If you’re a blogger and you don’t know
Bangs allow me to introduce you to a great blogger but also someone
who is a real grafter – she has put the hours in and she knows what she is
talking about – we love this post by her as it is a lesson to all bloggers ……….
Please heed and
remember we all need to act humble someday’s
I met with a PR last week who regaled me with stories of how
she gets bombarded with requests for free product from bloggers. Oh dear. I
always feel a little embarrassed as a blogger when I hear that. I’ve written
before about the sense of entitlement newer bloggers seem to have, but perhaps
it’s time we examined in more detail how the PR/blogger relationship works
specifically in relation to free product.
The great thing about blogging is that you can be your own
boss and make your own rules. That is also one of the things that makes it a
bit of a minefield for PRs. I think as the power and influence of the blogger
grows, there has been a tendency for bloggers to…how shall I put this? Be a bit
up our own asses. So let’s look at how and why product is distributed to
bloggers.
How do I get on a PRs
radar?
This is a question I’m often asked, mostly by new bloggers.
I find it an odd question. I blogged for two years with no knowledge that PRs
even looked at blogs . Whether or not you are in contact with PRs or ‘on their
radar’ should have no bearing in how well you blog. Your first, and really only
priority when you start out, should be producing good content. If you feel you
need an abundance of free product in order to be able to do that, well, you got
into this for the wrong reasons.
You will get on a PRs radar when you are producing good work
that interests them. When you have an audience who are reacting to and sharing
your posts. But being on their radar should be far from your main concern when
starting out.
Why won’t they send
me things?
Well there are a number of reasons. PRs are usually
allocated a certain amount of product. They distribute that to the people they
feel will be able to get the word out best. Keep in mind, the PRs have to
justify their every move to the brand, their client. So, imagine being the PR
in the client meeting trying to justify why they sent product to a brand new
blogger who doesn’t have much of an audience or influence, they just, you know,
badgered you until you gave them something. Awkward conversation. Wrongly
targeting your media outreach, well, that’s the kind of thing that can lose you
a client.
It’s all good getting in a huff about it, but just think
about it from a brand perspective. If I were a brand, I’d absolutely want my
product to go to bloggers with good traffic, lots of Twitter followers, a
proven influence that will benefit my brand. It’s a business.
Can I approach a PR?
Absolutely. I do, if they work with a brand I feel is in
keeping with my blog, definitely. But I always outline why it would be
beneficial for them to work with me, what my blog and brand can deliver, the
type of coverage I can provide. Discussing stats always seems to be a bit
taboo, but this is the one instance where you should be expected to cough them
up. And let’s stop with the inflating of statistics too, shall we? There are
tools that anyone can use to find out the kind of traffic you get, so inflating
them can often leave you looking a bit silly. Just be honest – if what you have
to offer isn’t right for that brand, it might be right for another.
But I want to do
reviews and stuff!
And you can still do that. There are plenty of people doing
reviews and talking about brands who are getting no kickback whatsoever from
the brand itself. There are plenty of fashion bloggers who do daily ‘what I
wore’ type posts using clothes they’ve bought themselves, same goes for beauty
bloggers and other genres. The key to a blog taking off is in your passion,
your knowledge, your expertise – work with what you have for now and down the
road, when you’ve built up a following and a reputation for doing good posts
around your chosen subject, PRs and brands will take notice. It takes time.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: it all comes down to hard work
and patience.
