The video provides SAP\’s perspective on initiating their social media program and how they have been engaging bloggers from 2006 onwards. There are certain differences in how PR professionals must maintain relations with traditional journalists vs. with bloggers.
As traditional media houses keep shrinking in size and numbers (Waters, 2009 lecture) it is more important to maintain good media relations with the publications and television channels. At the same time the growing influence of blogging and bloggers necessitates that PR gets involved actively with blogging communities that deal with their organization’s industry.
While several rules and good practices are valuable for both media and blogger relations, such as personalizing information, suggesting insightful story ideas, reaching out within the deadlines they work within, absolutely never mass mailing or sending irrelevant information and so on there are certain specifics required for good blogger relations.
1. Participate and become a part of the blogging community. Engage by contributing comments to blogs that seem relevant or that may be already writing about your organization.
2. Do not start off by sharing your company news release with bloggers. Prior engagement is compulsory. Share your ideas, volunteer constructive criticism and praise. Once you have established a rapport with the blogger you can offer direct company updates.
3. Be discerning in analyzing the content and tone of the blog, some bloggers maintain a distinctly sarcastic tone. Consider how comfortable your organization will be in engaging with the blog in the long-term. If you decide to go ahead then provide materials written in a style and tone that matches the blog style.
4. Be discreet in sharing your organizational materials. Bloggers may not always abide by embargo requests unlike journalists.
5. Keep up with your engagement in the blogging community through comments. However you would want to reach out through other media such as email for sharing ideas and expressing gratitude for covering your organizational news.
Those of you who are already engaged in blogger relations what suggestions would you make. Would you share different material with journalists and other information with traditional journalists? Let us here you.
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