How To Approach Bloggers
April 3, 2009 at 10:26 am
With relevance and respect – exactly as you would with a journalist!
This week is Organ Donor Week – a worthy cause indeed. I know this because I heard an ad for it on the radio. Yes radio advertising does work.
But it made me realise that I haven’t seen anything online about it. I don’t buy newspapers during the week, preferring to catch my news in the environment in which I live and work (the internet). Organ Donor Week is a typical example of how a worthy cause has missed out on reaching a certain demographic due to inexperience or ignorance about the web. I don’t know who looks after the Kidney Association’s PR, but if you’re reading this – take note.
A Google for Organ Donor Week brings results alright. Page 1 is full of the traditional print media and a health portal. Pages 2 and 3 have more traditional media, this time many of the regional papers. The first mention I find of Organ Donor Week from a purely online presence is tucked away on Page 4 with a listing on IGO People. The first blogger I find is the award-winning Mamam Poulet on Page 5.
So where are all the bloggers?
Irish bloggers are an opinionated lot, but are full of heart. It is my belief that if they were targeted and provided with relevant information about Organ Donor Week, many would have run with it as a topical post this week. They may not republish your press release verbatim. But they’ll read it and then express their opinion on it. Isn’t that what you want? Engaging an audience of opinion formers about your subject.
I recently got the word out about Fair Trade Week on behalf of a client. We enjoyed much success by being covered and linked to by some of Ireland’s leading bloggers. In fact, I can share with you now that I enjoyed an 80% success rate. 8 out of 10 people that were asked to mention Fair Trade Week did. And thank you to those who are reading now.
It’s not that difficult.
7 Steps To Getting Your Story Covered By Bloggers
- Do not blanket bomb or spam. Spamming is disgusting. Blanket bombing is spamming in a fur coat.
- Choose your list of people you are going to target. Be relevant. A blogger who writes hard hitting satirical posts about politics is not going to be interested in your anti-aging skin product. Similarly, the girls behind leading beauty blog, beaut.ie are not going to take much interest in your press release about the latest server advances!
- When you’ve identified a long list of bloggers who could possibly write about your topic, read their blogs. Ideally, take their blog on an RSS feed and read it for a few weeks before you contact them. Just as you would take the time out to get to know a print journalist before contacting them, take the time to find out what makes the blogger tick. Are they ranty? Are they social? Do they have a huge community of commenters? Are they a fun lot? Or more serious?
- Join them! Blogging is a conversation. Take part in the chat. If the blogger is any good, you’ll find you’ll want to anyway. Don’t be afraid to comment. I guarantee you that every blogger’s heart does a little jump when they log on to find comments. I believe that. Even the most hardened.
- So at this point, you are being relevant. You’ve found bloggers who write about your subject, and you’re taking part. If you’re really into your subject, you could start following people on Twitter and carrying on the conversation over there. Now you’re going to start really getting to know people.
- Now take your press release and fine-tune it for who you’re sending it to. If you were contacting me, I’d be more interested if you gave me some facts about how the Kidney Association is utilising the web to promote itself this year. If you were contacting a Mommy blogger, you might emphasise the plight of other parents with children who desperately need a transplant. If you’re on to a corporation, pluck at their CSR heart strings.
- Send your info. Provide text and images if that helps your story. Make it really clear where you want links to go to. And be available if they have any questions.
Then sit back and watch the link love flow!
PS – these are the faces of Organ Donor Week on the Kidney Association website. They do look like an unhealthy bunch, so please… carry an organ donor card…
Comments (5 responses)
First off, this is the first I’ve heard about the week.
I’ll disagree with your first statement.
“exactly as you would with a journalist”. Its not the same thing.
All journalists are paid (or get paid) to get the information and press releases in order to write up their articles. Most (not all, but most) bloggers are not blogging as the main part of their business, for them its a hobby. They are members of the public, not the forth estate.
Apart from that line blurring, it also means that there is a blurring line between PR, advertising and marketing.
If you want bloggers to write about Organ Donor Week it might be worth finding if there are any bloggers amongst the volunteers, the beneficiaries of donations and the families of of the beneficiaries. And of those waiting.
Ask them to spread the word. Tell their stories (e.g. ’tis the time for a yearly update on how you are doing after the operation).
Blogs are about the people behind the screen. Let them tell their tales, and get the word out.
And finally… Give bloggers something to link to. If they can’t link to a site (or a post, or a YouTube video) then they won’t write the blog post in the first place. You can’t get link love without a link to love.
Hi Will. I think we agree on the fundamental principle of treating bloggers and journo’s equally – ie. with respect. Both are incredibly short of time and are under no obligation to publish the stories given to them.
Really good idea re. reaching out to volunteers and donor waiting families.
Just got my donor card signed by next of kin this morning. Been meaning to do this for around 2 years. Blogs work!
best of luck in the net visionaries maaryrose – you’llget my vote !
great ezine
conor
@eibhlin I’m delighted! I’ve always thought it would make perfect sense to have an organ donor ad with a strong call to action playing during ad breaks of Greys Anatomy, ER, and The Practice.
@conor. Wow I’m pleased. Given your recent appearance on telly, that’s like a celebrity endorsement!!!
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