Posted by Matt Brown (Account Executive)
What happens when you Google Google? How do you square-root a minus number? What are the implications of blogging about blogs?
A recent visit to the London Blog Club, and the promise that I'd write a post about it, left me feeling quite neurotic. And who wouldn't be when faced with the prospect of pitting our humble Zone blog against those of the well-established gurus I met at this event, many of whom boast more followers than an overloaded iPad delivery van.
The London Blog Club is a burgeoning institution, rapidly becoming home to all the movers and shakers of the capital's blogosphere and the place where the topics of tomorrow's online critiques are formulated. We were hoping to learn a thing or two about how brands can capture the imaginations of these people and build successful affiliate relationships.
The event brought together an eclectic bunch, which from my uninformed visual assessment represented the full spectrum of blogging genres, from repressed housewives to disenchanted revolutionaries. Such discerning ambassadors of important demographics are increasingly carrying more influence within mainstream media, as proven by the presence of PR infiltrators in almost equal measure. That, and the fact that the topic for the night was about managing relationships between bloggers and the PR world.
We definitely got a valuable insight into a whole range of topics, from how brands can go about finding the most relevant bloggers through blogrolls, Twitter Lists and online communities, to the amount of freedom bloggers have if they do choose to engage with your brand. For instance, unlike US laws, bloggers in the UK have no obligation to disclose whether or not ideas for certain content were eased along with a few well-directed incentives.
As free agents they should therefore not be expected to jump at the chance of featuring any old content, let alone lavish it with praise. However, with an established connection between blog and brand, both parties will soon reinforce their anchorage within the online environment, becoming part of active communities, buzzing with relevancy.
The message to big brands that want link-backs from credible bloggers is not to expect a red carpet, but to take time to find a successful and mutually beneficial relationship. These people are essentially their own brands, nurturing their followers and carefully considering the content they expose them to.