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When you’re building a PR campaign, quantity and quality both matter. Hitting up the biggest, most trafficked blogs may seem like the easiest way to build buzz but it’s not always the best way. Blogopreneur speaks to the value of lower traffic blogs in this entry. We have to agree with his points. And further, we want PR people to know that there are three more reasons to pitch to smaller audience blogs:

1. Big blogs are getting hit up more and more often, which makes it harder to get them to hear your pitch;
2. Smaller blogs have audiences who are dedicated to that blogger’s favorite topics, making it easy to reach your niche no matter how specific that niche is;
3. Smaller blogs have a more personal relationship with their audience. For your marketing target, it’s the difference between having a celebrity hype your product and a close friend. Sure, the celebrity gets more air play but most people look for personal recommendations from their friends.

The best blog marketing plans appreciate the value of big blogs AND the value of small blogs. Whatever your product needs, we can help deliver it! </p>

Originally published at Get Them Blogging!. Please leave any comments there.

“They think they are average people, having the average shopping experience, not insiders. And while people understand that journalists have access to free samples, they don’t expect that from bloggers.”

that’s T.J. Mahony, managing director of Compete’s wireless practice being quoted in Blog Ethics 101: New Rules Written Daily at MediaPost

Bloggers need to be clear about their limits. Will they accept payment for a product review? Will they accept a free product for review? How will they delineate between solicited and unsolicited reviews?

Make these decisions as you would in your real life. Have you ever received a free sample in the mail? Or at the mall? Or been paid for answering a survey? If you’re recommending a product to a face-to-face friend, would you disclose that you became aware of the product because the company sent you a free granola bar? Or paid you twenty bucks to try it out and answer questions as part of a panel?

It’s your integrity that’s on the line and only you can decide how best to protect it.

At Get Them Blogging we know that what makes your blog valuable is that you’re a trustworthy source and so we strongly encourage you to be absolutely upfront with your readers about product reviews. Honesty is the best policy both in your review (if you hate it, say so and explain why) and in your disclosure (solicited reviews should always be marked as such).

Ads and product reviews are part of the new blog revolution; don’t be afraid to be a part of it! Just remember to protect your integrity while you get in on the fun!

Originally published at Get Them Blogging!. Please leave any comments there.

We often get asked how advertising and PR efforts are changing the face of blogs and our answer? We don’t know. It’s too soon to tell. But we notice that many people see bloggers as a monolithic group — putting everyone under the umbrella of one particular kind of blog.

The truth is that blogs are as diverse as the people who write them. Some people see their blog efforts as purely artistic endeavors; others use them just to keep in touch with friends and family. Then there are those who blog to promote a brand (their own or someone else’s), to push their career forward, or to make a little money on the side.

Advertising and PR may do less to change the bulk of the blogosphere than it will change the people who read blogs. As blog readers get used to (and begin to tune out) advertising, marketers will need to be more creative. One of the ways that PR people can write better campaigns is by diversifying their efforts. Big bloggers — the ones with high stats and lots of google juice — can be an important part of a promotional plan but smaller bloggers — lower hits but high reader loyalty — are hidden treasure troves.

Every blog is part of a neighborhood of other bloggers. Hitting a handful of big bloggers will give you a wide audience but depending on the product, it won’t be your best audience. Blogs are often specialized with readers who tune in specifically for that specialization. Blogs give you the opportunity to get word out right to your best bet potential audience and a diversified campaign can really help move a product forward deep into the blogosphere.

At Get Them Blogging! we offer more than an easily searchable database with details you won’t find in other blog directories; we also offer our expertise to target your product pitch exactly where it needs to go. You don’t need to be a blog expert; we have the blog experts at your disposal!

Originally published at Get Them Blogging!. Please leave any comments there.

Reaching them via the internet may be one of your best bets. According to the Center for Media Research’s

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Fueled by word-of-mouth and occasional postings on Craig’s Lists around the country, our database continues to grow! We have also begun beta launching by giving away a limited number of 3-month memberships to give select PR people access to the database (want access? Let us know!) and our bloggers are excited to be getting pitches!

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Did you know that blogs are a more trusted source of information than television?

Blogs, or weblogs, are a more trusted source of information (24 percent) than television advertising (17 percent) and email marketing (14 percent), the survey commissioned by Hotwire, a technology public relations consultancy, said.

…

Gareth Deere, head of technology research at Ipsos MORI, said: “We all trust people’s opinion in the real world. Now we’ve proven the same link online, and it’s having a major impact on people’s buying behavior.

source: Blogs Become Force in Advertising

You want to maintain your readers’ trust so remember these rules when reviewing products:

• Be honest! Your readers count on you to give them the information they need. Are you worried about giving a less than positive review? Don’t be. Your value is in your honesty; don’t be afraid to exercise it.
• Label your solicited reviews. If you can create categories on your blog, add one that says “solicited review” or “review for Get Them Blogging“.
• Only review what interests you. Don’t say yes to things just to say yes. You are never under any obligation to accept any pitch that comes your way from Get Them Blogging. Our goal is to get the right pitch to you — if it’s the wrong one, take a pass.
• Be careful with advertising. As advertisers become more and more aware of the power of the blogosphere you can expect ad solicitations to rise. Advertising can be a great way to make extra cash or pay for a new domain name. But hold out for the right advertising opportunity — one that suits your budget and your editorial needs.

We value and appreciate every blogger in our database and we want to help you meet your blogging goals. If you have any questions about our service, please contact us.

Originally published at Get Them Blogging!. Please leave any comments there.

Other services will pay me to write a post. Why don’t you?
In print publishing payment for a review is called advertorial. Some bloggers don’t feel comfortable writing advertorials on their blogs and some PR/marketing people don’t feel advertorials meet their campaign goals. Our service is specifically for bloggers who are willing to write honest reviews about products they are genuinely interested in trying and for PR/marketing people who are excited about having real people check out their goods. Having options — advertorial, editorial, straight advertising — is a good thing both for the PR/marketing industry and bloggers. You can choose those services that you feel best meet the expectations of your audience.

Originally published at Get Them Blogging!. Please leave any comments there.

That’s what Rich Edelman calls blogs in this Q&A at FT.com. You can take advantage of this free focus group by getting your product or service out there and engaging with the blog community.

Reaching out to the blogosphere is a cost-effective way to create buzz about your company. When a blogger reviews your product, you get three things:

• A search engine push (links from outside sites help push your company’s web site up on major search engines);
• More product awareness (not only will other web browsers learn about your company, bloggers will be talking about it to their in-real-life friends and family, too)
• The opportunity to meet your customers (blog comments allow you to interact with the reviewer and his or her readers).

Targeting your pitch is important. Edelman adds, “Be smart about selecting your micro niches for communicating in the blogosphere.” You can do this by working with the Get Them Blogging! staff. We understand how the blogging community works and we can help you find that niche to build name recognition and product buzz with your customers.

Want to hear more? Let us know what your needs are!

Originally published at Get Them Blogging!. Please leave any comments there.

We created Get Them Blogging! after deleting yet another inappropriate pitch from a PR person who had never read our blog and had no idea how to target our interests. We thought, “Someone needs to help PR people understand how blogging works!” and then we decided that “someone” would be us.

Joining the Get Them Blogging! database does not obligate you to anything:

• You vet the pitches;
• You say yes or no to writing the review;
• You share your real opinion.

Your reviews not only give valuable feedback about products and services to your readers, they also give valuable feedback to the companies. We help PR people understand how to direct their pitches to bloggers who want them. We make it easier for them to do their job and make it more fun for you along the way!

Questions? Contact us! We’re also happy to field your questions, feedback and requests!

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1. Be honest. Say what you really think about the product.
2. Be useful. Give readers the information they need to make their own buying decisions.
3. Be upfront. Let your readers know if the review was solicited. (If you have the ability to do so, consider making a category for your blog just for product reviews.)

Keeping these three guidelines in mind will let your readers know that they can trust what you have to say.

Originally published at Get Them Blogging!. Please leave any comments there.

Blogging is essentially a social event — people talk, other people read it and some of those people respond. In the blogging world there are heavy hitters (the ones with a zillion hits who get written up in newspapers and magazines) and there are the rest of us (who use our blogs to keep friends and family updated on our lives and to communicate with like-minded people). Get Them Blogging! aims for these mid-level bloggers who blog for more personal reasons; we know that these blogs are more than just their traffic rankings.

Forward-thinking marketers know that behind every blogger is a real person with ties to the real — not just virtual — community. Men and women who write about their families, their hobbies, and their everyday activities may not get the pageviews of the ones serving up political debate and current events criticism but we’re a solid majority in the blogosphere. Smart marketers will realize we’re an untapped resource.

By using the Get Them Blogging! database, PR people can find more than just great blogs with loyal readers; our database also offers an easy way to find their average potential customers. Searching by state, by interest or by age, PR people can bring their products and services to the attention of people who help their friends and family make buying decisions.

Originally published at Get Them Blogging!. Please leave any comments there.

You like free stuff, right? C’mon, who doesn’t? Then come be a part of Get Them Blogging!

We are always seeking new bloggers to join us. Being a member of our database does not obligate you to anything. You just register your blog and wait for the pitches to roll in! You only review what you want to review and we never release your email address to anyone! Questions? Just ask!

Originally published at Get Them Blogging!. Please leave any comments there.

Get Them Blogging! is a blog database specifically designed to help marketers and public relations people get the word out about their products and services. By carefully categorizing blogs to accurately represent their audience and their interests, you can quickly and easily put together an effective blog campaign.

Get Them Blogging! gives PR reps three distinct advantages over other blog databases:

1. No cold calling! Our bloggers want to hear your pitch!
2. Accuracy! Our catalog structure allow you to find exactly the blogger you want. Looking for working parents in the midwest with tweens who play video games? We can help you find them!
3. Hidden treasures! Unlike other databases, we include blogs from blogging communities like Livejournal to give you greater reach!

We hope you’ll join us!