Events are an increasingly popular way for brands to connect with bloggers. But with this increase in opportunities so comes the possibility of blogger burnout. So what can you do to make your event stand out from the rest and leave a lasting impression?
Know your bloggers.
It is crucial to match your brand as naturally as possible with bloggers who are writing for and engaging with your target demographic.
Remember also that less can be more. A smaller gathering can encourage open discussion and generate a buzz more effectively than a large group who aren’t engaging with your product or service, or are unable to really focus on your key message due to white noise.
If you are catering for children make sure to check beforehand for any special requirements, and be prepared to be flexible if things don’t pan out exactly as expected. If your product is aimed at school aged children schedule your event for a time that they will be able to attend as well. Seeing children interacting with your product is far more powerful than hearing about it.
Expectations.
Make clear at the outset what you hope to achieve with your event. Are you expecting live tweeting? If so make sure bloggers are aware of your hashtag well in advance, many will use it in the time prior as well.
If your group is expected to interact via social media during the event try to provide wifi access if at all possible.
Give your group something to blog about! Coffee and a chat is lovely, but hardly blogworthy under most circumstances. Remember that if your expectation is blog posts about your event you need to think about what’s in it for the blogger and their readers. Prepare a product for them to take home and be willing to offer giveaways for readers as well.
Make it accessible.
Bloggers are not journalists. Their time is not compensated and in many instances attending your event will create expenses such as travel, parking and tolls.
Host your event somewhere accessible by both public and private transport. Think about parking options and the travel time involved when scheduling your event. Take into account factors such as school runs and peak hour traffic issues, as well as giving as much notice as possible so babysitting can be organized when needed.
You want bloggers walking out of your event feeling inspired and motivated, not begrudging the costs of their attendance.
The Goodie Bag.
A great goodie bag will remind the blogger what they loved about your event and why they want to work with your brand. Talking up the dollar value of a swag is totally unnecessary and can imply that you feel the blogger is out for what they can get. Aside from that dollar value means nothing if the items don’t hold actual value to the recipient.
Make sure your goodie bag directly relates to the products you have promoted through your event. A brochure generally isn’t going to inspire action, but a well thought out personalised item will. Make your goodie bag a call to action for the blogger by inspiring conversation and activity through its contents.
Have Fun!
If both your business and the bloggers walk out of an event feeling great about it and each other, you’ve achieved a fantastic outcome. Enjoy yourself!
What makes an event memorable for you?
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
all fabulous points… and I’ll add a couple more…
Make name tags that are big enough to be readable without having to squint at each other’s boobs/chests.
Do a bit of research on those you want to invite, know what their actual names are, what they blog about, and whether your invite is a good fit. I get lots of pitches for events in Sydney when it clearly says on the front page of my blog that I live in ‘rural Victoria’.
Excellent article, and completely agree with Kate. I’ve responded to invitations advising I’m in Perth, and still the same companies send me other interstate invitations. It’s almost enough to make me move interstate (not the frustration, rather being able to actually attend all the events!).
The name tag thing…highly embarrassing. As the person trying to ignore someone squinting at your chest region, and also as the person who is trying to covertly squint at someone else’s chest region.
Oh yes – the tiny hand written name tag on the chest it not the way to go!!
Yes yes to the name tags! I’m trying to work out which is worse though, tiny ones or none at all?
Excellent points. I really like to know what is expected of me as a blogger. I’m a bit wiser these day but was totally lost after attending my first few events. I came home and scratched my head. This didn’t inspire me post at all. I’d rather have it clearly explained before I attend than have to piece it together for myself. I also totally agree regarding parking and ease of access – as I too travel from country Victoria to attend. Please make it easy for me – as I have no idea about parking in the Big City!!
I’ve felt like that too Caz… wondering how it was worth my time or theirs. Such a wasted opportunity for both parties.
Thanks Caz, what kind of expectations are helpful to have made beforehand and how much is too much?
I know what you mean Louisa. You don’t want a list of must do’s as much as you don’t want to be left clueless. There is some middle ground I think. Perhaps suggestions of what you ‘may like to do’ and what facilities will be available that can support you – which are emailed to you prior to the event. Now that I’ve got a bit more experience up my sleeves I’d probably just make it up myself or contact the rep and ask.
That is such a clear and well-put article that I can only see it being a really helpful way for brands to learn more about getting the best outcomes from an event, where they “hope” that the bloggers will have a take-home message, along with a Swag Bag.
I am noticing too, that bloggers, do not “use the items’ as much as to share them.
To their blog readers, and that is another form of marketing the BRAND through the BLOG.
I have yet to be invited to any event, but as I am not quite the typical parent blogger, I remain positive that one day, an invitation to a suitable event will drop into my email.
Thanks Kate, that was a very relevant read.
Thankyou Denyse. You’re right about the goodie bag contents being passed on to readers as well… just another reason to make sure they are relevant.
I am with Caz, I wish I knew sometimes what they expect of us. Yes, the desired outcome of the event is very important to all of us.
What’s the best way for that to be communicated Trish? And how much is OK to ask for? Love to hear your thoughts…
With so much technology at our fingertips I would love to see brands take the next step and work in methods of using video conferencing at suitable events to engage with bloggers from all around the country.
I’d not even thought of that Christie, but it’s a great idea and in some ways a pretty logical next step. Would be fun too!!
Certainly the last event we attended made me feel really jaded, considering the costs that we incurred. The best thing about it was seeing the other bloggers, as it’s so hard to catch up any other way in person, given how widely we are spread out. Oh, the food was good too.
But there was nothing in it for me to blog about. Surely the cost of a few units of product would have been worth the publicity generated through our blogs.
A missed opportunity.
I agree Dorothy, that was the impetus behind this post (even though I’ve been thinking a lot of late about events in general).
I want to walk out of an event feeling excited and inspired, which I usually do.
Dorothy wanted to let you know that there is follow up happening wrt to that particular event. Always an opportunity to grow and develop
I know the event you are talking about and I totally agree. I would like to add that I was unable to engage with the product as I was attending to my children the entire time. The same company (but now I know, different city base) provided babysitters at a previous event that I found much more successful and enjoyable. With my kids and parking taken care of and the amazing goody bag, I left full of praise for the PR company and the client. The most recent event, however, I left with a parking fee of $27 and the taste of cold sausage roll in my mouth. the goody bag was irrelevant to the product and I just don’t know what to write about it, if anything at all.
I hear you Toushka. I’m very glad it is being addressed
Thinking more about this, can I ask you guys how you think this particular situation could be salvaged for the brand? Be interested to hear your thoughts.
I’m really not sure what the answer is here. I received an email that I found a bit offensive that suggested my feedback regarding parking fees was tantamount to asking for payment for comment. I cannot be bought for any amount of money. certainly not $27. I think this particular arm of this particular company just doesn’t appreciate or respect bloggers the same way that the melbourne office does. I think if they are serious about working with bloggers in the future they may want to see how the melbourne office does things.
I don’t think the product/ brand will suffer. It looks like a good and fun product and I’m sure it will do well. But I have nothing to say about it on my blog that wouldn’t be just free advertising. which I wont do.
Yes, there does have to be something in it for bloggers, whether that’s inspiration for a great post, a product to review, or giveaway for readers. Or all of these. And I agree re the cost of attending events. Most brands seem to think we’re just happy to turn up because an event is ‘free’. But parking, tolls, public transport and the time and stress involved in getting somewhere unfamiliar can make just turning up expensive and stressy. Most of us are parents who don’t make money out of our blog, so it does have to be worthwhile. The Kelloggs brunch was probably the best run event I’ve been to. It was well-planned, we were treated nicely and made to feel special, and we came back with products to use or share. And I still have at least one more post to write about that brunch. It was stressful for me to get there, but the timing meant I could do the school run and still get there in time, which made a big difference.
PS Also Kelloggs gave us a clear ‘timing’ that the event would run for, which is handy for planning. And they stuck with that. Things wound up when they said it would. Very necessary for busy bloggers.
Bronnie I was a stressed out mess at the Melb Kellogg’s event (not surprising as it was 2 days past diagnosis for our little boy) and I found the group so caring and accommodating. It was well planned and structured, and the discussion was meaningful. THAT inspires me to write. And the special little personalised gift in the goodie bags was just the cherry on top
Having been to two events now it is interesting to read about other events as very few happen in QLD. The events were great to see how things work and how companies meet and greet with bloggers in person. Relevance is key to attending a event especially considering the costs involved to go to one. Thank goodness for people tweeting and writing posts about events so we all get a little bit of the experience as in the case of some events where you have to buy tickets to them as well as getting there for this is something that is not added into the weekly budget. It is the meeting up with the bloggers that I think I miss the most… and also the feeling of not being in the loop too…. Great post Kate!
I’ve really enjoyed the events I’ve been able to attend.
My only request would be to know other bloggers who are attending the same event in advance. Especially if I’m taking my girls, so I can prepare them a little.
That’s a good suggestion Marita, thanks!