The rise (and fall) of the blogger

There has been lots of talk online recently about mummy bloggers in particular following the BlogHer conference in Chicago a few weeks ago.

BlogHer is an annual event which brings together women from all sorts of backgrounds and professions, with differing interests, hobbies and areas of expertise.

The main message that came out of the conference this year – beware of the swag hag. Stories of women bribing and blackmailing their way to new shoes, clothes and other freebies through the threat of negative reviews on their blogs for non co-operation.

There was a really interesting article in the Independent on Sunday recently, which really illustrates just how much time and energy companies are putting into targetting bloggers with products, in order to secure positive online reviews.

Taking a step backwards for a moment, what is a blog? A blog should really be like a diary. A personal collection of stories, thoughts, feelings, ideas, ramblings, rants and so on. Blogs are extensions of people’s personalities.

So this new, much more commercial edge to blogging threatens to take away the reason that people log on and read their favourite blogs on a regular basis.

Yes, blogs often contain reviews of products or services – a blasting of a new restaurant that was supposed to be amazing but served dried out steak and cold chips, or a big thumbs up for a new car that has exceeded expectations with all of it’s gadgets and gizmos.

However, reviews in blogs should be spontaneous, not influenced or written purely because something was free. Companies are increasingly wising up to the fact that with a bit of pampering and some freebies, bloggers will happily write good reviews in return.

Bloggers are extremely influential people, and more and more so, parents in particular turn to blogs, as well as forums for an honest, expert opinion before making a purchase or trying something for the first time.

So, does this mean we’re not getting an honest opinion all of the time?

From a personal perspective, I am a mummy blogger. I write about being a parent – the highs, the lows, the tears and tantrums, as well as the truly magical moments.
Like many bloggers we get sent products to review. When the blog was first started in April 2009 it was very tempting to get sucked into accepting freebies – everyone seemed to be ready to throw stuff at you.

If we ever review a product, it’s because we love it. It’s because it does the job it’s supposed to better than any product. If we don’t like something, we don’t talk about it, simple as that – and we offer to return it.

Having digressed quite far down the line of swag hags and mummy bloggers, I’d like to return to the point. If you are blogging, are you doing it for the right reasons? Free stuff is just one of them:

- Are you writing for pleasure? If so great, write what you like, when you like and go with the flow.

- Are you writing for business? If so, are you providing informative information with advice, guidance, opinion and a call to action?

- Are you writing about the right stuff? Are you writing about last weeks news? There are lots of bloggers out there, so if you want people to follow your blog, you need to have your finger on the pulse. Ok, so here I’m writing about a conference a few weeks ago (tut), but this topic is going to increase and increase in magnitude so hopefully we’re on topic still!!!

- Are you being honest? Don’t create stories that you think will make a good read. Be honest and be yourself, write as you, not someone you think people will read.

- Are you blogging because everyone else is? Are you sitting at your desk on a Monday morning, stomach lurching because this is the time you’ve set aside to write your weekly blog entry? If you don’t like writing, don’t enjoy it and wonder what on earth it’s achieving, then don’t do it. There are plenty of opportunities to express yourself online and develop conversations – check out LinkedIn, Twitter, or research the many business forums and chat rooms that span each and every industry. If you have expertise to share, find the place where you feel comfortable participating.

I had a quick scan through my early ramblings from when I first started blogging and they cover all sorts of odd topics. They all convey my personality and are written as me, but probably not quite in line with what my audience want to read about. So, you live and learn. It takes a while to find your groove, but if you're enjoying blogging, stick at it.

If you write, they will come...

PR: Back to Basics Part 2 - what else can you do?

Following on from our post last week about the first steps that it's really important to have in place before you embark on a journey into PR, here's part 2.

USPs – what are your unique selling points? When a customer gets in touch to find out more about you, what do you need to tell them that sets you apart from the competition? What do you do differently, what do you do faster, cheaper, better? List your USPs on your website and make sure they really are unique. Research your competitors and see what they are doing.

Business cards – make sure you always, at all times, have a supply of business cards in your pocket, purse, or wherever you may like to keep them! You never know who you are going to meet and where.

At your premises – there’s no need to roll out the red carpet, but a well presented reception that is clean, bright and welcoming will do your business wonders. At the same time as doing some virtual housekeeping with your email signature, website details and answer phone, make sure that your premises give the right first impression.

Time – raising the profile of your business takes time. Don’t be scared to block out some time each week to dedicate solely to building the business. It’s hard, but it will pay off. Spend time regularly ensuring the messages you put out to customers are accurate, professional and polite. Once the basics are in place, you’re ready to hit the headlines.

Social media – are you using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter? Have you started accounts with every social media site there is, and now they’re all sitting there having been updated once and once only? Close down the accounts that you don’t use; if Facebook isn’t for you, don’t use it. Focus on one or two tools that really work for you – your target market are using and opportunities to reach these people exist within them. There's loads of great information on the Internet about how and why to use each of these tools.

Help – there is always help available. For more advice and guidance refer back to local networking groups, as well as people like Business Link. Rope in friends and family to ‘mystery shop’ your business and give you honest (this is the key!) feedback about the service they experienced.

Want to talk more? Get in touch! Following our recent office move we're now re-connected to the outside world with a good old fashioned landline - 01235 202284.

PR: Back to basics - simple steps you may have missed

When we consider PR we quite often jump straight in at the news stage – lets create some news and get some press coverage.

This is a good objective to have, and whether you’re doing your own PR or have / want to work with a PR agency to manage this for you, generating news, entering awards, supporting charities and events, running offers and promotions, are all targets to consider in order to gain publicity.

But, and this is a big but, have you covered the basics?

When you start shouting to the media about your business – your revolutionary product or amazing time saving service, are you well prepared, and well presented?

What you want to avoid more than anything is getting great press coverage, and then driving new customers to your website, email address or phone number, for them to be disappointed by the first impression you give.

So what factors can really turn people off, and what can you do? Here goes, this is part 1 of our guide to the simple things.

Telephone messages – what does your telephone answer phone message say about you? Do you even have an answer phone or does it just ring, and ring, and ring when there’s no one available. Make sure your message is clear and concise. The business name should be easy to hear and understand. Make sure you explain how and when you will get back to people – be realistic – don’t say you’ll reply within an hour if it’s more likely to be 24! Manage people’s expectations.

Email addresses – do you have a website? If so make sure to register the email addresses using the same name, for example we are http://www.warrilowpr.co.uk/ and I am catherine@warrilowpr.co.uk. For general queries we also have info@warrilowpr.co.uk. This should be one of the first things you do to improve the perception of your business – proper email addresses look far more professional than Gmail or Hotmail addresses.

Email signatures – make sure you have a signature at the bottom of your emails. This not only looks professional but it’s a great way to promote your business – include a link to your website, blog and Twitter pages. Make sure it’s not too long though, people don’t want to scroll on and on to find your phone number.

Branding – do you have a logo? Maybe a strap line as well? Make sure that your branding appears consistently across all of your marketing materials including your website, email, business cards, stationery and brochures. If you’ve updated your look and you’re still using up that last reem of headed paper or last box of business cards, it’s time to recycle them – be consistent. If you don’t have a logo, really consider investing in a designer – this is something to employ expert help for and will really help you to stand out.

Website – if you have a website, keep it up to date and make it easy to use. Pencil in a monthly check, or even every two weeks if you can to make sure contact details, special offers and news are current and up to date. If you don’t have a website, it’s time to look into having one. Most types of businesses really need a web presence, even if it just serves to offer contact details.

Developing your website – if you have a website and want to take things on a step, look at increasing the content to further engage with your target audience. Add testimonials from happy customers, include case studies if your service or product needs some explaining – what about video or audio content? If you like to write, why not offer tips or articles within your area of expertise? Also think about adding links to groups or associations that you belong to, or complimentary services that customers may find of interest.

In part 2 we'll cover your USPs, business cards, your premises, social media, time and help!

For more advice on back to basics and PR, do get in touch – if we’re not instantly available, do leave a message, send us an email or visit the website and we will get back to you within 24 hours (apart from the first week of September…apparently Blackberry’s don’t work on Spanish beaches….)