Voice Quick Tips: Planning Blogger Engagement

Author:  Sylwia  Presley,  December  2011  

Introduction

Blogger engagement becomes increasingly important element of on-line campaigns but many brands and organisations do not really know how to plan it.

This document contains major factors to consider and sample methodology of getting bloggers on-board to support your activities.

Understanding the conversations

On-line campaigns are based around valuable conversations about your brand, organisation or particular activity. Before you even start planning any type of work with bloggers, you need to understand the conversations around your work. Use free or paid tools, set up the scope of your interest too.

Brand ambassadors

Brand ambassadors (and detractors!) are very important elements of any on-line campaign.

You might already have them, but do not know about it. You might need to build a team of ambassadors by getting bloggers on-board of your campaigns too.

If you read conversations about your brand carefully, you will find them!

Creative thinking

Let’s assume you have a few influential bloggers interested in your product or industry. In order to involve them you need to give them the reason to talk and write about you. You need to be creative! Sit down with you team… and come up with: • The engaging, • The interesting and valuable, • The out of the ordinary, • The relevant, • The AMAZING…

..experience bloggers will just WANT to take part in.

Finding the right people

The key to the success of your blogger engagement is finding the right people. Make sure that the bloggers are relevant to your story, will want to get involved but will also share your story with their networks. Once you find your bloggers, study their blogs carefully – they will expect you to know them very well!

Planning your engagement

Before your first e-mail to bloggers you need to know exactly: • What you are planning, • What you are offering to bloggers, • How do you like them to get involved.

Prepare your copies, on-line presences and all the needed virtual and off-line assets in advance!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thestylepa/6269244082/

Initial contact

When you write to bloggers with your invitations make sure that your copy is: 1.  Transparent – who are you? What is the brand you I am talking to? 2.  Interesting, short but engaging – I receive a lot of invitations, why would I

even start and finish reading yours? 3.  Relevant – why is this relevant to my blog? 4.  Explaining the rules of engagement – what are you offering me and what

am I expected to do? 5.  Explaining how blogger was chosen – why did you choose me? 6.  Providing various options to respond – can I reach you on Twitter or

Facebook, can I call you? 7.  Clear and relevant subject line.

It’s always worth asking yourself – would you even open this email in your inbox? Would you find it respectful, clear and interesting?

Managing ambassador programme

Once you have your team of bloggers in place you need to ensure that they have all they need to contribute to your campaign: 1.  Open and listen – they are there to tell you what works, what doesn’t and

how to achieve the goals of your campaign better, 2.  Cover all the basics – explain the locations, provide assets, contact details to

your team, send out an info pack with all the necessary information – remember that bloggers are visitor, they do not need to be familiar with your work so they need to be briefed properly,

3.  Support on the way – be there to answer all questions, 4.  Enhance blogging opportunities – provide free wifi, access to mobile devices

or any other equipment bloggers might need, plan bloggers area, 5.  Read and promote the content created for you – follow your bloggers on-

line, promote their content, share their work with larger audiences (they will do the same for you!).

6.  Respect, respect, respect!

Follow up

Stay in touch with your bloggers!

Follow them on-line. The experience you provided them with might change the way they blog – their new content might still be relevant to your work, to your brand.

Promote their work in your networks as a case study. It’s the best way to say thank you for their time and commitment.

Contact

If you have any comments please contact:

Sylwia Presley E-mail: sylwiapresley@nfpvoice.com Mobile: 07850 138 178 Twitter: @presleysylwia and @nfpvoice Skype: sylwia.presley