54 . Glasgow Business October 2015
BIG TALKS Jennifer Degnan, Senior Account Executive, The BIG Partnership
Exploring the blogosphere
From shark-hunting to iTunes and chocolate to cheering, nowadays you can find a blog on almost anything ... and countless companies have a blog
W
hile most businesses are well-versed in the benefits of a well-maintained blog for expressing brand personality
and enhancing SEO, many are missing a trick by failing to engage bloggers. But ticking the box marked “Are we
blog-tastic?” is about much more, because other bloggers can – and should – be your best friends. Trust leads to loyalty and loyalty leads to
profits. Te Gartner Group found 80 per cent of most companies’ revenue comes from just 20 per cent of customers. If a business wants to be profitable, it’s crucial they don’t just create a sizeable customer base, but establish one that keeps coming back. In the batle to keep customers engaged, a
good blogger is worth their weight in plutonium. Tey build devoted followings that trust their opinion, opening up a fertile and engaged audience to brands with the right approach. Research Now found blogs to be the most
important source of information for buying decisions among 18-34 year olds. Building relationships with bloggers
provides benefits for both parties: bloggers receive products and services for free, as well as fodder for fresh content to boost their views. Brands receive the opportunity for their product to be reviewed and recommended to a relevant, engaged audience. And that’s why smart companies are
creating connections with relevant bloggers, helping to build that all-important trust with the customer. However, beware the pitfalls: blogger
engagement is no get-rich-quick scheme. Like a brand, like any business relationship, and like
the products you’ve spent years pouring your R&D spend into, it takes time and effort to get the right results. Blogs are generally more personal
and personalised. First, you need to understand where they take their inspiration from and what sort of brands or products they are likely to engage with. It’s also important to
consider whether the personality of the blog fits with your own brand image. If they differ significantly, it’ll be like pushing water uphill. Some bloggers
have policies – and prices – for product features or reviews, and it’s good to know what these are before you engage. Bloggers are passionate
about what they do and they’ve put in a lot of graſt to come out on top in the blogging batleground. Show them respect when making your approach and seek to genuinely engage them. Finally, use your marketing
prowess to discern your most relevant blogger audience. Not every brand will be able to target an internet celebrity, and neither should they. Intelligent research and engagement will match you to your blogger soulmate and together, you’ll be making marketing magic in no time.
”Bloggers are passionate about what they do and they’ve put in a lot of graft to come out on top in the blogging battleground .“
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