Bloggers Speak Out: New paid and pitching techniques to score more placement

PROPRIETARY & CONFIDENTIAL
7/8/15
Sandra Fathi
President, Affect
Web: www.affect.com
Blog: www.techaffect.com
Email: sfathi@affect.com
Twitter: @sandrafathi
Bloggers Speak Out:
New Paid & Pitching Techniques to Score More Placements
Ragan Webinar
July 9, 2015

SANDRA FATHI
!  President, Affect
!  Public Relations and Social Media Firm
!  Serving Technology, Healthcare and
Professional Services Clients
!  Current Affiliations:
!  PRSA-NY Board Member
!  PR Council Member
!  Previous Affiliations:
!  Chair, PRSA Tri-State District
!  President, PRSA-NY Chapter
!  President, PRSA Technology Section

AGENDA
I.  What’s New
II.  Influencer Marketing Strategy
III.  Targeting: Research & Tools
IV.  Social Media Relations
V.  All About the Content
VI.  Money Matters: Promotions & Sponsorships
VII.  Great Expectations: Product & Service Reviews

Part I: WHAT’S NEW
Citizen
Journalist
Blogger
Social
Media
Influencer
Platform
Star
Traditional
Media
Publication
Blog
Online Only
Publication
Social
Media
Channels

PRIMARY FUNCTION/
FOCUS
TEXT
IMAGES
VIDEO

BLOGGER REVOLUTION TO
EVOLUTION
EarlyBloggers
Deep Subject
Experts
Distinct
Audiences
Platform Agnostic
Engaged as
Individuals
SecondGeneration
Broad Categories
(i.e. Mommy
Blogger)
Topic Creep
Platform Limited
Engaged as
Individuals but
Often in Groups
or Blogger
Networks
NextGeneration
Specific Domain
of Influence (Not
Expertise)
Micro-focus
Platform Specific
Engaged as
Individuals or as
Part of Platform-
Specific Networks

NEW TYPES OF
ENGAGEMENT
https://vine.co/v/ODgI2ZJYMnD

NEW TYPES OF
ENGAGEMENT

Part II. INFLUENCER
MARKETING STRATEGY
1.  What is the Business Outcome We
Want to Achieve?
2.  Who is our target audience?
•  Customers
•  Prospects
•  Employees
•  Investors
3.  Where are they congregating?
4.  What are they interested in?
5.  Who are they listening to?
6.  What action do we want them to take?
7.  How will we measure success?

THE BLOGGER SPECTRUM
Personal Blogger - Hobbyist Professional - Journalist

THE HOBBYIST
!  For the Love
!  For the Cause
!  For the Money
!  For the Fame
!  For the Freebies
!  For the Soul

THE PROFESSIONAL
!  For the Editor
!  For the Job
!  For the Readers
!  For the Clicks
!  For the Fame

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
!  Journalist
!  Separation of Editorial &
Advertising Functions
!  Clear Editorial Policies
!  No Compensation
!  Paid Programs Through
Advertising or Marketing
Dept.
!  Hobbyist
!  May or May Not Separate
Editorial & Advertising Functions
!  Unclear Editorial Policies (Read
the Blog or Ask)
!  May or May Not Accept
Compensation
!  Paid Programs May Be Through
the Same Individual

Part III. TARGETING:
RESEARCH & TOOLS

FINDING INFLUENCERS:
DATABASES

FINDING INFLUENCERS: SM
PLATFORM SEARCH

BLOGGING PLATFORMS

SEARCH

PAID

PART IV: SOCIAL MEDIA
RELATIONS
Engaging & Building Relationships.
Where to Start:
1.  Set Goals & Strategy
2.  Provide Full Disclosure
3.  Seek Opportunities for Relevant Engagement
4.  Become a Resource/Thought Leader
5.  Value Over Noise – Quality Over Quantity
6.  Bring Online Offline
7.  Create Partnerships for Long-term Success

ENGAGING & BUILDING
RELATIONSHIPS
Quick Tips:
1.  Give & Get: Retweets, Likes, Shares, Favorites
2.  Read & Comment: On Articles, Blog Posts, Videos etc.
3.  Ask & Answer: Ask Questions (Bloggers are People) and Answer
Requests (Help them find sources)
4.  Know Your Target: Their Habits, Pet Peeves, Special Sections,
Biases, Personal/Professional Background etc.
5.  Know Your Target’s Audience: Same as Above

WHAT TO AVOID
1.  Stereotyping, Making Broad Biased Assumptions
2.  Releasing Confidential Information
3.  Attaching Blogger’s Name to Irrelevant Content
4.  Blatant Flattery
5.  Repetitive Content
6.  Inadvertently Outing a Blogger’s Story or Methods
7.  Compromising Their Ethics
8.  Asking ‘Too Much’
9.  Confusing Paying Someone with Buying Someone

Part V. ALL ABOUT THE
CONTENT
1.  Make their job easier
!  Educate
!  Provide publish-ready resources
•  Images
•  Infographics
•  Slideshows
•  Quotes
•  Feature releases/press releases
•  FAQs
•  Links
2.  Be willing to invest
!  Provide access to executives
!  Customize content
!  Offer exclusives
!  Provide incentives, samples,
and giveaways for the
community
3.  Distinguish between editorial
engagements (earned) and
promotional (paid) engagements
4.  Be transparent, comply with all
legal and ethical and disclosure
obligations
5.  Offer fair compensation

INFOGRAPHICS

IMAGES & VIDEO

CONTENT CREATION

PART VI. MONEY MATTERS:
PROMOTIONS &
SPONSORSHIPS
1.  Read the website – is there an advertising, sponsorship, marketing,
about or FAQ section?
2.  Read the blog – see if mention of how to work together with brands
is clearly articulated or previous examples are visible
3.  Ask the blogger directly – separately from your editorial content –
about advertising and promotional opportunities and policies
4.  Ask if they work with a representative or sales person
5.  Approach (cautiously) with your own suggested program
6.  Go through a blogger network or platform network

BLOGGER

BLOG AD NETWORK

BLOGGER CONTESTS/
PRODUCT PROMOTION

ILAND CAMPAIGN

Part VII. GREAT
EXPECTATIONS: PRODUCT &
SERVICE REVIEWS
!  Free vs. Paid - Don’t mix and match – determine your priority for initial
outreach based on your goals and knowledge of the outlet
!  Try to separate church and state – try not to mix the earned and paid
conversations in one, even when the blogger does. It can get
confusing, messy and lead to a frustrated blogger (and client).
!  Try to confirm in advance, willingness to review product before
sending valuable samples. Never send out product you expect to have
returned without explicit prior agreement – and even then, it may not
be returned. Make the process as simple and painless as possible for
the blogger (prepaid, return envelopes/delivery services).

PAID REVIEWS - CLEAR
COMMUNICATIONS
1.  Introduce your company, product/service and make your intentions clear.
For example:
!  This is a promotional opportunity….We are offering to
o  Pay you $X
o  Provide X free samples for you or your readers
o  Provide you with use of our product for X time
2.  Be clear on your expectations in return. For example:
!  We are asking our partners to
o  Write a blog post, product review or other type of content
o  Post on social media X times
o  Conduct a giveaway or contest with their readers
3.  Explain any parameters or limitations. For example:
!  Only available to the first 50 respondents
!  Must post by X date
!  Must be able to provide proof of readership above X

FOR CONSIDERATION
!  Understand the consequences of a poor review – will the blogger
still write about it?
!  Determine your level of editorial control, if any, over what is
published
!  Don’t be petty regarding the value of the product or service if it’s
insignificant, or insignificant to the client (However, understand the
‘use’ of a product may have significant value even if it is returned –
such as a car.)
!  Always abide by the rules of disclosure, and insist that the blogger
does as well

7/8/15
Contact Information & Resources:
On Slideshare – www.slideshare.net/sfathi
Sandra Fathi
President
Affect
989 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10018
212 398 9680
sfathi@affect.com
Twitter: @sandrafathi
LinkedIn, Facebook: Sandra Fathi
Web: www.affect.com
Blog: www.techaffect.com

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