Bloggers can be your new best friend, if you know how to work with them. The blogging community that is on the show floor, walking the aisles with the other attendees can give your exhibit a boost by writing about you. But this happenstance needs to be well orchestrated.
Typically, an exhibitor reaches out to the various traditional press avenues to gain coverage for their show activities. In the past few years, smart marketers have included bloggers in their pre-show publicity plans. Having well known and respected bloggers talking about your brand can distinguish you from the competition.
Every Industry Has Bloggers
Whether you know it or not, there are bloggers who cover your industry segment. So how do you find out the who’s who of bloggers? Here are a couple of ways:
- Use Google Alerts to scour the Internet and bring back all who might be talking about your company. If you want to get very specific on the topic, use quotations marks around your subject matter. Google Alerts are delivered to your inbox on a daily basis.
- Technorati is a website that is devoted to the blogging world and they have a directory 1,293,854 bloggers.
- Alltop - “The purpose of Alltop is to help you answer the question, “What’s happening?” in “all the topics” that interest you.”
Check with show management and ask them who in the blogging community is attending the show. They would have issued them a press pass for admittance.
Start the Relationship with the Bloggers in Advance
These journalists can be outspoken, highly unique and possess many quirks. Approaching them incorrectly can be your demise. I would recommend “courting” them well in advance of your show.
Now as prickly as they can be, they are always on the hunt for blog material. What you are doing at a show (i.e., new product introductions, demonstrations, special spokes persons, etc.), can supply them with blog fodder – material to covey to their readers.
Approaching them must be done with curiosity, respect and care. This is not a situation where you send out a blast email with a generic message. Each message sent whether it is via email, regular mail or a phone call should be customized. You should ask them what is the best way for the two of you to get to know one another? Then follow their suggested action.
Is there anything you can do for them? Maybe you have industry contact THEY would like to know. An introduction to that person can start a long, friendly relationship.
Developing blogger relationships before the show can lend itself to them being more willing to cover your activities at the show.
Not all bloggers will be on the show floor. Remember to include those who could not attend the show, but will be covering it anyway. There may be ways you can provide them with video access, pictures or special interviews they can include in their blog posts.
Do you have any successful blogger stories for us? Please let me know and I will post it here for our readers.
Please join our upcoming webinar where I will be discussing how to hitch a ride on your company’s blog for your trade show activities.
Thursday, 23 February 2012
