Empower Your Business Through Bloggers.

Today, blogs are a powerful, viable source of information. In fact, over three-fourths of the population regularly reads blogs, of which there are over 200 million. Bloggers are increasingly open to allowing advertising and editorial input at their blogs; and that’s good news for your business. Bloggers have extraordinary power – and as a business, you can tap into that power with a little know-how…

Narrow Your Focus
Blogs allow you to closely align your business with a niche audience. For example, to help Perry’s Ice Cream promote their new gelato, we identified a dozen blogs devoted to ice cream. Whatever your business focus, there’s a blog for that! Because some blogs have such a narrow focus, the cost is much lower than traditional media.

Support
Bloggers are hungry for information to create quality content for their readers. Supply them with a SMPR (social media press release) that contains media-rich information about your business: web-ready photos, videos, links to your site (and other areas).

Interact
Blogs boast high interactivity: For example, WordPress.com bloggers (the most popular, free blogger platform) publish 350,000 posts a day, and readers leave 400,000 comments. Join in the conversation once a blogger writes about your business.

Return the Favor
If a blogger writes about your business, return the favor and show gratitude to the blogger by linking back to their blog. Chances are the blogger will be responsive the next time you contact them.

Show Respect
Bloggers are often their own editors and publishers. Where a newspaper might have checks and balances, bloggers are free to do what they choose. This can work to your advantage: If you establish a relationship with a blogger, they might be more open to envelope-pushing advertising ideas like a full site sponsorship.

Here at ABC, we have cultivated relationships with bloggers to help our customers empower their business through blogs. While some tactics for communicating with traditional media still apply, overall it’s a whole new ballgame and it can generate some serious homeruns for your business.

CAUTION: You may be tempted to start your own blog (it’s free! Instantly gratifying!), but first explore how existing blogs can empower your business and save yourself the trouble of starting – and maintaining – a blog.