2017 is a year like no other. Young people are no longer watching television, almost everyone is facing smart-phone addiction and very few people still pick up the paper.
This has given rise to the ever-powerful blogger, who millions are now turning to for entertainment, advice and guidance.
For business owners and those in marketing this is a huge issue – how on earth are you going to communicate your amazing product to a wider audience?
The answer is simple, the internet. But you need to be where the eyeballs are, which means opening your minds up to new crazes and phases sweeping the internet. This can change almost on a monthly basis.
As the number of traditional print journalists continues to plummet, more and more people are turning to YouTubers and bloggers to find out information on everything from fashion to politics to personal advice.
So how can businesses capitalise on this expanding market – and convince these new types of influencers to work with them?
Here are some simple but effective ways to engage with those holding all the power cards online.
Identify who you want to work with
Do your research. What product are you wanting to sell and who to? Think about the audience and then start your search on blogger.com and YouTube for those bringing in the numbers of your target market. If it’s a new fruity lipgloss, you’re going to want the next Zoella.
You need to ask yourself who wants this product and what type of people do they trust? Influencers carry a lot of weight with followers so if you can win one over you are halfway there.
Make a ‘hit list’ of people to target and work out the best way to contact them – this should usually start with a friendly email, which leads onto the next point:
Be sociable
A follow on Twitter is no longer enough. If you have found someone you want to work with, let it be known. Find out their contact details or seek out their manager. Adopt a friendly, positive and personalised pitch. Address them by name in any correspondence and make it specific. Avoid any generic language or copy-and-paste style emails which will leave any self-respecting blogger feeling like you’ve gone for the mass-hit approach. Take the extra minute to find out the blogger’s real name.
In this stage you are trying to convince them why they should work with you, so treat them how you would anyone else that you are trying to win over. A winning formula is to try an initial phone call to get a correct email address, follow up with an email and then wait to hear from them. You can always chase with a call a week later if they have not replied.
Show them what you are offering
Be excited about it. If you are buzzing about your product, then it will rub off on other people. By the same token, if you appear apologetic and embarrassed, no one is going to be interested.
The same goes for your initial correspondence pitches. Make sure your emails are bursting with energy – this means getting good quality photos which are quick and easy for the blogger to download.
Include a short but sweet pitch of 1-2 paragraphs and don’t be afraid to include a photograph of yourself or your team, this shows off a bit of extra personality and will help you stand out from the growing crowd. This gives the influencer the opportunity to visualise you.
Finally, don’t be afraid of sending out freebies to get conversation going. A nice basket of goods or even a box of cookies or biscuits if what you’re selling isn’t tangible again helps to stick out in the influencer’s mind. This creates a positive image of yourself and should help foster good working relationships.
These are three ways to try and tempt bloggers into marketing your product (sometimes even for free). Try them out and let us know how you get on.
https://parall.ax/blog/view/3222/how-to-get-bloggers-to-market-your-product