According to a recent study by BlogPulse, almost 1.5 million blogs are on the web and about 57,000 new blogs are created every day. Established bloggers are increasingly viewed as trusted information sources in part due to newsroom layoffs and diminished faith in traditional media outlets. Are you incorporating blogger outreach within your communications plans? Do you know how to approach bloggers and talk about your work in a way that helps them and you? If not, you'll want to view this presentation.

1. Bloggers & Nonpro ts: Symbiotic
Relationships
With Special Guest, David Roberts of Grist.org
December 14, 2011
Rafi Ben Aharon
www.resource-media.org

2. About Resource Media
-­‐
Communications Strategy
- Execution + Outreach
- Digital + Social Media
- Environmental + Health Focus Focus
Policy

3. What We’ll Cover Today
1. Blogger trends
2. Building blogger relationships
3. Starting the conversation
4. Case studies
5. How bloggers view non-profits
6. Special guest: David Roberts of
Grist.org
www.resource-media.org

4. Have a Question? Need Help?
www.resource-media.org

5. Blogger Trends
www.resource-media.org

6. Why Engage Bloggers?
- Alternate vehicle for reaching your
audiences
- Another channel for engaging your
supporters
- Crisis management tool
www.resource-media.org

7. Blogger Trends
- Still popular despite social media growth
- Blogosphere is diversifying
- Focus on political and environmental
issues
- Bloggers are intrinsically motivated

8. Who are Bloggers Today?
Demographics:
- 2/3 male
- 65% ages 18-44
- 33% US-based
- 48% are parents (rise in mommy
bloggers)
- 50% employed FT
- 1/3 have a foundation in traditional
media
www.resource-media.org

9. Blogging Landscape
- Diminished resources for mainstream
media
- Online publishing filling the gap
- More appetite for opinionated
commentary
www.resource-media.org

10. Blogger Trends in Social Media
Bloggers use social media to:
- Promote blog content
- Share interesting links with larger
community
- Get updates on trends, buzz in area of
blog focus
www.resource-media.org

11. What Motivates Bloggers?
Motivators:
- Personal satisfaction (value)
- Number of unique visitors gained
(awareness)
- Number of posts / comments on posts
(engagement)
www.resource-media.org

12. What in uences blog topics?
- Conversations with friends
- Online news aggregators
- Traditional news organizations
www.resource-media.org

13. Building Blogger Relations
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14. Who’s Your Friend?
www.resource-media.org

15. Who Should I Reach Out To?
Look at:
- Who’s blogging on this already
- Who has a community/following
- Various authority levels

16. Getting to Know You
- Leave meaningful comments and
re-tweet
- Email or tweet ideas for future posts
- Offer resources and assistance

17. Increase Their Pro le
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18. Starting the Conversation
www.resource-media.org

19. Review Your Checklist
- Does your blogger outreach fit into a
larger communications strategy?
- Do you know who you want to reach
and why?
- Do you know how to best reach them?
- Is your issue something they’d be
interested in?

20. Review Your Checklist
- Does your blogger outreach fit into a
larger communications strategy?
- Do you know who you want to reach
and why?
- Do you know how to best reach them?
- Is your issue something they’d be
interested in?

21. Make Your Pitch
- Be brief
- Make it easy for them
- No press releases
- Have a simple, high impact call to action
- Get to know them

22. Know Alternate Routes
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Other blogs

23. Case Studies:
Symbiotic Relationships in
the Blogosphere
www.resource-media.org

24. Coordinating Blogger Support and
Resources
www.resource-media.org

25. Targeting Policy Makers on Energy Ef ciency
- Research: Find blogs most influential
with policy makers
- Social media release and blog pitch
- Blog content informs in the face of a
news blackout

26. Building Buzz at the Local Level
- Built blog and Twitter buzz in advance of
report release
- Used relevant keywords
- Used geographic-specific findings
- Social media extends life span of media
story
www.resource-media.org

27. Common Threads
- Develop an outreach plan
- Start with a good reputation/passionate
cause
- Diversify your media outreach efforts
- Know bloggers well
- Make it easy for bloggers and tweeters
- Track results
- Provide regular updates
www.resource-media.org

28. How Bloggers View
Nonpro ts
www.resource-media.org

29. “We are not your
foot soldiers.”

30. Know Who You’re Talking To
www.resource-media.org

31. Consider Both Sides
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32. What’s Your Brand?
www.resource-media.org

33. What Have You Done Lately?
- Clarify your mission succinctly
- Update on real progress
- Talk about specific programs and
successes
- It takes a village

34. Takeaways
- Blogs can micro-target an audience that cares
- Cultivate relationships before you need them
- Know bloggers well and how they perceive you
- Attribute and share blog content
- Keep in mind “what’s in it for them”
- Become a valuable resource

35. Special Guest:
Dave Roberts of Grist
@drgrist
www.resource-media.org

36. Moderators
Brendan McLaughlin Sian Wu
brendan@resource-media.org sian@resource-media.org
@sian_i_am, @ThatsSoEco
www.resource-media.org

37. Thank you.
www.resource-media.org
@twittername
#Rmhashtag
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