a blogger has accepted a free sample, but has not posted a review, follow up to ensure they received the product and discover if they liked/disliked the product.
8. If the blogger has an issue with the product, do your best to address it quickly. To provide the best information, refer back to proper use instructions and chemists or product engineers when possible.
Ultimately, if the blogger just does not like the product, he or she may choose not to post a review at all.
9. Finally, track campaign results (coverage and web site traffic) using Google alerts and analytics.
Is There Tangible Value in Getting a Blogger to Review Products?
By Jennifer Manocchio
The short answer is yes.
Blog reviews can increase brand awareness, product trial, SEO rankings, web site traffic and retail and Internet sales. Blog reviews can have this influence because many people read blogs regularly and consider the blogs they follow to be credible resources. Consider that of the 42 million female Internet users in the United States who participate in social media, 43% visit blogs for advice or to get recommendations according to the 2009 Social Media Study.
The key is to identify the goals you want to achieve, identify the target audiences you want to reach and design a campaign that will specifically help you meet those goals. It is also imperative the campaign include a method for measuring the results.
For example, if your goal is to increase product trial among stay-at-home moms, a positive blog review in top “Mommy” blogs will accomplish that goal by alerting followers that it is a good product. You can enhance product trial by also offering giveaways to the blog followers. Most bloggers appreciate giveaways because they engage followers and keep them coming back to their blog.
If you want the blog coverage to drive traffic to your web site or a microsite, employ promotional offers – like coupons, product samples or giveaways – on your site to encourage bloggers to provide a link to your site.
A Case in Point
Sweeney launched a blogger relations campaign for One TIME Wood – a leading outdoor wood sealer – during the second quarter of 2009. The goal of the campaign was to create product awareness, drive consumer traffic to its web site, and increase online sales.
To achieve this objective, the agency created an interactive blogger relations campaign that allowed bloggers to test and compare One TIME’s product against competitive products. Sweeney created the One TIME Wood Protector Challenge and invited the Internet’s top home improvement and mommy bloggers to test One TIME Wood against any traditional wood sealer.
Participants received a challenge kit, including: One TIME Wood Protector, wood sample, paintbrushes, competitor’s sample and instructions. One influential home improvement blogger was given enough One TIME Wood Protector and One TIME Stain and Sealer Remover to refinish an entire deck.
Bloggers were encouraged to report the challenge results on their blogs (positive or negative). As a benefit to the blogger and their readers, One TIME offered a 10% off promotional code for the purchase of One TIME Wood. This also allowed Sweeney to track the sales.
The Results
One hundred percent of the participating bloggers raved to their followers about One TIME’s unique performance. In turn, the blogger reviews generated awareness, traffic and sales. In fact, the company experienced 16% increase in Internet sales as a direct result of the blogger relations campaign.
Following is a representative sampling of the actual reviews:
http://www.mommygoggles.com/one-time-wood-sealer-challenge/
http://www.frommelissasdesk.com/2009/05/one-time-the-leader-in-wood-protection-review.html
http://gseemoore.blogspot.com/2009/05/one-time-wood-campaign.html
http://reesspace.blogspot.com/2009/05/check-out-my-one-time-wood-protector.html
In all, the campaign:
- reached more than 90,837 consumers…
- created 28 direct links to www.onetimewood.com…
- drove 135 consumers (53.32% new visitors) to www.onetimewood.com; they visited an average of 5.24 pages each and stayed on the web site for an average of 5:14 minutes.
- began generating awareness and establishing the One TIME brand as the best wood protector for decks and fences.
And because these blog reviews are online, they will remain available for consumers to read for many months and years to come.
_______
Have a marketing, public relations, social media or advertising question? Post your question below or email exeqnation at gmail dot com. We are committed to answering your marketing questions real time. And if we don’t know the answer, we’ll contact one of our valued partners who will.
huzjxc8pna
Shameless Self Promotion
Bloggers Gush About Cleaning Products
Household cleaning products don’t seem to be the kinds of things
that would get the blogging community all excited, especially
during the holidays, right?
But if bloggers happen to be stay-at-home moms who spend a good
part of the day cleaning up after their toddlers, or bloggers who
care about environmentally friendly products, offering a product
sample to them can bring hundreds more moms to your website.
That’s what happened just before the Christmas holidays when
Sweeney public relations launched a publicity campaign for Weiman
Products, a cleaning products manufacturer.
Publicity Hound Jennifer Manocchio, a Sweeney VP, said the
campaign invited bloggers to review products that help keep the
home clean. Sweeney offered each participating blogger
samples of products such as stainless steel wipes that can be
used to make kitchen faucets shiny, and Weiman E-tronic Wipes
that can be used to remove fingerprints from computer screens.
The campaign resulted in a whopping 44 positive reviews from
bloggers, like this one from the My Trendy Tykes blog:
“Weiman Stainless Steel Wipes shine, polish and protect all
stainless steel surfaces. They leave NO streaks, and the strong
odor?? Well, it’s not there. It’s actually a pleasant smell for
my nose. Oh, and get this…It actually repels fingerprints,
water marks and dirt. Now that’s what I’m talking about!”
Blogger Rockin’ Mama gushed about how the floor polish made her
laminate floors super-shiny. And at the Chocolate Fingerprints
blog, Andrea McMann said she could tell the e-tronic wipes are “a
high-quality product” and my screens still aren’t dusty or
smudgy.”
The campaign also resulted in 172 clips, 196 direct links to the
Weiman website, and 772 website visitors who stayed an average of
two minutes and five seconds.
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a News Release.”
