DigitalFilipino Talks Blog Contest: My View On Tapping Blogs for Online Campaigns

My View On Tapping Blogs for Online Campaigns

Last January 21, 2011, DigitalFilipino.com posted a video on Tapping Blogs for Online Campaigns. Digital strategist Lawrence Villegas (http://www.twitter.com/Kuya_Law) was interviewed for this topic.



Mr. Villegas talks about the importance of tapping (using) bloggers to promote a specific brand on the internet. He made serveral points on why companies should consider bloggers for their ad campaign specially those who have no websites or fan pages on Facebook.

As he has said in the video, companies who have no online presence can use bloggers like 'steriods' because of their presence and already have influence over the net. Through them, the brand can be introduced and talked about by their followers. Also, search engines will be able to pick up whatever the blogger writes about the brand.

However, he addresses companies / advertisers that bloggers are 'different' from traditional (or canned) media because the blogger themselves are consumers. To be successful in spreading the positive influence, he mentioned that companies should use bloggers who have a love for their brand.

On selecting bloggers who can peddle the brands successfully, he mentioned that the influence of bloggers constantly changes because an influential blogger before may not longer be one in the future. He also mentioned that search marketing is 'unpredictable' because the search formula changes when it comes to priority. Plus he said that search is no longer limited to pages or blogs but also includes images or video.

My view on the topic:

Choosing or 'buying' bloggers to love the brand?

Since I am a blogger, in order for me to 'love' the brand, I must be able to try it out first. And after trying it out, I should be convinced that it is a great product I am willing to endorse. If a company is fairly new, will the company be willing to give out a sample of their product for bloggers to try out? If I were that company, it might be a risk to the brand name because not only am I releasing my new product to let the bloggers try out for free, I will not be able to 'control' them from what they will say about it online.

To avoid 'negative' statements from bloggers, what I can do is buy them. In other words, pay them a certain fee so that they will say something good about it.

Many established bloggers will argue that they will not do this because it will ruin their name and integrity. However, nobody can dictate to another blogger that he should not accept payment for saying something good about a brand.


Why blogger's influence cannot be measured

A blogger's influence can not be accurately measured because practically anyone can be a blogger! Bloggers come and go. Maybe one day, a veteran blogger decides not to write online content anymore because he found something better to do. While he retires his career in blogging, maybe an interested Grade 6 student would want to try blogging as a past time. Blogging can be done practically by anyone and not restricted to age, gender or nationality.

If I take myself as an example, I started my blog so that I can join blogging contests. And if don't feel like blogging anymore, I can quit anytime.


Promoting a brand through online contests

Since I love joining online contests, sometimes I join a contest that promotes a brand at the same time. Take for example the Minute Maid blog contest I previously won. Since I love this brand, I will definitely promote it. But what about a new brand I haven't tried? Answering that question, usually I won't join not unless I go out of my way to try out the brand. If I am convinced that the brand is good enough for me to promote, then that's the time i join. In my opinion, spreading the word about a brand through contests should be done only after it is released on the market months after, giving time for prospective blogger contestants to try it out themselves.

But if companies want to spread their new brand as fast as possible to contestant bloggers, they can do something to make them go out of the way to try it out. Simply raise the contest prize to a competitive value (like 10,000 pesos and up). With a good prize to compete against, I might go out of the way, try it out, and if I'm convinced, I will definitely join!


This is my entry to DigitalFilipino.com's Talks Blog Contest. Be part of the conversation. Visit the contest page to join. Feel free to comment on my blog post about My View On Tapping Blogs for Online Campaigns.