In the field of marketing, the blogger has acquired great relevance as a possible prescriber or detractor of a certain product or service. In this sense, they are able to greatly influence their readers in the decision process. Hence, many companies today develop specific strategies focused on increasing their presence in these media. The brands have found in the blogs a fantastic advertising support, but above all have found in bloggers some extraordinary allies when it comes to publicizing a new product or service through the posts they publish, contents in which the blogger informs and thinks openly with the intention of sharing his experience with Internet users.
The study and The value of the opinion “developed by the Agency of Interactive Advertising and Digital Content Kanlli deepens by analyzing and researching these opinion leaders to help understand brands what they are doing right or wrong when approaching them. A study whose data clearly show us an enlightening vision of the way in which bloggers relate to brands.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BLOGS
The main focus of this study is to understand the relationship between bloggers and brands. It is therefore interesting to see that of all the bloggers surveyed, 81% have written about a brand on some occasion. Later we will study in depth how this relationship is articulated and the motivations of bloggers when writing about a brand, but it is interesting to first analyze the main characteristics of the bloggers interviewed.
Today, among the more than 1 million blogs that are estimated to exist in Spain. In large part, the topics covered in the blogs reflect the interests of readers and therefore of society. According to the study data, 22% of the respondents said they talked about Gastronomy, 21% about Travel, 17% about Fashion and Beauty, 10% about Technology as well as about Television and Cinema (10%), and 8%. % on Motor. In this way, the results reflected in this study provide a diversified view, representative of several topics within the blog landscape in Spain.
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MARKS AND BLOGS
In recent times, bloggers have accepted with naturalness the fact that brands are targeting them as intermediaries between their product or service and potential consumers. However, it seems that many companies or agencies, due to their ignorance, do not know how to start a relationship with a blogger. Bloggers recognize that in some cases companies are guilty of being too fearful and in other cases they send information practically demanding the terms of the publication of an article.
One of the most important aspects of the relationship between brands and bloggers refers to making contact. It is a delicate process in which we must be careful, but it is not necessary to fear too much a possible bad reaction. It is simply to act as naturally as possible.
There are many and varied incentives that a company or brand can offer to bloggers in order to appear mentioned in an article of your blog, from the merely informative, such as communications about a new product, action or service, through product testing. and even monetary rewards or invitations to events that, on occasion, are very attractive to invited bloggers.
It is interesting to note that a quarter of bloggers have ever written about a brand without receiving any incentive in return, which confirms the spontaneous and disinterested aspect of the publication in these media.
The incentives that bloggers claim to have received most often are proof of some product or service (53%), the invitation to an event (43%), payment in cash or kind (40%) and to a lesser extent the sending of press releases (28%). It is noteworthy that 5.2% said they had talked about a brand because they believed that its mere mention brought prestige to the blog, which points to the importance of the brand image, a brand that a blogger can grant significant value to. herself. It seems clear then that many companies still see bloggers as a means of communication and relate to them in the same way. However, blogs, reflecting personal experiences, require a more personal relationship than sending a press release. In interviews with bloggers,
THE STRENGTH OF THE OPINIONS
To begin with, it should be noted that most bloggers (62%) have ever spoken negatively about a brand. This ratio goes to 100% and 90% in the case of Technology and Motor bloggers, respectively, which is logical in the sense that in these sectors it is much more frequent to opt for one brand over another. Mobile phones, telecommunication and ADSL operators or electronic devices are just some of the examples of the products or services that have the most comparisons in the network.
On the other hand, the high percentage of bloggers dedicated to Gastronomy who has never talked negatively about a brand (55%), followed closely by Fashion and Beauty bloggers (48%) is striking. But for any brand to be scared of these data, it is important to understand that bloggers are primarily users and consumers, and consequently the opinions they provide reflect their experience as a user.
What is the reason (s) that led you to write negatively about a brand?
If we analyze the reasons for speaking negatively about a brand according to the topics of the blogs, we see that, as we mentioned before, the comparison with the competition for Technology and Motor prevails. However, most bloggers mention discontent as a consumer as the main reason for a negative opinion.
When talking positively about a brand, the user and consumer criterion is also imposed, since 94% do so because the brand really likes it. However, 17% also admit having been influenced by an incentive received, so it is increasingly important that companies take care of this aspect. Even more so if we take into account that probably many of the incentives used by brands and their approach to bloggers have an impact on whether they like it or not.
THE PROOF PRODUCTS
Another initiative carried out by brands and that is also highly valued by bloggers is to offer product tests. With this, brands make sure that the blogger knows it, proves it, and therefore values it.
The vast majority of bloggers, although they have not liked the tested product, try to give a complete information about it, well writing in detail what they did not like (the case for example of 78% of Technology blogs, and 51% of the Total), either offsetting the negative aspects by positive ones (50% of the Motor blogs). In some cases bloggers choose directly not to mention the product, as is the case of 63% of Gastronomy bloggers.
NOT ALL IS CONTENT
Of the total of bloggers surveyed, 59% said they had paid advertising on their blog, mainly through Google Adsense but also with other display supports, infomercials or integrations.
It is surprising that the greatest presence of advertorials is recorded in the Technology and Fashion blogs, when it would seem a more suitable format for Viajes (only 22% use it) or Motor (no blog in this category mentions it).
THE BLOGGER OUT OF YOUR BLOG
Your blog is not the only way of expression and dissemination that bloggers have. The forums and social networks are two other channels through which a blogger thinks about brands, not only from the profiles that his blog may have on networks such as Facebook or Twitter, but also from his own, personal ones, which They print in the opinions issued a higher credibility index. In addition, many bloggers are not limited only to write in their blog, but collaborate in others as authors, whether fixed or sporadic. All these factors make their opinions go further and promote the virality of the contents. In addition, smaller blogs drink from the big ones, so the opinion emitted by a blogger can be multiplied in many other blogs that used it as a source.
Companies must take this fact into account when contacting bloggers because they have to adapt to their most natural means of contact. If 89% of bloggers are present on Twitter, it is logical to use this platform to establish a relationship with them. However, sometimes companies do not take the time to understand the communication codes of this channel and use it as a simple email, which can create a bad first contact.
Companies must take this fact into account when contacting bloggers because they have to adapt to their most natural means of contact. If 89% of bloggers are present on Twitter, it is logical to use this platform to establish a relationship with them. However, sometimes companies do not take the time to understand the communication codes of this channel and use it as a simple email, which can create a bad first contact.