Fran Frith, PR Consultant
As I’m celebrating my one year anniversary at Publicasity this month, I thought it would be a good time to share some tips on something I’ve loved getting involved in here – blogger events. Below are some key learnings I have taken away so far.
Five top tips for running a successful blogger event
1. Appearance is key
It goes without saying, but bloggers are never without their camera so make sure you’re giving them a reason to take photos. This includes your stand/area, and food or drink that might be presented, plus any signage you’ve created for the event.
2. Eat, drink and be merry
If food and drink is allowed at your chosen venue and on your stand then definitely supply some treats. It’s a good way to invite bloggers over without being intimidating or coming off as a salesman. If you’re having a private event, food in the form of afternoon tea works well for encouraging bloggers to sit, chat and relax with one another – making the whole atmosphere much nicer. Deli-style finger food is also great for allowing people to ‘grab and go’.
3. Think about your audience
You may think all blogging events are the same, and that you can re-use the same collateral without much thought. However, to get the most out of those hours you need to research who will be attending and what they are looking to get out of it. For example, if you are attending a family blogging event and your aim is to target parents, you need to think about ways of engaging their children and attracting them to your stand. If you can win the children over, parents are much more willing to stay and chat and find out exactly why you’re there and what you can offer them, vise versa.
4. Don’t over-complicate things
If you want to make an impact on social media during the event, make sure you have a clear goal of what you want to achieve. E.g. is it new followers? Mentions? Follow-up blog posts? Whatever it is, make sure it is clearly signposted around your stand and the instructions are clear and simple. A competition mechanic always works well, especially if there is a chance to win there and then, so bear that in mind.
5. Don’t let it go to waste
As well as encouraging people to interact via social media, always think about data capture whether it be taking people’s business cards, or getting them to leave their details before they go. Not every blogger will be right for your brand, but they will be much more receptive if you can send a follow-up email and keep in contact for future opportunities.
Blogger events are full-on, but it’s a great way to meet lots of people at one time whilst raising awareness of your brand and/or campaigns.
Follow Fran on Twitter @Fran_Frith