Being a PR friendly blog does not mean that you need to fill up your blog with ads, talk up mediocre products, or have a sponsor for each and every one of your posts. The term “PR Friendly” has a number of meanings up for interpretation. For our purposes, we’re going to focus on what is means to be “PR Friendly” from the perspective of a public relations representative or firm when seeking bloggers to work with. Generally, PR firms are looking to develop lasting relationships with the bloggers they collaborate with hopes to curate a go-to network of professional, trustworthy and quality blogs. What’s the first step? Knowing what to include on your website so that we don’t have to search for things.
Start by creating a “Collaborations” page on your blog – Words like “Sponsor” and “Advertise” can be misleading and may suggest that the majority of your content is paid for – to both potential brands and also to your readers. Naming the page something along the lines of “Collaborate” implies that you are open to a variety of partnership, sponsorship and public relation opportunities.
On this page, include any specific feature terms and conditions you may have. You should also take time to familiarize yourself with the FTC regulations for bloggers and make sure you use proper disclosure when posting sponsored material.
This is also a good place to mention your media kit. There are strong arguments for both why you should and should not include your media kit on your website. Should you choose not to have it on your site, be sure mention that your media kit is available upon request. Just knowing that you’ve taken the time to gather your data and put together a media kit will give you a leg up on other bloggers – it shows that you are serious about the collaborations you engage in and that you approach them in a professional manner!
Make your social media links visible – if a PR rep looks at your website and decides that you might be a good fit for their client, the next thing they’re going to look at is your social media sites. This doesn’t mean you have to have thousands and thousands of followers on them, just that you regularly share the content from your blog and give off a professional vibe. Also, it’s very important that you’re active on all the social media channels you list on your blog/website. If you are one of those people who posts on Instagram once every six weeks, then don’t put an Instagram icon on the top of your homepage.
Make it very easy to find your email address – If you want to have a contact form as well, by all means go for it, but if we can’t find your actual email, it’s on to the next.
Be sure your website displays your personality – A smart PR professional is not just looking for any old blogger to work with their brands, they’re looking for bloggers who are going to connect and relate with their clients on a personal level. What’s even better is when we find bloggers that are easy to work will and meet our needs so that we can build a long term relationship!
Happy blogging! <3