Resolving the relationship between bloggers and brands

When we think of bloggers, and this is especially true for large corporates, we tend to get the image of a bunny loving computer geek, typing away at their computers to a few followers who hang on their every word. But there is another side to bloggers: A side that lurks below the surface and has been exposed a few times to unwitting companies who have “done them in”. Bloggers are business people too.

What is the purpose of a blogger?

I realise there is some irony in the fact that I am writing this article as a blogger, on a site that uses blogging techniques, that is read by a lot of bloggers… Some would call it poetic justice, others, blogging suicide. The real crux of this article is to look at the issue from both sides — the side of an organisation (brand) looking at utilising the blogging community and also from the side of the bloggers themselves. We are going to (at the risk of using corporate speak) “unpack” the role of a blogger and the blogging community.

From the vantage of a corporate

A study published by the American-based site eMarketer reveals there is a trend for people to write about brands online. At the very bottom of the pyramid are those who blog as a hobby — an online diary if you will. A place where their close friends and family can see their daily rantings and ravings about life in their shoes.

The range continues up towards those individuals who consider themselves “professional bloggers”. These are the writers who have a large following and are constantly writing about their interactions with specific brands. They are seen as influential in the blogging world for their literary prowess, their turn of phrase, but, more specifically, because their followers think they are “Super Cool”!

Thirty eight percent of professional bloggers profess to frequently talking about brands they love or hate

(This is the bit that brands get excited about) When this data is put next to the data which characterises their interactions with brand either positive or negative, there is a definite bias towards the positive.

Brand representatives are tapping into this community and using the bloggers more and more to get their brands to the masses in a way which does not look contrived and bastardised by a company’s influence. The intention with this kind of marketing is that the bloggers look like they are having a perfectly good time with a product or service from a particular brand and there is no endorsement or mechanism that sends them to a purchase page — it is completely passive.

This is excellent for brands as it adds to their marketing arsenal and the rest of the brand’s marketing initiatives can be targeted around where the blog’s audience spends its time. It resonates well and builds an excellent brand champion.

Company warning

There is a snake in the grass. As bloggers get more and more powerful, there are a handful that are bound to get out of hand. There have been stories of bloggers who have essentially held brands hostage and said, “give me free shit or I will trash your brand online!”. In Taiwan it has reached the stage where there are laws in place which state that the professional relationship between blogger and company needs to be made official by way of a contract and acknowledging that all forms of entrapment are illegal.

From the vantage of a blogger

Companies are beginning to understand the value of a profession that remains ultimately independent of their brand. A platform that communicates to the masses on a level that the brand can never reach.

There are no rules and guidelines that a blogger has to follow exactly. It depends more on the brand that has asked them to be an ambassador of their brand, but how does a blogger ensure that they are protected if their blog posts turn sour for the company which has entrusted them with the evangelising of its brand? What are the dangers that a blogger can face when large brands have armies of lawyers with vicious intentions and aggressive words to back them up like “tax” and “jail time”.

The first thing to do is to ensure that your agreement with the company is put down on paper. Ensure that you are covered with exactly what you are allowed to say and what you are not allowed to say. Try and take out as much of the grey as possible. Grey is the colour of lawyers, it’s the area they love to play in the most.

Second is to ensure that you have a business of some sort setup; whether you are conducting your business in your personal capacity or not. When it comes to tax all of your inbound revenue is subject to income tax. For your own benefit, either register as a sole proprietor, a CC (close corporation) or, if you intend to grow your empire, go the whole hog and register it as a company.

Companies will love you as long as you are adding value to their marketing. As soon as you become a detractor (no matter how true your words) they will drop you and not look back.

Where is the balance?

The balance between company and blogger comes in understanding the value that one can get from the other.

Bloggers are allowing brands a window into a particularly murky and hard to reach place.

Brands are allowing bloggers to lift their social status by being associated with them and further enrich themselves in the process. While there is mutual benefit, respect and a good-natured intent from each party, the interaction between bloggers and brands will continue to be a clever marketing tactic for both parties.

Image: alamodestuff