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Building a die-hard fan base is no easy feat. These days there is no such thing as an overnight sensation, that is unless you are Justin Bieber. For the rest of us there are Facebook posts to create, Instagram content to generate, aesthetically pleasing pictures to pin, tweets to craft, and PR agencies to contact. In the tangled web of social media platforms often brands forget about one of the most powerful online presences of all…THE BLOGGER!
According to Technorati’s 2013 Digital Influence Report the customer conversion rate with bloggers is significantly higher than ANY other social network. Why, you may ask? Bloggers set trends. Their reach is huge. And, most importantly bloggers are our friends. We trust them.
In fact, BlogHer did a comprehensive study in which they found that 81% of the online population trusts advice they get from bloggers. So much so, that 61% of consumers have made purchases based on a blogger recommendation. BANANAS!
Not to mention, bloggers write about niche topics rather than devoting themselves to an entire genre like traditional publishers, which means they have a very targeted audience. By finding the right bloggers for your company, you can pitch your brand to people who would actually be interested! To achieve this use a blogger search engine like The Shelf to discover bloggers perfect for your brand’s demographic.
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Better yet, according to the same Technorati report 86% of influencers not only have a blog, but also are more active on their blog than any other platform. What is nifty about establishing a relationship with a blogger is that the blog itself is just the introductory point where a blogger can share their opinion about your brand. Because they are also in the game of promoting their own blog they are active across multiple digital channels giving them plenty of opportunities to share their view of your brand on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, amongst others.
Photo by StreetScout.me
To boot, reading blog posts are a snap! It beats being bombarded by mainstream advertisements, which many consumers are now immune to.
Ultimately, there is absolutely no downside in establishing connections with bloggers. They can become your biggest advocates and help develop your biggest fans. Treat them well and you can drive your engagement upwards at the fraction of the cost it would take to pay larger influencers. Cheap and effective! What more could you ask for?
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