PR Company, Internet Marketing

Using Your Blog for Advertising with PR Companies

Following on from our blog about blogger outreach programmes from a PR perspective, we have compiled a quick blog ourselves about how bloggers can work with PRs to add value to their readership as a result of their professional relationships.

If PRs have done their research well then they will already be satisfied that your website is an ideal space for their client to be visible in. As a blogger, you should be confident that working with particular companies will add value to your readers. Some readers may be looking for help and advice and just lurk in the background as the non-vocal majority. Advertising can add value to their experience but you ultimately need to put yourself in their position and ask yourself if the work you are doing with PRs is worthwhile for your readership. Otherwise you run the risk of alienating them with too many marketing messages that distract and confuse.

Below are a list of do’s and don’ts about working with PR and advertising agencies:

- Don’t be afraid to approach companies that you would like to work with. Many websites now have contact forms so you don’t have to spend forever trying to source an elusive email address. Contact the marketing department and introduce yourself and your website and ask for samples so you can review their products. Worst case scenario, they say “no thanks”.

- Don’t be greedy and ask for hundreds of dollars (many online companies work in dollars) in return for advertising space. Do your research and get an SEO report of your website so you can see what your website is worth to promoters… but make sure that the deals you do with them are mutually beneficial. If you haven’t had time to blog lately but they ask if they can write a relevant and informative guest blog for you then it is worth considering.

- Don’t be rude to PR companies who approach you, they are just doing their job.

- Keep the companies that you work with relevant to the topic you blog about. There is little point in plugging a product that has so significance to your readership. If you write about beauty products then a new flavour of soup being added to a brand’s range is unlikely to interest your readers. Do bear in mind that irrelevant content will have a negative impact on your SEO.

- Retain a degree of professionalism when working with PRs and remember that a good relationship isn’t just about trying to get free stuff, it is about having news your competitors don’t have and publishing useful information for your readers first.

We really hope that this helps bloggers see that they can play a part in PR and if they work well with PRs then there are benefits to cultivating relationships, financially and editorially.

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