Five years ago, Google found that 50 percent of the people who wanted to buy something first researched a product or brand via a search engine. The discovery was game-changing; the internet was no longer an extra but a crucial component of marketing.
Today, the internet is handier and more mobile than ever because of the availability, spread, and ease of use of tablets and smartphones. Internet research has become an automatic response for many potential purchasers.
The principle holds true even in Asia despite its smaller internet penetration. In fact, 78 percent of Asian women utilized online search as a crucial part of their decision process for consumer packaged goods.
What Are the People Researching Online?
In the same Google study:
38% compared prices
36% investigated the brand’s website
31% read online reviews and endorsements
In other words, almost a third will click on trustworthy blogs and online news or magazines sites for their opinions before they buy.
WHAT ARE THE BLOGGERS AND ONLINE JOURNALISTS SO SPECIAL?
1. As key opinion leaders and influencers, their recommendations carry a lot of weight among their followers who generally share similar tastes.
2. They have built a reputation for honest, unbiased, and helpful reviews.
3. As more people and organizations move online,
the increasing competition creates more quality articles, which increases the credibility of bloggers and news sites.
How Do You Get Them to Write About Your Brand?
First, send them creative and unique pitches. Blogs and online news sites are looking for stories that they and their audience find interesting and memorable. A colorful angle and a dash of creativity will ensure that you won’t be overlooked.
Next, the content should be meaningful and relevant. However, relevance doesn’t automatically refer to current events and trends. Instead, readers want to know how your brand can help make their lives better.
Also remember, the narrative shouldn’t be promotional. A hard sell at the wrong time can turn people off.
A good story addresses a problem that your consumers may encounter and offers them valuable and helpful info. Inserting a mention or a link or of your product then becomes a natural recommendation of the story.
Additionally, choose the right influencer to pitch your stories. A beauty blogger may not be receptive to a piece about disaster preparedness but a mommy blogger might. Also, pick blogs and sites with similar demographics to your target.
Lastly, always build relationships with blogs and online sites. Great media rapport will help your pitches be considered. Some relationship-building activities can even be stories by themselves, such as inviting bloggers to your resto for a meal.
An article by the right person can spread awareness and convert people to your brand. To learn how many you’re reaching, it’s vital to measure key performance indicators.
How to Measure Online Outreach Success?
1. RELATIONSHIP WITH TOP KEY OPINION LEADERS
Gauging relationships tends to be subjective. But you can anchor it on their participation in activities and their response to your pitches.
2. READERSHIP
Great bloggers and other online platforms attract an enormous following. Top Filipino blogs can enjoy readership of a hundred thousand. Look up the audience of each platform where it was published to determine how far your story can spread.
3. IMPACT
One of the most fantastic things about the internet is its ability to track data. You can and should count the number of times your article has been read and even shared on social media. Comments on the article asking about your product are a good indicator too.
The significance of blogger and online media outreach in our increasingly connected world can’t be underestimated. More people are listening to blogs and other websites all the time. If you’re not already engaging in this strategy, this might be the missing ingredient in your marketing mix that can help you reach your quota.
Thank you for reading this far! If you’re planning to reach out to bloggers and you need our help, don’t hesitate to contact us. We hope to produce more helpful articles for you. Until the next post!
