Bloggers unite to attract audiences, end up benefiting brands

I would sound like a broken record if I told you that digital media is becoming a part of every PR plan and a focus of communication firms worldwide.  I would be preaching to the choir if I touted the benefits of working with bloggers that might not be as impressive or established as The New York Times, but could potentially be more successful in reaching small, targeted audiences.  And I would be the recipient of thousands of eye-rolls if I tried to bill blogger relations as quick and easy.

Identifying the right blogger to work with for a specific brand or campaign can be tricky.  It takes a lot of scrolling, clicking and reading to make sure that this particular blog reaches your desired audience, would be genuinely interested in what you have to offer and is dedicated to providing honest, frequent content to their readers.  Often times, a campaign calls for a select group of bloggers that must work together or in parallel toward the same goal.  Finding a perfect group of like-minded bloggers is a time-consuming endeavor, to say the least.

Fortunately, a new trend in the blogosphere is making our jobs just a bit easier.  Through forums, conferences and the like, bloggers are becoming more organized and connected, and some of them are using their new relationships to attract bigger and better brand-sponsored programs.  To my knowledge, there isn’t yet a formal name for these alliances, but I fondly refer to them as "Synchronized Blogger Review and Giveaway Programs."

In the past few months, bloggers that I have worked with in the past have pitched me with succinct, well-planned and carefully-presented programs, asking if any of my clients would be a good fit.  The programs are often centered on gift-giving or entertaining holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.  The groups are comprised of five to 12 blogs with similar audiences and focus (which eliminates a great deal of the ground work for PR professionals), and there is usually one leading blogger who handles all correspondence (which greatly reduces the time spent emailing back and forth with multiple blogger).  Some groups even offer a media kit, including details on the demographics and size of the combined blogger audience, a commitment to posting on Facebook and Twitter and clear guidelines for what the brand will need to commit.  This brand commitment can be greater than the average one-off product review and giveaway, but the efficiency of working with one blogger to reach the audience of 10 with the combined reach of millions is usually worth the extra ask.

Overall, these programs are targeted and impactful, and since the bloggers are approaching brands with the opportunity – rather than the other way around – they are often more accommodating and flexible.  To date, these programs have presented themselves through past relationships, again emphasizing the importance of fostering mutually beneficial relationships (yes, I said it) with the bloggers that matter to you and your brands.  The next step is figuring out how to get ahead of the game and find them before they find you.