how to make your blog attractive to brands

How to make your blog

attractive to brands

Blog On Conference

1st May 2016

Sophie Bratt – Campaigns and Social Executive, Click Consult

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

So, who am I?

Blogger at sophiesscran.com

and Campaigns & Social Executive Click Consult – a leading Organic Search Agency (SEO)

@sophiesscran on Twitter & Instagram

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

And what do I do?

As a campaigns and social exec at Click, I plan, create and

execute link-building campaigns, collaborating with bloggers

and brands such as…

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

What is a “campaign”?

In my world, SEO, a campaign aims to:

Build links and give client’s a boost in their search engine

rankings

The process (in a nutshell):

– Start with client objectives

– Come up with some ideas and a concept

– Create the relevant assets (eBook, visuals, fact sheets)

– Reach out to relevant bloggers

– Build links

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Why do brands want to work with

bloggers?

- They want to gain online exposure for their brand

- They want to build links

- They want to spread brand awareness

- They want to team up with people who endorse them

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Why do bloggers want to work

with brands/agencies?

- To endorse their favourite brands

- For some fresh, shareable content for their readers

- To get involved in fun, relevant campaigns

- To gain exposure

- To build relationships (long term)

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Consider who is contacting youDifferent pitches will land in your inbox

Depending on where they’re from, they will have different goals and

objectives

For instance, you might be contacted by:

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

PR’s goals, on behalf of a brand

Wanting to gain exposure for their brand/product

Not precious about specific links (no-follow vs. do-follow)

They will offer things like product/restaurant reviews, freebies, events,

giveaways, AKA blogger gifting

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Follow vs. No Follow Links

- When you link to another site from your own, you are passing ‘authority’

- You are signalling to Google that the site you’re linking to is worthwhile

- Linking to good quality sites is good for your own site i.e. linking to The

Guardian, Oxfam the NHS website

- No-follow links are when you add rel=“no follow” to the <a> tag in your site’s

code

- This tells Google NOT to pass authority to the site

- You should do this when you’ve been given payment or a freebie i.e. blogger

gifting

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

SEO’s goals, on behalf of a brand

Wanting to build good quality, relevant do-follow links to the brand’s homepage

or relevant sub-page

Wanting to earn brand exposure that doesn’t directly “sell” the product

The most important factor is relevance to the campaign

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

What is DA?

- Score of 1-100 that predicts how well a website will rank

on search engines

- A metric developed by Moz, who are independent of

Google

- The most common metric used by SEOs

- Looks at your sites link profile- i.e. who is linking to your domain, are they good quality links? Are they relevant?

- Best to have your own domain and not .wordpress.com

or .blogspot.com

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

How do I check my…

Domain Authority?

Here: moz.com/researchtools/ose/

Trust Flow?

Here: majestic.com

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

A brand’s goals, if they contact you direct

• A mixture of PR goals and SEO

goals

• Very likely to have a PR

person/team in-house

• Likely to also have an SEO

person/small team in-house

• Looking for brand endorsement /

ambassadors

• Wanting to tap into your

audience

• Example: Manchester health

food blogger spamellab.com

(@SpamellaB)

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Is the approach email collaborative?

Is the campaign right for me, and most

importantly my readers?

Key questions to ask yourself, if you want to work with brands

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Is this a chance to work with an industry influencer?

Assess the wider opportunity value

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Working with Industry InfluencersComing soon…

Blogger competition,

Oxfam link back to the

winning bloggers. In

another Oxfam campaign

they followed them all on

Twitter.

Two-way brand endorsement… They endorse you and your

blog as well as you endorsing them.

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Will I gain some good exposure (social media or other)?

Assess the wider opportunity value

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Gain Social Media Exposure

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Deliver Something AwesomePolly from thisenchantedpixie.org’s contribution to the Bedtime Stories eBook

for Adjustable Beds. http://adjustablebeds.co.uk/top-childrens-bedtime-

stories/

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Deliver Something Awesome

Chance to be involved in

something relevant,

bespoke and beautiful

This Infographic for a

“Holiday Essentials”

campaign for

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Avoiding potential pitfalls

- Try not to be tempted by every opportunity

- Look out for relevant, collaborative projects

- Remember, if you’re contacted by a good SEO it is part of

a wider strategy for the brand

- Never sell links on your site. However, if you’re writing

your own content, ask for compensation for your time and

admin costs

- Don’t go link crazy… One link to the home page or

relevant page is enough

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Recap: how to make your blog

attractive to brands

Keep doing what you’re doing… blog, blog, blog

Make sure you have some posts with no links, such as unlinked brand mentions

Build relevant, trustworthy links and practice good SEO on your blog

Produce unique content

Use a tone and style that matches desired brands

Interact on social media

Consider do-follow links where possible, when right for your blog and readers

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk

Thank You

Questions?

outreach@click.co.uk

www.click.co.uk

hello@click.co.uk