@LBQBlog on PR people: a Love/ hate relationship, with tips for brands wanting to reach out to bloggers

One of the most frustrating issues for bloggers is how badly PR agencies and brands reach out to them, and try to engage with them. This is why i started this blog.

One of the inspirations, was a posting by The London Beauty Queen Blogger (Hayley) who has set up the "Only way is blogging" community and meet up group.

She has kindly agreed that I can publish her thoughts on this blog. So here goes:

I wrote a post like this nearly a year ago now, attempting to air my views on the good, bad and ugly PRs of this world. Well, it seems to be that time again because over the last few weeks I have had the most incredible emails, requests and in some cases actual demands. I want to lay my thoughts on the line, tell you how to work with me if you want to get the best out of the blogger-PR relationship and also let you know some of the hideous emails that have dropped into my inbox recently. I hope your seat belt is buckled...

What's in it for me? One of the most common mistakes PRs make is feeling like you should write about them just because they send you info. I have at least 30 different press releases sent every single day, so unless there's a unique angle, a new product, an endorsement or something unique it's not gonna get past the 'delete' button. If you're not plugging something interesting then come up with a reason that people want to write about you - can you give me prizes for a competition, provide me with unique access to a technical professional or give me an exclusive on something?

Don't you get it? Following on from that point... If you email me and I don't respond, this isn't an invitation to email me again. And again. And again. If you've emailed me three times with the same information and I haven't responded it's because I'm not interested (and your product/story/demand is crap.) If you then take to twitter to ask if I've got your email, then you're opening up yourself to a public battering. It's like trying to resurrect that relationship with a boy that just isn't into you... walk away with your pride in tact or end up like Drew Barrymore.

Where's my invite? One of the most insulting emails I can get is when I'm sent details of an event that happened that I wasn't invited to. Why do I care that you had a fab event and you've got all these great pictures? It's like your mate having a birthday party, not inviting you and asking for you to upload pictures to your facebook page to show off her great outfit. Why the hell would you do that? My response is always the same: "It's an insult to expect me to write about something I wasn't invited to; for that reason I'm not interested in this content" Jog on.

Why should I do you a favour? I find it hilarious when I get emails from PRs basically begging for coverage because they're in hot water. I'm not going to write about something just because your client is giving you grief - maybe you should get creative, do your job and come up with a reason for people to write about you. Isn't that what you get paid for? (Also, see previous point 'what's in it for me?'... get where I'm going?)

Do you know how to spell? Oh my goodness this is annoying as hell. When I get content that is full of spelling and grammatical errors, I pause for a giggle, probably post a sarcastic comment on twitter and then hit the delete button. If you can't be arsed to check your work then why should I be arsed to read it?

Are you getting personal? We're all human and we all respond to the personal touch. When I get an email that starts off with my name (or even London Beauty Queen) I'm 100% more likely to pay attention. When the first paragraph contains some sort of information that proves they've read your content/followed you on twitter then that adds another 100% on top too. Saying you like the piece I wrote on X or asking how X is doing buys you serious brownie points... then I may actually pay attention to what you're telling me in the rest of the email and begin to build a relationship.

It's not rocket science, but you'll be so surprised how many fundamental mistakes are made when approaching bloggers. As this is becoming more and more of an outlet for brands I'm being approached by millions of new PR agencies. The established ones have got it covered; they know what they're doing, they take the time to build relationships and they can't be faulted. The less established have got a long way to go - in some cases. Think before you talk (write/tweet/insert method of communication here) and remember that you need me more than I need you. I've got a lifetime supply of lipgloss at home... give me a reason to want to try yours.

To follow Hayley on Twitter @LBQBlog (click here) and visit her blog London Beauty Queen (click here)

@HeatherCowper on What can Travel Bloggers and Travel PRs learn from each other?

Heather Cowper from http://www.mybloggingjourney.com/ writes about how to create a better Travel Blog.

She wrote an article about one of the areas that drives many bloggers crazy, which is how PR agencies work with them and reach out to them.

She kindly agreed to let the article be republished here on the Bloggers Outreach blog. But for more of her ideas, tips and advive visit her site and sign up for her email updates or subscribe via a reader (links on her site). You can also follow her on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/Heathercowper
@heathercowper

Here are her thoughts and views:

As Travel Blogging moves from the alternative media to the mainstream and more consumers research and book their holidays online, the Travel PR sector is looking to tap into the influence that Travel Bloggers have with their audience. It’s a new way of working that many PR companies are still exploring, while Travel Bloggers are wondering how they might trade coverage on their blogs for sponsored travel, to enable them to travel longer for less.

Last week I attended a blogging event in London, hosted by one of the leading Travel PR companies Four BGB and organised by Travel Bloggers Unite. It was an opportunity for the PR representatives and their clients to meet some of the Travel Bloggers over a few drinks and discuss how they might work together more effectively.

There was a panel discussion with Oliver Gradwell of Travel Bloggers Unite, Andy Jarosz from 501 places representing the bloggers, Phil Ryan, Head of Digital at Four, representing the agency and Janet Neville, Marketing Director at SeaFrance representing the clients, with Debbie Hindle, Managing Director of Four BGB chairing the discussion.

What PR companies and their clients want;

Many travel companies see blogging as something untested and downright scary. Some are even burying their head in the sand and hoping that the social media revolution will be a passing fad that they can ignore, while others are cautiously prepared to dip their toe in the water but don’t really know where to start. We bloggers are somewhat insulated from commercial considerations, but in the world of business it’s all about Return on Investment or ROI and every penny has to be justified in terms of results and revenue.

PR companies sometimes have an uphill struggle persuading their clients that it’s worth working with Travel Bloggers and so there are some things that we can do to help them. They need to know what is motivating each blogger and ideally to be presented with clear information about what we are looking for from them. They need to know who our audience is, so they can match us with their clients’ brands, how many readers we have and any other stats or information we can give them that will convince them that they will get some return for the client’s investment. The more professional we can be as bloggers in putting together our proposition, the easier a job they will have in convincing somewhat doubtful clients. Janet Neville from SeaFrance told us how she receives up to 300 e-mail enquiries a day and so anything hitting her inbox has to stand out as something that will be beneficial to her company, if she is to give it any attention.

Dave and Deb from The Planet D are examples of an emerging breed of professional bloggers who treat their blog as a business. They send a sponsorship package to prospective travel sponsors laying out information about their blog, their brand and their audience and what they can specifically offer each sponsor. Unusually they also use tools like Tweetreach and Google Analytics to provide their sponsors with stats that demonstrate the effectiveness of their articles and social media activities, to provide information on that all important ROI. I’ve also recently started producing one page information sheets for different markets such as destinations, hotels, cottages and restaurants with details about my blog at Heather on her travels with my stats and what I will offer each sponsor and I have a Press/PR page with case studies and links from previous sponsored trips.

One fear I’ve heard several times before from travel companies and their PR representatives is that bloggers are difficult to control and may be openly negative, which is difficult to stomach if the company is footing your bill. In the old media world where travel companies have financial clout as advertisers, there is an editorial buffer to stop anyone being too tactlessly negative. Yet the self published bloggers have no such editor to control them and take pride in speaking honestly to retain the trust of their audience.

I think one way around this in that PR companies need to do their homework on the bloggers they invite and suss out whether a blogger’s voice and style will work for their particular client. As Oliver Gradwell from Travel Bloggers Unite pointed out, if you do your job properly in organising and running a blogging trip, then there shouldn’t be too much negative to write about anyway.

Personally if I’m taking a sponsored trip I try to present the things I enjoyed, rather than looking for the negative, and if there are things that aren’t so great I will mention them but not as the overwhelming theme of my article.

So what are Travel bloggers looking for from PR companies?

Debbie Hindle had it right when she said that PRs know that bloggers need trips that are tailored for their interests, with plenty of free time in their schedule to blog and use social media, not to mention keep all their other plates spinning in terms of running their blogging businesses. And of course we all agree that free and fast Wifi everywhere you go is a must, especially if you want bloggers to create some buzz through Twitter and social media in realtime. Please don’t expect us to foot the bill for extortionate roaming charges when the Wifi’s not working. Hopefully more PR companies will take this seriously – perhaps using gadgets like the TEP pocket wifi that Sherry Ott and the rest of her Mongol Rally team were given to enable them to stay online while in London and as they pass through Europe.

While the traditional model of taking small groups of journalists on a press trip has successfully translated into similar blogging trips, there are some bloggers like myself who prefer to arrange our travel on an individual basis and I hope that gradually clients and PRs will broaden their approach and be flexible to suit the travel style of different bloggers. For instance if you’re aiming at a family travel market it makes more sense to send a family to experience your holiday, as I did last autumn on a sponsored trip with Eurocamp. As bloggers become more established, they are also looking for longer term relationships with travel companies and perhaps payment to become ambassadors and promoters of brands that will appeal to their target audience.

There was discussion among the bloggers as to whether it worked to mix journalists and bloggers on the same sponsored trip. For Alistair McKenzie of Travel Lists, this was a big no-no as they work in different ways and have different needs – print journalists tend to be in competition with each other while bloggers will be much more collaborative in cross-promoting each other’s content and social media. However, Deb from The Planet D disagreed, having been on successful mixed trips and felt that it was more about the individuals and the shared interest in a particular travel niche that was important.

So if you’re a Travel Blogger, be professional and clear about what you can offer and if you’re a Travel PR do your homework on what bloggers need and always check that the wifi will be up to scratch.


Thanks again to her for letting us share these ideas..

@TravelMassive shows power and future of travel blogger communities

The travel blogger community seem to be one of the more advanced when it comes to creating communities and connecting to share ideas, and providing forums for brands and companies to connect with their community.

These groups and communities are even starting to take on a more global form and structure. This is a very significant development.

Take, for example, the emergence of a grouping called Travel Massive

On their site they say: Travel Massive is a global initiative to connect people in the travel industry locally, bringing together travel bloggers, brands, startups and socially 


Existing travel blogging groups are starting to join and form alliances with them, and they have sessions and communities in London, Sydney, Toronto and more.


To give more background, this is a note from an existing group called Travel Bloggers Meet Up Group in London announcing their alliance with the group:

"We've been working closely with a group called the Travel Massive. A network of meetup events for travel bloggers, journalists, PR and the wider travel industry. We were lucky enough to be apart of their inception in Sydney, Australia last year and they also have a London based meetup event each month. Travel Massive and the Travel Bloggers meetup group are working on the same principals with lots of opportunities for all the members so we're merging the two. The travel bloggers meetup group will become the London Travel Massive and we'll be promoting all their events on the meetup group website at http://www.meetup.com/travelbloggers

From August I will be moving to Singapore to explore lots of opportunities in Asia and will be setting up Asia's first Travel Massive events, much like this meetup group. This will bring the Travel Massive network up to 11 locations around the world and we'll be working on some special events to tie all the locations together. We'd really like you to be a part of it and with the help of Travel Massive London this group will continue to grow"

http://www.travelmassive.com/

The Only Way is Blogging ( @TOWIB1 ) community by @LBQblog: inspired and a new trend

One example of the emerging trend for bloggers to get and be more organised is the creation of a new group called The Only Way Is Blogging (TOWIB), created by the successful and very popular beauty blogger London Beauty Queen Blogger. 


She decided to have an informal get together one Saturday afternoon in mid July at a pub in London. She soon found that instead of the maybe 20 or so bloggers she thought would be interested, over 100 confirmed and almost the same number posted maybe or can not attend (but wanted to in the future)... Without much publicity or promotion.


The event she organized consisted of 3 talks by beauty companies, including Unilever's Dove, and a sharing and Q&A about issues bloggers faced. Topics like driving traffic, dealing with negativity and so on.


The comments and reviews by those attending show clearly that an informal community is likely to emerge from her initiative. A community where bloggers largely writing about the same topic can not only get advice, but also get access to brands as they are likely to attract them as there is a forum that makes it efficient for both sides. Also critically together they can share, and find out, how they can be better and more effective bloggers and so make their hobby, passion or fledgling business grow.


I suspect the TOWIB will thrive as a forum and community for beauty and related bloggers, although the aspiration of LBQblog is to be broader and attract a more lifestyle blogger. The first event was attended by women bloggers exclusively it seems, and this may not be a bad thing as attracts a sector and a community that is liken to share similar issues,interests, challenges and opportunities.


It also will make it an attractive forum and mechanism for PR companies and brands to engage with a bigger community and together learn how to meet their needs.


I find this initiative by her inspired and very insightful. Something that I think all sides can learn and build on.


The TOWIB has a blog, twitter account and Facebook page that she runs. If you are a UK based blogger, and especially interested in beauty, fashion and lifestyle then I recommend you sign up for them. Already from the event it is clear those people attending discovered and started follow each others blogs and twitter accounts. Boosting their exposure and followers immediately.


I also think that brand owners and PR companies in the same space need to follow and keep close on how this group emerges and develops.


I will continue to keep close to this initiative, and see how it evolves - and how and if it manages to evolve into a major influencing form to be reckoned with in the beauty and lifestyle blogging space. I think it has the potential to develop into a key community and forum for beauty and lifestyle bloggers and brands interested in that audience. So if that is you, my advice, is to get involved now in the early stages..



The Only Way if Blogging links:
Website: click here
Facebook Page: click here
Twitter: click here

What is bloggers outreach for? the reasons why i have started this site, blog & network..

I have been an active blogger since 2005, and over the last few years I have seen the influence and power of blogs grow and grow. The good ones are getting more important, and more influential, every day.


I believe that this will continue as key and important blogs on topics become seen as the independent, unbiased and opinionated sources of advice, information and guidance.


We are seeing "user generated content" sites (like TripAdvisor) in my view becoming less effective and reliable, as users vent or rave in short sentences - while on the other side companies and agencies are trying to manage what is said and how they are rated. This means these sites, unless they find a new model, will become less important and less effective.


The good blogger who has passion, expertise, understanding and stays independent  of mind and views will become very important. They can be experts in key niches and topics.


I find increasingly that I turn to and refer to blogs when trying to find out about places, purchases or issues. I find they end up being more detailed and more accurate and more reliable. This, when done well, will be the future of advice and recommendation.


The BloggersOutreach blog and site is an attempt to help create a place to share, support and promote blogs and blogging. I think that so much interaction with bloggers is done badly, as brands and companies try and find out the best way to contact and interact.


An emerging trend and practice is for bloggers to start to create communities and forums to share, discuss and learn. They are fascinating as they also start to filter out and bring blogs on topics that they as a group feel are strong and complimemtary. These forums become a great opportunity for PR and Brand owners to connect in more efficient and effective ways - and learn the best way to do it.


BloggersOureach.com is exploring how bloggers can connect with other bloggers and blogging communities, and with brands and companies.


Sign up for email updates and leave thoughts and comments on the blog

Connecting bloggers: with other bloggers - and with brands

I have been blogging since 2005 with my Tips For Travellers blog and Marketing Unleashed blog. 


Over the last few years, I have seen that as the power and influence of blogs has grown that both bloggers are looking to connect and reach out to each other more, but also many brands are trying to find the best way to reach out and interact.


Many brands and companies do it really badly. BloggersOutreach is about promoting and find better ways to do this.


Some bloggers are starting to form formal and informal groups both online and off line. Groups like Travel Bloggers Unite and The Only Way is Blogging are some examples of this.


This blog aims to help connect bloggers and groups like these, and share insights, learning and advice... join up and become part of BloggersOutreach..