Blogger outreach is a method of connecting your business with bloggers, teaming up in an effort to generate authentic content primarily for promotional purposes. Businesses are turning to this strategy to further their brand marketability, and by connecting with bloggers who are influential in the target market, companies can gain the trust of their consumers, leading to increased profitability. In fact, in a 2013 report by Technorati Media & Digital Influence, blogs were found to be “the third-most influential digital resource (31%) when making overall purchases, only behind retail sites (56%) and brand sites (34%). In fact, blogs were found to be the fifth-most trustworthy source overall for information on the internet.” So how exactly does a business benefit from a blogger outreach campaign?
Provides Backlinks
Search Engine Optimization is an important aspect of a business’s internet campaign. One important criteria to achieving a high ranking result amongst the search engines is to have incoming links (also known as backlinks) to your business website. Bloggers can provide these organic backlinks, and also help boost your search engine ranks. When another links to your site, the search engines see that as a “vote” for your business, and it provides a sense of reliability.
Targeted Reach
Bloggers have a more targeted reach than traditional forms of marketing, as they can provide completely organic audience. Throughout their time blogging, they have established a following, and use this position to garner interest in your products. Consumers trust bloggers more than traditional advertisements, and this helps shed a positive light on your product. Bloggers traditionally give unbiased reviews, so if you have the support of a popular blog, consumers know your brand is valuable.
Return on Investment
Bloggers provide you with a type of advertisement, and can help introduce your products to a new market. If the right relationship is built, blogger outreach can provide a measurable return on investment, in the form of engagement, activity, and visibility of your brand. It is a cost effective addition to your marketing campaign, and can used in conjunction with other techniques, such as social media marketing, to expand your internet presence. Blogger outreach increases the chance that content regarding your business will go viral, which in today’s digital world can make all the difference.
It’s important to build the right relationships with the right bloggers that cater to the niche you are interested in reaching. Using blogger outreach to help your business grow and gain visibility can prove to be extremely beneficial when built the right way. When reaching out to bloggers, always be personal and polite, never ask for an only positive promotion, and never expect anything for free. You can build trust, relationships, and heightened visibility for your brand through blogger outreach, making it an essential part of a business marketing campaign.