Summary: In this episode we discussed the 6 different types of brand partners bloggers should consider working with. 1. Fortune 500 Companies These are household names recognized by everyone, with major budgets. Why are they working with bloggers? They want to leverage the trust and influence bloggers have earned. When working with bloggers, Fortune 500 companies aren't as focused on increasing sales. Extending their brand awareness is a major goal. The level of the relationship the blogger has with their readers/followers is a major selling point. 2. Small/Medium Sized Companies The Fortune 1000. The Inc. 500/5000. Start-up companies. Small businesses. Local companies looking to develop a national presence. This group is a bit more demanding, but you have the best opportunity to build a long-term relationship with this group. They are very open to working with bloggers. 3. PR Firms Working with PR firms generally involves product reviews and promotional give-aways. These opportunities generally do not pay but if handled right they give bloggers the opportunity to make a key contact and build their resume. 4. SEO & SEM firms Search Engine Optimization is generally the focus. They look to guest post, place sponsored posts, purchase text links, or banners on sites. Building a relationship with them can lead to repeat business. They also pay faster than anyone else. 5. Advertising Agencies Image is also important to them, so they are looking to work with higher end blogs. A clean, modern, blog design is required. Bloggers will be evaluated by: the initial look and feel of their blog, traffic, and the relationship the blogger has with his or her visitors. Engagement and click through metrics are important to agencies. 6. Media Buying Agencies These are the big players in the market. They are generally the largest buyers of media online. Audience and engagement metrics are very important. Ed, Jessie and Leon all stressed the importance of being professional when dealing with any of these 6 brand partners. SEO/SEM firms pay the highest fees...until you prove yourself in the area of brand partnerships. That's where the really big payoff lies. You can download the Transcript of Podcast 104 here. Join the discussion on Facebook here. Or join us on our Linkedin Group here.
