The Dos and Don’ts of Successful Blogger Relations

Like it or not, bloggers are a force to be reckoned with in your PR efforts. But these aren’t your father’s journalists; they must be approached in a different way.

With that in mind, the PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin chapter focused its August luncheon on “Blogger Relations for Dummies (and PR Pros).” Blogger panelists Jon Mueller (@jonmueller) of 800CEORead.com, Nick Chipman (@DudeFoods) of dudefoods.com, and Heather Blessington (@mamaVISION) of mamavision.com shared insights from their interactions with PR pros.

To recap, we’ve outlined a few of the key takeaways:

Do:
• Research, research, research – Rather than crafting the “perfect” pitch, spend more time researching the blogger(s) you’re targeting. What’s the focus of their blog and who is their audience? Read a few of the posts to get a sense of their writing style, and more importantly, learn about their passion(s).
• Make a real connection – Bloggers have a platform and a passion for what they do, so tap into their interests. Point to a specific post you’ve read. Why did it grab your attention?
• Be selective – Narrow down your list for blogger outreach. Select key bloggers who are influential to your target audience.

Don’t:
• Be generic – Personalize your communication. “Dear Blogger …” doesn’t encourage anyone to learn more about your client or its product/service. Simply put, don’t take a cut-and-paste approach. Would you want to help someone who didn’t take the time to learn your name?
• Beat around the bush – Identify what you’re looking for up front. Plant a seed. Collaborate with bloggers to share your story.
• Use industry jargon – Talk to them like a regular person. For most, blogging isn’t their full-time job; they’re also business savvy and know the usual promotion lingo, so don’t invite them to be a “brand ambassador.” It won’t work.

Want to learn more? A video post is now available on the PRSA SE WI blog at: http://prsawis.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/aug-25-2011-pitching-bloggers-luncheon-recap.

Is blogger outreach part of your media relations program? What advice would you give to fellow professionals?

2 September Events You Won’t Want to Miss

Here’s a pair of great upcoming opportunities for business inspiration and marketing insight.

The MMAC Future 50 Awards Luncheon—Registration Deadline Sept. 10

n Event next Thursday, Sept. 16 at The Pfister Hotel

The Future 50 Program showcases companies that are leading the way to growth in the Greater Milwaukee region. It’s a great way to discover what up-and-coming companies are doing to break through—and how you might learn from their success.

By the way, I’ll be participating in the luncheon panel discussion. No hecklers, please.

PRSA-WI Welcomes Peter Shankman—renowned social media/PR thinker

n Monthly meeting Thursday, Sept. 30, at the Hilton Milwaukee

Peter is perhaps best known for founding Help A Reporter Out, which quickly has become the de-facto standard for thousands of journalists looking for sources on deadline. He is recognized globally for radically new ways of thinking about social media, PR, marketing, advertising, creativity and customer service.

Peter’s presentation, “First, SHUT UP. The New Rules of Communication in an Era of Social Media,” figures to be fascinating and fun. This will be his first visit to Milwaukee, so come on out and let’s make it a memorable one. BONUS: You could win a pair of roundtrip tickets on AirTran.

PRSA Paragon Awards: Proof of Passionate Professionals

This week, the Public Relations Society of America – Southeastern Wisconsin chapter presented the annual Paragon Awards.

The numbers from the banquet show a vibrant community of PR professionals:

n 95 award entries

n 48 recognized for achievement

n 190+ people in attendance

Individual awards recognized Rich Meeusen, CEO of Badger Meter, and Carolyn Bellin, APR, chief public relations officer of Froedtert Hospital—two well-deserving leaders who are tireless advocates for their organizations as well as the Milwaukee region.

They’re just two of the many talented, hard-working business professionals dedicated to promoting businesses and the quality of life in our community. As president of PRSA-WI, I just wanted to say what a pleasure it was to help recognize the great work they’re doing every day.

See the full list of Paragon Award winners.