Female Bloggers Want to Partner with Brands

In a recent study by BlogFrog and The Social Studies Group, 93% of U.S. female bloggers indicated that they would like to engage and work with brands, but well over two-thirds of them reject over half of the pitches they receive.  The 2011 Brands and Women Bloggers Influencer Partnership Study reveals some key findings about the ideal relationship between brands and bloggers from the female blogger perspective, including:

• Nearly 60% of women bloggers indicate they want long-term, deeper relationships with a few special brands.
• Compensation matters. 90% are interested in working with brands, so long as there is some form of compensation.
• Social good matters. Campaigns that include an element of social good increase trust levels for 56% of bloggers surveyed.
• 70% of bloggers trust a brand more when that brand is promoted or recommended by someone they know from a blog or social media.
• 87% of bloggers said personal feelings about a brand will influence whether they work with that brand.
• Brands like Purex, Disney, Kraft, Silhouette, Proctor & Gamble, and CSN were given high marks for their blogger relations.

Long Term Relationships with Female Bloggers Are Essential

While nearly all of the bloggers surveyed (88%) say that they have not had a negative experience working on a brand campaign, 12% of unhappy women bloggers cited lack of campaign organization, inadequate compensation, and more work than expected as the top reasons for the negative experiences.   As marketers continue to look to forge relationships with bloggers, they need to establish long-term relationships with these bloggers and understand what’s important to them:

1. Female bloggers don’t want to feel they’re just a name on a list.  Brands need to reading their blog posts, comment on the blogs and engage in the conversation happening online.
2. Not all female bloggers are mom bloggers, and not all mom bloggers are the same.  Some are professionals, and some are hobbyists.  Know the difference.
3. Provide products to review when asking for a product review.   More and more bloggers are being contacted by PR professionals offering to “walk them through the product” or providing “the information you need to write a review.”  Understand how the product review process works.  Rarely will a blogger risk her reputation and personal brand to endorse a product she hasn’t experienced.
4. Make your brand and its representatives fully accessible online through the use of social media, branded communities, conversational marketing, and corporate blogs.

How does your brand rate in its ability to connect and build a relationship with key female bloggers?