I've been giving brand/consumer conversations(in particular blogging) a lot of thought recently and I wanted to share my thoughts on where I think we are now and what we should be doing moving forward in this part of the world of 'social' communication.
I've spoken quite a bit previously about how we should go about talking to potential customers and brand advocates using this media and I'm sure by now we've grasped the basics of 'Permission Marketing'.
Therefore I want to talk more specifically about striking up a conversation in the bloggersphere. I think there are three main approaches when attempting to access this arena which take the rules of social interaction to another level but still adhere to the basics.
Firstly there is the brand association route. This involves convincing an author/moderator to have specific content (normally in the form of an editorial plug or display ads) on their site. Quite often bloggers are unaware of the value their readers/commentators present to brands so this can often be a cost effective way of targeting a dedicated audience. I'm seeing more companies cropping up who are capitalising on this niche audience but the results are not concrete as yet so we will have to see. I think the companies that will offer the most to advertisers are those who bring brand awareness and buzz metrics as well as creative display solutions to the party.
The second approach is more of a PR exercise that involves offering established blogs exclusive content that you hope they will run with and advocate. This works best for brands who can offer readers exclusive insights into their products (Electronics, Films, Music etc) and in many ways is a good way of judging public opinion before something is launched. Be careful that it doesn't back fire though.
The third approach is creating something truly memorable that the bloggersphere can't help but talk about it. This doesn't necessarily have to be something main stream but give those who are interested enough information for them to try and fill in the gaps. It's intrigue and specualtion that will get you talk about more than you could ever hope for…
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