What is blogging?
Blogging first started as a way to have an online personal web log, in which a person would write a diary or journal about their day. From web log came the term blog and so blogging was born.
Bloggers typically write about their interests on a regular basis. Popular blog subjects include parenting, beauty, health, gaming and travel. A lifestyle blog often encompasses many of these topics too.
What is the difference between a blog and a website?
Blogs are updated on a frequent basis, with many bloggers posting weekly or even daily. Websites often have more static content and are not updated so frequently unless they are a news website or magazine style site.
Blogs also have a more personal connection than websites. Many bloggers write about their personal life and build up their social followers (on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and so on) who like what they write about.
Blogs also allow for reader interaction and engagement on social media, much more so than a traditional website does.
Audience and influence
Bloggers vary in the size of their audience from nano bloggers with typically less than a thousand followers to a micro blogger who has between a 1000 and 10,000 followers, to a macro blogger who has 10,000 followers upwards to 100,000. There are also a number of bloggers with 100,000 followers or more that become minor celebrities.
Bloggers of a certain level of engagement are often are said to have influence and can be referred to as 'influencers'. They have a higher engagement rate than celebrities who often don't have time to interact with their huge number of followers.
Trustworthiness
Bloggers are often seen as more trustworthy than celebs.
People identify more readily with bloggers and many bloggers have a code of conduct, to only endorse products they really love and to give their honest opinion on an item for review.
An authentic voice
Trustworthiness and authenticity is key to most bloggers.
If you find the right blogger for your brand, someone who really loves what they are reviewing or writing about then you have struck marketing gold. Bloggers provide honest feedback that their readers will appreciate.
They are relatable
Bloggers are usually people that are just like their readers.
They may be the same age, or come from the same background or have the same interests. They are relatable to their readers as they are similar to them.
Niche and age
There are so many bloggers around the world and although many write about a range of topics, there are also many that have a niche, such as jewellery, luxury, family travel, mental health and so on.
Bloggers are not just millennials or Generation Z, there are bloggers from the Gen X era and 'baby boomers' too that have a higher level of disposable income and that may appeal to luxury companies. Check out my post on why you should choose a Gen X blogger to promote your brand, and as blogging as a career gets older so does its readership. Of course, blogging is also becoming more appealing to teenagers too.
If your company has a niche area or is aimed at a certain age you should be able to find someone that your brand can relate to, and that will support your brand.
They are affordable
Bloggers are affordable compared to celebrities. They may charge to work with a company but those with a small to moderate following are affordable to the majority of small businesses.
When you compare the cost of placing a small advert in a local newspaper to the reach of even a small blogger, potentially worldwide, then you can see that bloggers are supremely affordable.
They provide backlinks
Bloggers can provide referrals and useful link backs to your website which is useful for SEO as well as sales. They can really drive traffic and raise your profile to get your brand noticed. They can also improve your sales by being brand ambassadors.
How to work with a blogger
Many bloggers will have contact details on their blog and companies can either contact them on social media or via email with a proposal. This can be a little hit or miss, as the blogger may not love your brand as much as you do. To take a lot of the hassle out of organising a blogger collaboration there are blogger outreach sites available.
Blogger outreach sites such as Get Blogged allow companies to connect with bloggers by posting their requirements and bloggers are then invited to apply for the opportunities. I've personally used this site and they have a range of opportunities for bloggers to apply for on a weekly basis. Here is my affiliate link if you want to sign up as a blogger.
As you can see smaller bloggers are trustworthy, authentic and relatable to their audience and can be a very affordable way of marketing your business. This is why you should be using smaller bloggers for your marketing campaign.
*Collaborative post
Bloggers typically write about their interests on a regular basis. Popular blog subjects include parenting, beauty, health, gaming and travel. A lifestyle blog often encompasses many of these topics too.
What is the difference between a blog and a website?
Blogs are updated on a frequent basis, with many bloggers posting weekly or even daily. Websites often have more static content and are not updated so frequently unless they are a news website or magazine style site.
Blogs also have a more personal connection than websites. Many bloggers write about their personal life and build up their social followers (on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and so on) who like what they write about.
Blogs also allow for reader interaction and engagement on social media, much more so than a traditional website does.
Audience and influence
Bloggers of a certain level of engagement are often are said to have influence and can be referred to as 'influencers'. They have a higher engagement rate than celebrities who often don't have time to interact with their huge number of followers.
Trustworthiness
Bloggers are often seen as more trustworthy than celebs.
People identify more readily with bloggers and many bloggers have a code of conduct, to only endorse products they really love and to give their honest opinion on an item for review.
An authentic voice
If you find the right blogger for your brand, someone who really loves what they are reviewing or writing about then you have struck marketing gold. Bloggers provide honest feedback that their readers will appreciate.
They are relatable
Bloggers are usually people that are just like their readers.
They may be the same age, or come from the same background or have the same interests. They are relatable to their readers as they are similar to them.
Niche and age
There are so many bloggers around the world and although many write about a range of topics, there are also many that have a niche, such as jewellery, luxury, family travel, mental health and so on.
Bloggers are not just millennials or Generation Z, there are bloggers from the Gen X era and 'baby boomers' too that have a higher level of disposable income and that may appeal to luxury companies. Check out my post on why you should choose a Gen X blogger to promote your brand, and as blogging as a career gets older so does its readership. Of course, blogging is also becoming more appealing to teenagers too.
If your company has a niche area or is aimed at a certain age you should be able to find someone that your brand can relate to, and that will support your brand.
They are affordable
Bloggers are affordable compared to celebrities. They may charge to work with a company but those with a small to moderate following are affordable to the majority of small businesses.
When you compare the cost of placing a small advert in a local newspaper to the reach of even a small blogger, potentially worldwide, then you can see that bloggers are supremely affordable.
They provide backlinks
Bloggers can provide referrals and useful link backs to your website which is useful for SEO as well as sales. They can really drive traffic and raise your profile to get your brand noticed. They can also improve your sales by being brand ambassadors.
How to work with a blogger
Many bloggers will have contact details on their blog and companies can either contact them on social media or via email with a proposal. This can be a little hit or miss, as the blogger may not love your brand as much as you do. To take a lot of the hassle out of organising a blogger collaboration there are blogger outreach sites available.
Blogger outreach sites such as Get Blogged allow companies to connect with bloggers by posting their requirements and bloggers are then invited to apply for the opportunities. I've personally used this site and they have a range of opportunities for bloggers to apply for on a weekly basis. Here is my affiliate link if you want to sign up as a blogger.
As you can see smaller bloggers are trustworthy, authentic and relatable to their audience and can be a very affordable way of marketing your business. This is why you should be using smaller bloggers for your marketing campaign.
*Collaborative post
Unfortunately my campaigns are determined by my clients but I am always explaining that today's newer blog will be tomorrow's bigger blog!
ReplyDeleteI love blogging and I do think good brand partnerships are a fabulous bonus. I wish everyone would consider the 'fit' rather than the stats. After all, no one would expect Vogue to have the same readership volumes as Bella...
ReplyDeleteI've been blogging for almost eight years and I have seen a change in how some brands and PRs are working with Bloggers. With so many blogs to choose from, it must make it difficult to find the right one for the current campaign
ReplyDeleteI think businesses should work with more 'micro bloggers' too. I often doubt the true ROI offered by these huge influencers with thousands and thousands of followers.
ReplyDeleteAs a small blogger, I couldn't agree more! We put more time and effort into our work and the companies get more for their buck too!
ReplyDeleteAs very much a micro blogger I agree. I love following bloggers with a smaller following - their writing is often very good. A smaller following does not mean less quality in my opinion
ReplyDeleteI think working with smaller bloggers allows for good and more equal opportunities, some smaller bloggers are definitely keen to find work and help out. x
ReplyDeleteBloggers are awesome, if I do say so myself! They should definitely be used in brand marketing campaigns, I think its the personal touch that makes it work so well! 😁
ReplyDelete