Be BLOGALICIOUS: Publicist Invasion
Ever felt out of place because you weren’t like the people around you? Well that wasn’t our case earlier this October when we attended the Be Blogalicious Conference hosted for women bloggers. I am such a fan of conferences now-a-days because you never know what gems you’re going to receive, or what wonderful people you’ll connect with. Founded by Stacey Ferguson, Blogalicious was a breath of fresh air for a publicist who always wants to grow their network. From the phenomenal women bloggers from across the world, to the overflow of goodies provided by the conference and sponsors, I left with a lot of ideas and inspiration to implement in the agency and myself.
Attending events outside of your field allows you to have the upper-hand in your industry!
Before attending the conference, I was very intentional with my purpose for attending. No matter if you’re attending a meeting, conference, or social networking event, you should always know why you're going, what are the benefits, and what you expect to receive from going.
Your time is precious, and you can’t get it back. TRUST ME!
Being in an area surrounded by passionate writers is a publicist dream. In addition to being surrounded by other women who are dedicated to uplifting one another and being a helping-hand in one’s success.
Here are some tips when preparing to attend a professional event:
Research who the speakers will be, and who you would like to connect with.
Search the event’s hashtags and social media to understand the culture and the people who attend.
Think of reasons why the event will be beneficial for you if you have to pay to attend.
Identify what type of industries will be attending the event, so you’ll be prepared to start conversations with those individuals.
REMEMBER THAT BEING YOU IS ALWAYS A BONUS!!! Be genuine and be excited!
While attending the event, I realized that I had something that the bloggers wanted, and the bloggers had something I wanted, and that was to understand how we all can work together to get the job done! Throughout the discussions being had in the breakout sessions, some of the common issues I was hearing was the bloggers feeling a disconnect between themselves and the public relations agencies who had clients they desired to write for. It made me think, “WOW! Are they really feeling this way? Am I part of that issue with Forward PR?” Then it made me realize that I don’t ever want writers to feel like they are being shunned from doing their job and supporting us. According to an article on Cision.com, one of their seven reasons why to attend a conference is to develop ideas for content based on sessions.
So, if you’re a publicist, I challenge you to contact a blogger and invite them to one of your client’s events or even take the time to email a couple of writers and let them know you appreciate them. We all have a common goal… And that’s to succeed in our field and build relationships.
With that being said, here are two tips to expand your media lists:
Google topics/angles that you’re looking to get coverage on. From there you’ll see articles relating to your search and the writer/reporter who covered it.
Search hashtags that are similar to your angle on social media to see who is using it. From there you can find potential people who are interested in that topic, which can vary from writers to influencers.
