By Mark G. Auerbach
When you’re planning a public relations campaign, most people consider newspapers, radio, TV, magazines, and social media–getting their message out on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Many overlook the publicity power of the bloggers. And note, you’re reading this article right now on a blog, Succeeding in Small Business, which has won an award for providing news and information to a target market of people.
Bloggers fill in the blanks. Mainstream print and broadcast media don’t have the resources or staff to cover niche markets, while bloggers cover those markets, because they don’t have to fill their space with general news. Some blogger are aficionados of the topics they cover. In Western New England, Dave Hayes, also known as “The Weather Nut,” is a musician who is a weather geek. And his forecasts on his blog and on Facebook are more often than not as good as the forecasting coming from the local TV stations. Others like ShowRiz, a New England theatre journal helmed by Variety theatre critic and former Hartford Courant arts reporter Frank Rizzo, or The Points Guy a travel blog with former USA Today airline reporter Ben Mutzabaugh on staff, bring top of the line journalists to their ranks.
Bloggers are not subject to the restrictions and deadlines that mainstream media have to live with. In radio and TV, journalists have to plug their stories into a “clock,” designed to accommodate commercials, weather, and other elements. At Pioneer Valley Radio, an interview can run 2 minutes or 20. And, there’s no limit to photos. Ben “Lucky” Schlappig’s travel blog One Mile at a Time has a plethora of photos of airline meals and snacks.
So, as you would with newspapers, radio, or TV…
-Target the blogs and bloggers most appropriate to your product and service.
-Add them to your media list.
-Craft a persuasive pitch for a feature.
-Provide them with all o the resources they need to o a story.
-Respect their deadlines and restrictions. Some bloggers have day jobs.
-When their story appears, post it to your social media and thank them for their story.
If the blogger is highly regarded, their article can pull as much of a punch as one in your local paper. When I’m handling local press for The Capitol Steps or The Jazz Ensembles at Mount Holyoke College’s The Big Broadcast!, regional arts blogs like Berkshire OnStage and In The Spotlight target those groups’ potential local audiences. And, BroadwayWorld does that nationally.
As our media landscape changes, bloggers become more important. So, don’t underestimate their ability to be a potent source to publicize your company. And, as a reporter whose work appears on blogs and in newspapers and on radio, I reach some of my largest audiences through blogs.
_________
Mark G. Auerbach is principal at Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations, a Springfield, MA, based marketing, public relations, development and events consultancy. Mark is also the ArtsBeat reporter for The Westfield News Group and producer of ArtsBeat Radio on 89.5fm-WKSB. You can find more information about Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations on Facebook, and Mark G. Auerbach on LinkedIn or @mgauerbach on Twitter.
