In October 2015, we hosted Smoking Gun PR’s very first blogger event, #SGPRblogs15. Seven lovely bloggers based in the North West turned up to talk relationships.
The day proved to be really insightful, for both teams involved, and so we’ve pulled together a list of the top tips we took home.
Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines
When outreaching to bloggers, it is imperative to create a tick list with clear instructions as well as creating deadlines for projects. A blogger can be easily led astray with no solid direction. A realistic timeframe for a blog post to be researched, written and uploaded is between two to four weeks, and short notice for free posts are generally not acceptable. For a PR, in the initial email, make all of these points clear and the blogger will be much more informed as to what they have to do, and by when.
Be FUN and MEMORABLE
You want a blogger to mention your brand? How do we get them to put pen to paper? One great suggestion from blogger Laura Seaton was that they need to make the project memorable and fun. The majority of our bloggers at #SGPRblogs15 were mums, so a key point raised in the discussion was to create challenges that their children can get involved in . This is especially useful for child-friendly brands with a limited blogger outreach budget, make the challenge interesting, and the blogger is more likely to accept.
Get to know a blogger’s daily routine
PRs are always on, 24/7. Bloggers are not. It is important to mention that they do not follow the same routine as us PR’s, often they still have to hold down their day job, go to university, or look after their children. Therefore, optimum blogging times are usually during evenings or weekends. It is key for PRs to keep this in mind and to not expect posts to be live during normal working hours. If this is the case, follow steps above, deadlines, deadlines, deadlines.
A Blogger’s pet hate? Sending things without asking
If you have an address, don’t send products without asking beforehand. This not only wastes time and money,  but can also damage the relationship between both parties. For a PR, do your research on the blogger first, then ask. It’s all about creating a long-lasting beautiful relationship!
Thanks to all bloggers for attending our event, and we hope there will be many more to come!