Social media strategist Mandy Griffiths has worked with a number of bloggers to promote the products of her clients, who include Walt Disney, Rubbermaid, NAB and Libra. 

She shared her top tips for working with bloggers at the Social Franchising Summit in Sydney recently.

Griffiths said consumers are growing weary of traditional advertisers and are instead turning to people they believe in and trust, such as Australia’s 5000 bloggers.

She presented some interesting statistics; including the fact that 95 percent of people have considered a brand after reading a blog and 84 percent have made a purchase as a result of reading a blog.

Interestingly, she said 92 percent of Australia’s bloggers are female, and 25 percent are aged between 18 and 24.

If you play your cards right and develop positive, mutually beneficial working relationships with bloggers, your brand can benefit in multiple ways.

According to Griffiths, bloggers can:

• _Change behaviour
• Influence perceptions
• Create demand
• Drive sales
• Create organic brand advocacy and positive conversation
• Help you brand reach specific communities in a lasting way
• Help to create a community of people who are passionate about and support your brand

Information

Bloggers are more likely to write about your brand or product if you make it easy for them to do so. Get creative and use multiple meidums to provide them with interesting information rather than a generic, text heavy press release.

Examples include:

• Videos – anything visual will often attract their attention
• Exclusive information – do not send the same information to multiple bloggers, as Griffiths advises this can discourage the blogger from writing about your product if they know others will be writing about too.
• Talkable experiences – provide them with free tickets to events and product launches, send them the product in question for free so they can test it out for themselves. Ensure these experiences do not cost them money.
• If the information is news related ensure it is unique, timely and/or customisable
• A call to action – particularly one that supports a good cause
• Blog panels – you can involve multiple bloggers and invite them to share their opinions and experiences about your brand or product
• Get them to act as guest bloggers for your brand or a particular product
• Offer them something for free!

The pitch

Griffiths advises you email rather than call bloggers, as many of them juggle full or part time jobs and have family commitments. Remember, it is best to begin your relationship on a good note.

Your pitch email should contain the following:

• Who you are – for example, a multi-site McDonald’s franchisee in Queensland
• What you are offering – the opportunity to sample a new burger variety for free
• Who else you are talking to – be honest here
• What you expect from them – a post detailing what they loved about the new burger

Griffiths stresses that you personalise these emails. Rather than writing ‘dear bloogger’ find out the bloggers name and tailor them to each individual you choose to contact.

Offer them something valuable – if both you and the blogger are likely to benefit, it is likely they will consider your pitch.

Finding bloggers

You can search for bloggers for free using Google. Type in the keywords relevant to the brand or product you are trying to promote.

For example, if you are the franchisee of a frozen yoghurt brand in Sydney and you are looking to promote a new flavour, type in keywords such as health, food, blogger and Sydney.

You can also contact a public relations agency – most of them have an extensive database of bloggers across various markets. 

To view Mandy Griffiths’ entire presentation, click here. Please note, all images in this article were obtained from the presentation.