LONDON: Although most brands and agencies are aware that bloggers can be powerful brand ambassadors, they are not making the most of the channel because they frequently get their pitches wrong, a recent report has warned.
This is particularly the case when they execute campaigns involving influential female bloggers, only 13% of whom believe brands and agencies know how to work with them effectively.
This was a central finding discovered by consultants Hill+Knowlton Strategies in a survey of 350 "mum bloggers" conducted in partnership with the BritMums blogging community, PR Week reported.
The survey found that, even though 71% of women bloggers are approached by up to 20 brands a week, less than a fifth of these pitches are included in the blogs of 78% of respondents while another fifth do not publish any brand content at all.
The problem is not that women bloggers are opposed to brand content – a full 90% are keen to work with brands – but it is the way they are approached that makes the difference.
Bloggers expect to be treated differently from journalists, they do not want to receive generic press releases and they require brands to read their blogs and understand their interests.
Relevancy is essential to gaining the engagement of these bloggers, who say they want a well-informed approach tailored specifically to them.
"Brands and agencies need to recognise it's not a one-size-fits-all when executing a campaign," said Claire Candler, head of Hill+Knowlton Strategies' Marketing to Mums.
"With personal stories driving the most engagement, brands would be well advised to consider how their proprietary content can translate into a truly authentic and emotional narrative from a blogger."
She continued: "The common mistakes and the extent to which brand communication is misfiring with this audience certainly make for uncomfortable reading.
"Now it's time to play catch-up on working more effectively with these powerful women – both as consumers and influencers – if we're to leverage their ability to unlock the prized 'mummy pound'."
This is particularly the case when they execute campaigns involving influential female bloggers, only 13% of whom believe brands and agencies know how to work with them effectively.
This was a central finding discovered by consultants Hill+Knowlton Strategies in a survey of 350 "mum bloggers" conducted in partnership with the BritMums blogging community, PR Week reported.
The survey found that, even though 71% of women bloggers are approached by up to 20 brands a week, less than a fifth of these pitches are included in the blogs of 78% of respondents while another fifth do not publish any brand content at all.
The problem is not that women bloggers are opposed to brand content – a full 90% are keen to work with brands – but it is the way they are approached that makes the difference.
Bloggers expect to be treated differently from journalists, they do not want to receive generic press releases and they require brands to read their blogs and understand their interests.
Relevancy is essential to gaining the engagement of these bloggers, who say they want a well-informed approach tailored specifically to them.
"Brands and agencies need to recognise it's not a one-size-fits-all when executing a campaign," said Claire Candler, head of Hill+Knowlton Strategies' Marketing to Mums.
"With personal stories driving the most engagement, brands would be well advised to consider how their proprietary content can translate into a truly authentic and emotional narrative from a blogger."
She continued: "The common mistakes and the extent to which brand communication is misfiring with this audience certainly make for uncomfortable reading.
"Now it's time to play catch-up on working more effectively with these powerful women – both as consumers and influencers – if we're to leverage their ability to unlock the prized 'mummy pound'."
Data sourced from PR Week; additional content from Warc
