Blogging and Sponsored Content

Change is constant and in today’s fast paced media landscape, PR and communications professionals must stay up-to-date on trends, content strategies and influencer insights that help promote brands and their stories. That’s why I was excited to attended one of WE’s recent Learning and Development program Q&A sessions with Brianne Manz, blogger at Stroller in the City. Brianne started blogging in 2010, and has since become a well-trusted voice among the mommy-blogger community. She touts an impressive list of partners including H&M, Volvo and more on her story-based content site, all the while maintaining a genuine charm that keeps readers wanting more. If you’re looking for someone that resonates with their audience in a natural and authentic way on all things parenthood, kids’ fashion, and city living, Brianne is just that person.

Now, when it comes to working with influencers to develop sponsored content, some key lessons emerged that should interest anyone working in PR and Communications. Below are a few takeaways to keep in mind when working with bloggers.

Do your research

A successful blogger has built a strong connection with their readers, based on trust and sincerity, so the brands they work with must have a story that aligns with their own. To ensure this, do your research so you feel confident that your brand will resonate with the blogger you’re reaching out to. A symbiotic relationship between brand and blogger is as necessary as it is valuable to deepening the connection between a brand and its consumers. If an influencer doesn’t connect with your brand it will be apparent (or the blogger will simply decline), and readers will notice, so put in the extra effort and make sure you’re reaching out to bloggers that are the perfect match for your brand.

Blogging is not advertising

Blogging is not advertising. You’re not going to get rich and glowing content simply because you paid for it. If actionable content were that easy, we’d all be out of jobs. From reaching out with a personalized email, to portraying your brand in transparent and honest way, the success of sponsored content (for both parties) relies on an honest and positive experience. If a product does not come as advertised, it will result in a less-than-thrilled blogger and a post that lacks that genuine sparkle we’re all hoping to capture (and that we hope audiences will engage and help share). As the PR professional it’s your job to make sure the blogger knows what to expect, and that there are no surprises. Your clients will appreciate the lack of surprises, too.

Bloggers are hired to create original content, not to regurgitate brand messaging, so let them! Requests for stock imagery, link inclusion and repeated attempts to edit a post have little place in the blogging world. If you want a link here and there, and an image that represents your brand or product, no problem, but don’t lose sight of the fact that bloggers are tasked with creating content for you, not vice versa.

A big part of blogging is authenticity, so it’s important for bloggers to know what they’re writing about inside and out. Just like knowing a person, knowing a brand or a product takes time. Give your influencer ample time to live with your product, it allows them to reflect upon it in an insightful and expressive way. Tight turnarounds might make this tough, so think ahead of time and it will pay off big-time.

Give experiences, not things

Once you’ve found the perfect blogger for the brand or product you’re representing, craft a rich experience in which the influencer can enjoy and appreciate the product in a meaningful way. In PR we do this in a variety of ways from press trips to mailers, so just because you’re paying for a post doesn’t mean creativity should stop there. “Show, don’t tell” is a good general rule when crafting ways for the blogger you’re working with to develop their own point of view. Think to yourself “how do we want people to experience this product? What emotions do we want it to evoke?” and build an experience that achieves those goals. Providing an opportunity for your product to be experienced, not just seen, will likely result in a thoughtful, personalized post that allows readers to open up to your brand in an impactful way.

With the line between native advertising, syndicated content and thought leadership becoming more blurred in today’s evolving media world, taking the time to think through content engagement with bloggers can be a crucial piece of how you or your client’s content shows up to audiences. Doing your research, understanding blogging is not advertising and focusing on experiences over things are key arrows in the PR professionals communications quiver. Many thanks to Brianne Manz for joining us to help foster a culture of continuous learning and growth at WE. With influencers like Brianne and others, we’re able to maintain and expand our role as experts in the PR industry.