Writers of the digital kind have been banging the Professional blogging: Is there such a thing? drum for some time now, and with more and more people turning to the internet for information, why shouldn’t they? A recent survey by Impact Communications found that in the UK, 46 per cent of online conversation about beauty brands is prompted by bloggers. With the rate at which world is turning digital, it is at the detriment to the beauty brands if they don’t communicate with online writers.
While publicists are recognising the power of a blog mention, bloggers in turn need to understand what exactly publicists do and why they do it. This is particularly the case where bloggers may not have a media background and therefore not understand the way in which the PR/media relationship works. Here are some tips from beauty PRs to help bloggers put their best professional foot forward.
Events
One particular area that seems to be a constant source of misunderstanding between PRs and bloggers are events. Most PR companies like to keep the media informed on upcoming launches so as to avoid scheduling conflicts and generate awareness of their event, and they do this via sites such as beautydirectory and Social Diary.
Alicia Pyke of Adam Worling PR says that they do occasionally hear from independent beauty bloggers outside their radar asking to attend an event they’ve seen on bd, or receive product to review. We welcome the contact, but it’s not always appropriate to include independent writers in our approach to traditional beauty media contacts.”
Alicia explains that who they invite to a launch is dependent on a number of factors, including the positioning of the brand, the type of news they’re sharing and whether a product or service is immediately available. Most bloggers and beauty editors have very different needs and we know that.”
Tom Shennan, who handles the PR for says that instead of calling asking to come to an event, bloggers should try to build a relationship with the PR first. Email and introduce yourself, asking if there are any relevant launches or events coming up that there might be space to attend.” Shennan also suggests asking to be included on the PR’s media list for future releases as this is a great way to start the relationship.
Furthermore, all PRs agreed that if you’re a blogger and you are invited to an event, that doesn’t give you licence to pass this invite on to fellow bloggers. PRs have their reasons for creating particular guest lists, in needing to comply with budget and space restrictions, among other things.
Embargoes
There is also a certain responsibility that comes with attending events and being the first to know about new product launches. Respecting embargo dates is something that many PRs have found bloggers new to the industry can fail to do. The reason media is privy to information before it is shared with the rest of the world so they can prepare editorial, ensuring media matches up with the launch date. The knock-on effect of ignoring an embargo is two-fold,” says one Sydney PR. It causes internal issues and also may affect the way a brand interacts with a blog that ignores embargoes.”
Product samples
Many PRs have also expressed frustration with some bloggers failing to understand certain rules of etiquette when it comes to requesting product. Shennan advises against sending general requests for product. Be specific about a story or piece and request relevant types of product. Also, be sure to include site stats and links to previous blog entries, so that the PR can ensure that the blog is legitimate and relevant.”
In asking to be recognised as a significant part of the media industry, bloggers can’t afford to be coy about their site statistics. One PR explains that providing this information will not only help publicists get you across the line with their clients. Bloggers listed in beautydirectory’s media directory who have supplied the site stats are look favourably upon by beauty brands as it shows you’re serious about what you do (to add yours email Lucy).
If you receive a product from a PR or brand, it is important to remember that the product has been sent in for editorial consideration on your blog and not for you to make a profit from. The practice of selling products that have been supplied for trial isn't looked upon kindly, and may get you blacklisted from future media send outs not to mention ruin the relationship between you and the PR. The same goes for any gifts sent to you by a brand or PR - these are for your personal use and not to be monetised.
Follow up
If you do blog about a product, PRs will really appreciate being sent a link to the post, as Google alerts often won’t pick up on a mention until a week later, or at all. This will not only give you as a blogger reason to keep up communication with a PR, but also gives the PR definitive results they can present to the client, whose interests, at the end of the day, the PR truly has as their top priority.