Blogger Nights – How to Cover Blogger Events
Blogger Nights | Manila Blogs.com
The media in the Philippines is starting to see the internet as an untapped resource. Lately, there have been many "Blogger Nights" where products are launched, restaurant dishes are tasted, and celebrity endorsers are introduced. To maximize these events, you need to know how to effectively cover these blogger events.
Know your purpose. It's important for you to know what you're covering in the first place. Are you publicizing a new hotel bar or the hotel itself? Are you introducing a brand's whole product line, some specific new models, or maybe just the fact that they have a new celebrity endorser? Are you reviewing a new dish or the whole restaurant? It is important to know your purpose so that you know what to look for. Instead of spending your time and attention on taking pictures of everything during the blogger event, you take time to understand what it is you're supposed to understand. When it comes time to write your post, you'll have all the data you need for a comprehensive post that works for you, your readers, AND the sponsors.
Take note of what stands out. Most of the time, people who regularly read your blogs do so because they share the same sensibilities as you; therefore, whatever makes sense to you, also makes sense to them. So if a particular feature of the product stands out to you, that's what you'll focus on when you write later. For example, we recently attended a blogger event for Cherry Mobile and the Cherry Mobile X90 Blush has a menstrual calendar - this fact stood out for my wife. Most probably her readers on ManilaFitness.com (which is geared more towards women's fitness) will also find that fact important. She's effectively catering to her audience's expectations.
Tie it back to your blog's central theme. If you're a kikay blog (ManilaShopaholic.com for example), you don't just write about all the brand's products -- you write about the more kikay models/items. If you're a fitness blog, you write about restaurant dishes that also have a health benefit. If you're a review blog, you write down the specs and give your verdict - you don't focus on the new celebrity endorser (unless that's what you're reviewing). If you're a personal blog, you make sure you share your own personal opinion on what you're sharing. It is important to keep your blog's integrity. Your readers know what they can expect from your blog and by tying it back to the theme, you're making sure that you're delivering on their expectations.
Disclose. You need a disclosure policy. If you're getting paid to review products/restaurants/events (nothing wrong with that), you have to tell your readers. It is better if you are upfront about the possible biases you may have so that readers know how much to trust -- they need to know when you are spouting bible truth or "sponsored truth." This is an important way to keep both your blog's integrity and its daily view count. You can make your own disclosure policy at disclosurepolicy.org.
When you're invited to a blogger event, treat it with the same professionalism and respect a "traditional media" representative would give. Remember that even though you might be having fun, you are there to work. If we, as a blogging community, mature into a viable media alternative, then blogging can transform into a dependable income source and brands can reach markets more effectively on the internet. Win-win.
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Get your own domain – cheap!
July 19th, 2010 - 00:27
How do you get invited to these events anyway? =)
July 21st, 2010 - 04:56
@christine00900: network! once you become more active in the blogging community, someone somewhere will extend an invite to you.
July 19th, 2010 - 08:27
How do you get invited to these events anyway? =)
July 21st, 2010 - 12:56
@christine00900: network! once you become more active in the blogging community, someone somewhere will extend an invite to you.
July 21st, 2010 - 09:31
Cool read! Thanks for this! haha halatag lagi ka atang naiinvite :p
July 26th, 2010 - 03:17
@barry: pwede na. lately meron akong napuntahan tapos they (traditional media folks) were dissing bloggers! i’ll write about that later. bwahaha
July 21st, 2010 - 17:31
Cool read! Thanks for this! haha halatag lagi ka atang naiinvite :p
July 26th, 2010 - 11:17
@barry: pwede na. lately meron akong napuntahan tapos they (traditional media folks) were dissing bloggers! i’ll write about that later. bwahaha
August 9th, 2010 - 06:24
just want to ask…
for example, you know a PR and you know his/her contact, how will i approach them in email that I want to be part of their events? what will be the proper way of saying it to them?
thanks
August 12th, 2010 - 13:58
That’s a good question, Ann! Pero honestly, you just have to ask them. You have nothing to lose and a free dinner to gain!
In terms of phrasing, you may want to phrase it in such a way that they see what’s in it for them.
Blogger events are so cheap compared to traditional media that PR folks are usually open to getting as many people to increase their reach.
August 13th, 2010 - 06:44
haha tama po nothing to lose and a free dinner to gain… meron po kasi akong gusto talagang icover na product.. nalaman ko po na ang PR company na yun ang may hawak…
gusto ko po kc na maayos yung pagkakasabi ko.. bka po kasi maging iba ang impression nila sa mga bloggers… may mga issues din po kc sa mga bloggers about ethics tuwing may events
August 13th, 2010 - 14:47
@ann: true true. pero as long as you conduct yourself properly and you consciously build your personal brand, you should be fine.
August 9th, 2010 - 14:24
just want to ask…
for example, you know a PR and you know his/her contact, how will i approach them in email that I want to be part of their events? what will be the proper way of saying it to them?
thanks
August 12th, 2010 - 21:58
That’s a good question, Ann! Pero honestly, you just have to ask them. You have nothing to lose and a free dinner to gain!
In terms of phrasing, you may want to phrase it in such a way that they see what’s in it for them.
Blogger events are so cheap compared to traditional media that PR folks are usually open to getting as many people to increase their reach.
August 13th, 2010 - 14:44
haha tama po nothing to lose and a free dinner to gain… meron po kasi akong gusto talagang icover na product.. nalaman ko po na ang PR company na yun ang may hawak…
gusto ko po kc na maayos yung pagkakasabi ko.. bka po kasi maging iba ang impression nila sa mga bloggers… may mga issues din po kc sa mga bloggers about ethics tuwing may events
August 13th, 2010 - 22:47
@ann: true true. pero as long as you conduct yourself properly and you consciously build your personal brand, you should be fine.
August 9th, 2010 - 11:27
Oooh very helpful. I’m still working my way on how to cover these events, I’ve been to some and sometimes I’m having a hard time injecting my own thang into how it should be written.
August 12th, 2010 - 14:02
Thanks dude! just write about what stood out! If nothing in the event stood out, check out the press kit – maybe something will stand out for you there.
(kung wala talaga, just be careful you don’t post just for the sake of posting — don’t sell out!)
August 9th, 2010 - 19:27
Oooh very helpful. I’m still working my way on how to cover these events, I’ve been to some and sometimes I’m having a hard time injecting my own thang into how it should be written.
August 12th, 2010 - 22:02
Thanks dude! just write about what stood out! If nothing in the event stood out, check out the press kit – maybe something will stand out for you there.
(kung wala talaga, just be careful you don’t post just for the sake of posting — don’t sell out!)