Yesterday I did a webinar on Blogger Relations with David Meerman Scott and Vocus. Looks for links to the replay and Q&A tomorrow.
Afterward, I started thinking about the definition of success for blogger relations. Not how you measure it. That’s a topic for another day.
But quite simply, what is effective blogger relations? I came up with three critical things.
And, as I looked at my list I realized that these three things define successful marketing, full stop, not just online. Not just on/with blogs. Probably why I’ve embraced social media so strongly 🙂
- It’s all about making friends. Treating people like you would your friends. With respect. Paying attention to what they need, what’s going on in their lives. Realizing that good, true friendships take time to mature.. That it’s about both parties getting something out of the deal.
- Be relevant. Tell interesting stories to the people who care. If they don’t really care, the story won’t be interesting. Even when it is.
- Put the bloggers (customers) first. Think about their WIIFM not yours. Really. Pay attention to theirs and yours will follow. Think about ways you can help them, make their lives easier… and not just if they accept your value proposition and buy your product. That’s table stakes. Doesn’t count.
What are your three critical measures of success?
Tags: blogger relations, social media, marketing, PR