my experiences with birmingham bloggers have taught me a lot about working with local businesses. fortunately, birmingham is home to up and coming, start-up, media friendly businesses with open minds and flexible marketing agendas. however, not all local spots are keen on what bloggers can do for them, as well as just how easy working with bloggers can be.
in my new e-book, which debuts on august 31st, i detail working with local businesses as a blogging community, and how a community can serve as the "middle man" to connect creatives with local businesses. if you start a blogging group or community in your area, get ready to work with restaurants, bars, boutiques, even gyms and spas - because so many have finally caught on to the value of a trusted local blogger. if you're running a community, you may find yourself acting as a liaison for your members and a business looking for press.
but what if you've got a local spot that isn't sure how to utilize your blogging group? here are three ways businesses can benefit from bloggers and capitalize on a local blogging community.
using local bloggers to announce their businesses
if you've got a local product or business and want to announce it to the world, incorporate bloggers into your marketing strategy. everybody wins! a blogger gets content, a fun event/new place to try out, monetary compensation, etc. and you get promotion out to the folks you really want to connect with.there are so many bloggers who write on a super specific niche! for example, take a look at the special interest bloggers on the birmingham bloggers site - we've got gardening bloggers, diy/craft bloggers and so much more. working with bloggers isn't just for restaurants and clothing stores. there's room for collaboration with everyone.
using local bloggers to interact with customers
call this a "brand ambassador", if you will. if there's a blogger that's passionate about a product, they will talk endlessly about it. if a business/brand can find an eager blogger who will answer questions, talk about their experiences and give genuine endorsements organically on social media, you're on your way to building a great relationship.even better? an entire group of bloggers chatting about a product on business. this is why having a local, united community of bloggers in your area is so important!
by sponsoring local blogging events and workshops
a business can work one-on-one with a blogging community by sponsoring one of their events or workshops. this introduces the event attendees to a business (even more so if a small goodie or discount is given to bloggers who attend!) and helps promote all things local by giving regional bloggers a benefit.
if you want to learn how to start a blogging community in your area, keep it up and running, work with local businesses and generate neat opportunities for your membership base, grab my e-book 'building your blog community: gather, connect & get local', out august 31st! newsletter subscribers get a special discount (+ my free mini e-book all about collaborating with other bloggers) - simply click here to subscribe!
do you have a blog community in your area? if so, do y'all work with local businesses? could any businesses you know of benefit from working with bloggers?
Meredith - this is such great advice! Local businesses really need to work on tapping into local bloggers. There is so much that can be gained for both parties. Your e-book sounds amazing! Congrats lady! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is such a helpful post! It's easy to just keep blogging every day and forgetting to reach out to local companies to work together or promote each other. Definitely something I need to be more aware of!
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