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When I first started blogging, waaaaaay back in 2009, brands had no clue what it was, or what we did.
‘You’re a… what?‘ was the response whenever I approached a brand with a collaboration idea.
Over the years the online publishing industry exploded, in time completely overtaking traditional print media. Suddenly, brands weren’t just aware of bloggers, they were clamouring to work with them.
Being such a brand-new industry, there has been a lot of trial and error along the way, as both sides have figured out how to successfully work wtih a blogger. When I began, bloggers never got paid; writing was a labour of love, a creative outlet for new mums who were feeling isolated and stifled by the drudgery of motherhood.
This segued into ‘real mum reviews’ where you’d receive products in return for a mention on your blog. Back then, charging a fee was an entirely alien concept, and most PR’s and brands would have laughed in your face if you’d asked for one.
But then a younger generation of bloggers hit the scene, and they came in with an entirely different game plan. They saw blogging as a career, not a hobby, and approached it as such.
They were brazenly businesslike. Growing up alongside social media, they understood the value of their platform and unapologetically charged for the content they created.
Brands and businesses eventually accepted that, if they wanted quality social media content that precisely reached and resonated with their target market, they’d have to pay – just like they’d always done with traditional media.
But… blogging had some distinct differences.
They were no longer dealing with a publishing company, they were working directly with an individual who held creative control over their own platform. Now, rather than dictating exactly what they wanted, the advertiser had to work with the blogger, often relinquishing control over what, exactly, was written.
And herein lies the beauty of blogging…
It’s more real, less contrived than traditional advertorial. While clients may give guidelines of what they want in the copy, ultimately, it’s up to the blogger to word it in their own voice and style, so – even thought it’s paid content – it’s more authentic.
How to successfully work with a blogger
Firstly, you need to find your perfect match (the blogger/s who fit in well with your brand image and ethos, and will help you achieve the right results).
There are several ways to find UK Mummy Bloggers – you can search online and approach them directly yourself, you can post in blogger Facebook groups, or you can go via a company that acts as a go between, like the Get Blogged Marketplace.
You post details about your campaign on the platform, and interested bloggers will pitch to you. From here, you can see who is the best fit, message, metrics and money-wise, and contact the people you’re interested in moving ahead with.
There are several ways you can then tailor your outreach campaign – the simplest being a standard blog post. This is when you commission a blogger to write a post specifically about you, or a general post that refers to your brand or company (for example, a post about home improvements that links back to your lighting company client).
In return, you get both a back-link to your site – which gives you a little SEO boost – as well as some online PR that both gives your brand exposure and can be reused in your own digital marketing.
Alternatively, you may prefer to commission a post on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok. These won’t give you any back-link benefits (colloquially known as link juice), but can help you target a more precise audience, via specific hashtags, or the fact social media sites attract a younger demographic.
Many brands ask for a mix of the two – a blog post, supported with social media posts.
If you’re looking for something more dynamic, you could a creative video campaign. In this format you could ask your influencers to create anything from a simple video blog, to a comedy skit, to a dance routine. These can go out on video platforms, like TikTok, Instagram Stories and Reels.
Again, these are a great way to increase awareness of your brand or product, and – if you’re really lucky – the clips might even go viral.
Finally, you can ask your blogger to broadcast something as it happens, using an app like Instagram Live or Facebook Live. This kind of campaign works brilliantly at events and concerts (when they’re allowed to resume!), as it really captures the atmosphere and excitement.
I’ve seen hugely successful blogger campaigns, and I’ve seem some spectacularly implode. If you’re unsure how to make the first move, here are some insider tips on how to successfully work with Mummy Bloggers UK.
1: Don’t ask a blogger to create content for you without a budget in place. Asking a blogger to work for free is the quickest way to annoy them Secondly, bloggers talk to other bloggers; if you’re considered a time waster, word WILL get around.
2: When selecting bloggers, don’t get hung up simply on traffic or follower numbers. Some have huge levels of both, but quantity isn’t always the most important factor. Others might be micro bloggers, but their audience is particularly loyal and engaged with the content. Others might not fall into either category, but the aesthetic of their blog exactly fits your brand; in this case the content could be used in your own promotional material.
3: If your company uses a particular tone of voice or wording, make this known to the blogger before they accept the commission. Be clear about your deliverables and what you want to achieve from your outreach campaign, but make sure you also give the blogger freedom to inject their personality into the post, as this is what their audience wants and expects to see. A post that’s clearly not their usual style may put them off reading altogether.
4: Don’t change the goalposts. If you’ve commissioned a blogger to write a post, don’t insist on big changes after they send you the proof. If the focus of your campaign changes (through no fault of the blogger) and the post has to be tweaked accordingly, compensate them for the extra time it’s going to take.
5: Pay promptly. Remember that bloggers are generally sole traders, and many are parents juggling childcare with working from home. Companies with big overdrafts can wait 30+ days for payment, but for mums living week-to-week it can be a real struggle. Similarly, don’t make them chase invoices; the majority of parents simply don’t have the time and every minute spent trying to get paid for work already completed takes them away from work that still needs to be done.
6: Similarly, if bloggers have young children, unforseen circumstances can, and will, inevitably crop up. These may impact their ability to meet a deadline, so – in these rare instances – a little flexibility and understanding goes a long way.
7: Consider covering their Paypal fees as standard. We can’t insist on this, due to the platform’s T&Cs, but you’ll earn loads of brownie points if you choose to do so. It may not seem like much to make a fuss over, but when you’re losing three or four pounds from every transaction this can easily add up to £50-£80 per month, which is a lot for a sole trader – it’s like writing a blog post a month for free.
(Contrary to popular opinion, we can’t ‘claim the fees back’, we can only deduct them from our total taxable income when we submit our tax return, which essentially means – in a roundabout way – we might get 20% of that money back. If we’re earning under the tax threshold, however, we don’t get anything.)
Always bear in mind that they are a sole person working without the safety net of a regular wage, or a company expense account.
They’re almost certainly working around their families or other jobs, and are probably up until silly o’clock and working through the weekend to get your posts live. Show them understanding and appreciation, and you’ll have someone willing to sing your praises from the rooftops.
So those are my tips on how to successfully work with a blogger; here’s a long and happy partnership!
