Blogger Relations: It’s Risky But Necessary Business
By Jill McCubbin
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” What I think she meant is that taking risks broadens your experience – taking risks makes you stronger.
Outreach to the blogging community, or blogger relations, can represent a “scary” dive into mysterious waters. Why? Because compared to “media people” governed by a standard journalistic code of ethics, bloggers are unpredictable. In addition, as Rachel Clarke, who blogs about integrated and digital marketing, says, bloggers don’t respond to mass emails or marketing pitches. It takes a relevant, direct, informed, one-on-one conversation to convince a busy blogger to help you get your story out there.
So yes, this is a bit scary, and it’s work. Yet, the blogosphere has a major role in 21st century marketing as the influence of the trade press shrinks and the power of blogs to sway public opinion sky-rockets.
Entering the business blogosphere first begins “at home” with a blog on your own Web site, preferably integrated into your home page, not in some hard-to-find corner of your site. A business blog is the quickest way to enter into online conversation. Once you’re blogging, adding an outreach strategy to spread the word to other bloggers and influencers in your marketplace is the next step to getting your message circulating globally.
At Marketcircle, a Mac business software company, CEO Alykhan Jetha is an enthusiastic blogger and a passionate spokesperson in the independent Mac developer community. Jetha’s been blogging for about a year, and he works closely with us as we contact other bloggers and alert them to his views as well as to his company’s specific business software initiatives. Click here to see the thought leadership ramp he’s on.
So… the final word about marketing with blogs: Just do it - blog on. You can’t afford not to take the risk. Tell ’em Eleanor sent ya!
(Jill McCubbin is a Conversation Architect with market2world communications inc., Canada's Web 2.0 tech product launch and public relations agency.)
Steve Reside
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Reader Comments (1)
Although, if they are ready for it, it's definitely the right thing to do!