Bloggers have long surrounded us. They're everywhere: reviews, video reviews, social media, websites, personal blogs. Advertising has become an obsession with every business's promotion.
Who is a blogger?
A blogger is an opinion leader, an influential figure in the digital world. Bloggers work in a variety of fields. Some conduct investigative documentaries and report on them, others summarize film plots, and others create video reviews of cosmetics, places, and countries.
Opinion leaders are divided by the number of subscribers on social networks into microbloggers (10-100 thousand subscribers) and macrobloggers (from 100 thousand subscribers).
The number of subscribers influences the authority of an opinion leader, as well as the cost of advertising.
How to choose a blogger for advertising?
To select a blogger, you need to choose a platform. This can be on messaging apps (a Telegram channel, for example) or social media (Instagram, Facebook, and others). If your business doesn't have any social media presence, it's recommended to create one. This will help you more accurately identify your audience, brand loyalty, and activity on your page, posts, and stories.
Such analytics are useful for finding a media personality on the chosen platform(s). It's best to choose a representative for promotion who is relevant to the audience. They should be trusted by their audience, yours, and possibly other audiences to whom the algorithms may send content.
Therefore, it is important to choose a blogger who is close to the business topic, has a good audience, a good style, and the right approach to advertising.
Today, deceptive, intrusive advertising by bloggers is very noticeable. This creates negative publicity, sometimes even public opinion. Therefore, choosing the ideal PR specialist requires careful consideration..
Selecting an influencer for advertising is done using data verification tools. Many media personalities falsify their data, including story views, likes, and comments. This is often obvious to the naked eye. A qualified specialist can uncover such data. However, most people don't trust the reports submitted by bloggers and verify them themselves. Verification using specific tools allows you to identify a high-quality audience (less fake followers, more genuine followers), the number of likes, evaluate real comments, and much more. Poor verification will lead to a poor choice for social media promotion, a waste of time and money. It's better to entrust this task to professionals, commissioning them to verify and find the right representative.
The most successful advertising is on Instagram and YouTube.
Instagram has long since evolved from a hobbyist platform into something more. Advertising with a blogger allows you to expand your audience, drive people to your client's page, and attract potential clients. There's plenty of scope for creativity here.
It's a similar story with YouTubers. The selection principle is the same: number of subscribers, interests, quality of content.
Types of advertising among bloggers
- Reviews of products and services. Unboxing and reviewing products always attracts attention. This can be a great way to generate native advertising. Public figures open the box sent for review, take out the products, and then share their opinions. If it's a service, they usually share their impressions after receiving it. Typically, they share their impressions of the office, the service, and so on.
- Reviews of products and services. Unboxing and reviewing products always attracts attention. This can be a great way to generate native advertising. Public figures open the box sent for review, take out the products, and then share their opinions. If it's a service, they usually share their impressions after receiving it. Typically, they share their impressions of the office, the service, and so on.
- Direct advertising. A simple and popular method among bloggers. A media personality talks about your products, services, and promotions. Sometimes it's presented interactively to increase engagement, for example, through games.
- Integration into content. A photo collection is created, a beautiful text is written, and the post is published. The advantage is that the images are either created specifically using the customer's product or are ready-made versions of the advertised products. The account is tagged in the photo and in the post. Job done!
- Advertising insert into the video. This format is more common on YouTube. The ad is inserted either at the beginning or midway through the content. It offers extensive reach and is expensive, but more effective when chosen correctly by the right blogger.
- Product placement or placement of a product in a frame. This approach involves the product being present in the frame without being mentioned. The method is somewhat similar to product placement in films, but on a much smaller scale and to a much smaller audience. The idea is that the product can be placed anywhere prominently on the video blogger. It won't be mentioned in the video, but it will be visible in the visual. This method is preferred for products with restrictions, such as tobacco products.
- CompetitionsThe giveaway is held by the chosen advertiser on their page. Goal: increasing subscribers to the customer's page. Disadvantage: high unsubscribe rates among losers;
- EventsFor such moments, bloggers are invited to film live broadcasts from the scene, respond to subscribers, and publish stories. This is an attractive format for opening a store, beauty studio, or salon, or, perhaps, a travel agency;
- TakeoverA media personality is fully immersed in the company's life. They manage social media, write posts, communicate with the public, offer advice, and create stories about the organization from their perspective;
- Affiliate marketing. A popular form of online advertising these days. It works like this: a blogger is given a promo code for a product or service. They post it on their page and receive a fixed percentage of sales;
- Ambassador, or brand representative. There may be several. The main thing is that they should be consistent with the company's spirit, values, and corporate culture. Brand recognition is an advantage. Once the advertising format is selected, you can begin developing and implementing it.
Why should businesses buy advertising from bloggers?
Social media advertising generates good revenue. While it's certainly not perfect, success can be measured. Analytics can help you calculate results, costs, user growth, and the number of orders..
Advertising campaigns are especially relevant for businesses that:
- recently entered the market and want to tell about themselves;
- have been on the market for a long time and periodically remind us of their existence.
The cost of an ad varies depending on the platform, public figure, audience size, delivery format, and other nuances. The impact of such campaigns is measurable, so there's nothing to be afraid of.
How to advertise with a blogger?
As described above: first, find a platform, then select an influencer, and vet them. After vetting, send them a message either via private message or to the email address provided. It's best, of course, to send a message to everyone—this will increase the chances of your message being viewed quickly. Be prepared for bloggers not to respond immediately. If the media personality is a prominent one, they may not have time to respond to your messages. A PR manager or manager may also respond to your messages. This also takes time. Therefore, you should write to several bloggers, not just one.
Be sure to format your letter. Be friendly. Greet them, introduce yourself, and briefly describe the company (what it does, etc.). Then briefly describe the nature of the partnership. And wait for a response.
If the answer is yes, you need to work through the technical specifications with the chosen person. Once everything is agreed upon, sign a service agreement outlining the terms of work and fees.
Preparation of technical specifications.
It is essential to draw up a technical specification (TS). It specifies:
- Description of goods, services;
- What is the purpose of advertising?
- If it's a website, then specify the page to visit; if it's a group, channel, or social media page, then specify the resource address;
- Correct pronunciation of the name and stress. If the name is foreign, it's best to include a transcription and, alternatively, a transliteration;
- Format and requirements for publishing an advertising offer;
- Message to the target audience;
- Date and time of publication.
Blogger advertising analytics
Results aren't always immediate, but analyzing advertising data is essential. Depending on your goals, you can measure data through analytics systems like Yandex.Metrica and Google Analytics, as well as internal social media data systems.
To sell products from your website, it's best to use a specially created promo code for the selected blogger. This will allow you to track the success or failure of the campaign.
An advertising campaign designed to increase awareness is measurable by the growth in the number of subscribers and their activity.
It's often difficult to track data independently. For best results, engage specialists who will independently search for content creators willing to advertise your product. They will also conduct negotiations, arrange meetings, and monitor advertising effectiveness.
Which niches offer the fastest return on investment?
The most popular topics for promotion, mainly on Instagram, are:
Beauty and health. Everyone wants to look beautiful, learn about new products, and read reviews. Visual appeal is paramount. If a major blogger posts a photo featuring a little-known brand, it's sure to become popular. This is where the "I want to be like my idol" effect comes into play. Therefore, advertising is a great way to boost sales.
Fashion. Clothing is judged visually. This is another topic well suited for online promotion. An engaging presentation of accessories and clothing for adults and children will also help boost sales;
Art and photography. Nowadays, it's more profitable to maintain a portfolio on a personal social media page rather than a personal website. A wide variety of artists and photographers are gaining popularity. Showcase your work through bloggers—recognition will follow;
A blog about family and children. For many, this is a good way to demonstrate their expertise in family matters and share their experiences raising children. Typically, such "mommy" blogs advertise children's products..
Food and delivery. Many restaurants and food delivery services have gained popularity thanks to bloggers and their personalized promo codes, increasing the average bill;
Other topics, such as 18+ content (cigarettes, alcohol, etc.), are blocked by many social networks. These are specified in the resource's terms of use. Extreme caution is required to avoid overstepping the mark. However, promotion success will be slow.
Some airlines and cargo carriers publish content featuring animals or show their "internal" routines, which attracts users.
Conclusion
Advertising is the engine of commerce. Today, the conventional wisdom has shifted toward content creators who know how to present and sell effectively. Such advertising may seem expensive, but it generates good revenue and a quick return on investment when approached correctly. Moreover, a media personality can become a brand ambassador. And this is also a good way to build long-term engagement.
