Blogger Relations – Hype or Trend? The definitive Do's and Dont's for Destinations. Presentation by Günter Exel on Blogger Relations, featuring: 1. Bloggers as brand ambassadors: What can bloggers do for you? 2. What does a blogger need? 3. How to find the right partner: Which blogger suitsyour story best? 4. Costs and benefits: How to value ROI and measurement 5. Travel blogging – hype or trend? An outlook on perspectives and possible cooperations 6. Your check list for blogger relations: 9 To Do‘s right before you start inviting bloggers This Presentation was held on January 22nd, 2014 on the occasion of ENTER 2014, the world's leading eTourism conference in Dublin, Ireland. Watch the presentation on video: www.guenterexel.com/2014/01/22/blogger-relations-hype-oder-trend

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2. 1. Bloggers as brand
ambassadors
Beyond the hype:
What can bloggers do for you?
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3. What can bloggers do for you?
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4. What can bloggers do for you?
#ktr14
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5. What can bloggers do for you?
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6. Bloggers as brand ambassadors
• Blogger are ambassadors – for an excellent
product! (authenticity, honesty)
• Snapshots & impressions far off
advertising aesthetics
• Exclusive photo & video material
• Presence before, during and after the trip
(blog, social media):
• Embedding in DMO website
• Content for the destination‘s social media
• Bloggers are multipliers (Google!)
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7. 2. What does a
blogger need?
… and what can you do
to meet these needs best?
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8. A. What‘s the story?
Source: http://tbulondon.com/blogger-friendly-exhibitors-stands-wtm/
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9. A. What‘s the story?
Source: http://tbulondon.com/blogger-friendly-exhibitors-stands-wtm/
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10. A. What‘s the story?
Doris Neubauer,
LittleMissItchyFeet
Photo: littlemissitchyfeet.com
Source: www.joigele.de/reisebloggersweihnachtswuensche
„Put yourself in our place!
Think in terms of stories.
Give us something to talk
about.“
„Show us something new!
We don‘t always need the
standard programme or the
highlights of a region!
Take a risk - it's worth it.“
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11. A. What‘s the story?
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12. B. Customized programmes
„I‘d love more customized
programmes for blogger trips
or individual investigations.
Sufficient lead time is
always fine.“
Anja Beckmann,
TravelOnToast
Photo: travelontoast.de
Source: www.joigele.de/reisebloggersweihnachtswuensche
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13. C. Watch out for the niche!
“Regard the niches! Outreach,
CTR and impressions are not
everything.“
„Adress a small but mighty
group of people who are
passionate about a topic.“
Martin Moschek,
BiketourGlobal
Photo: biketour-global.de
Source: www.joigele.de/reisebloggersweihnachtswuensche
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14. D. Give us time!
Katharina & Thomas,
ReiseWorld
Photo: blog.reiseworldtv.de
Source: www.joigele.de/reisebloggersweihnachtswuensche
„During a trip we regularly post
to our social media channels.
Therefore we need wifi – and
time.“
„As bloggers, we are writers and
photographers, camera men,
presenters und social media
editors in one. Give us time on
the spot to experience and
produce outstanding stories.“
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15. D. Give us time!
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16. E. More time – and wifi!
Hubert Mayer,
travellerblog.eu
„I‘d love more time during a
programme for taking pictures
in peace – without being in rush
because everything is tightly
clocked.“
„Locations with wifi free of
charge or at a reasonable price.
At the hotel, wifi is a must! “
Photo: Nicole Aupperle
Source: www.joigele.de/reisebloggersweihnachtswuensche
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17. F. Sharing and caring
„You make us happy not only
with a good coordination before
the trip, but also by sharing the
content we produce out of our
cooperations on Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and
more.“
Elke Weiler, MeerBlog
Photo: meerblog.de
Source: www.joigele.de/reisebloggersweihnachtswuensche
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18. F. Sharing and caring
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19. F. Social media content on websites
Twitter embedded timeline (automatic updates)
Storify curation
(manual updates)
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20. F. Social media content on websites
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21. G. Paying travel bloggers?
„I‘d wish that appreciation
for a blogger‘s work would
turn out at face value. This
goes without saying in other
blogging sectors.“
Inge Jucker,
Travel-Experience
Photo: travel-experience.ch
Source: www.joigele.de/reisebloggersweihnachtswuensche
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22. 3. How to find
the right partner
Which blogger suits
your story best?
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23. How to find the right partner
• We‘re close to the top of the hype cycle!
• Which blogger suits our destination best?
What‘s the story?
• Selection:
• It‘s not only about outreach and numbers
• Special interests (topics, destinations)
• Quality matters (text, video, realtime …)
• Blogging + social networking = outreach
• Combine different types of bloggers
(travel, food, oudoor etc.)!
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24. How to find the right partner
• Google Blogsearch
• Technorati
• Networked Blogs
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25. How to find the right partner
Recommendations:
• Blog rolls
• Listings
• Klout?
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26. How to find the right partner
Twitter Lists –
a perfect way
to search for topics and
expand your network!
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27. 4. Costs and benefits
How to value ROI and measurement
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28. Costs and benefits
• Marketing managers are clueless - and cling
to KPI’s like visits and reach of a blog
• Add following KPI‘s to your reach:
• Visits on destination‘s website
• Social media outreach (Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram, Vine, YouTube, Google+ …)
• Sharing of blogger‘s activities via destination
and partners
• Search engine presence (e.g. G+, AudioBoo)
• Social media KPI‘s: New fans/followers?
More Interaction?
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29. Costs and benefits
Additional components for defining the
success and/or ROI of blog trips:
• Quality of content
• Further use of photos,
videos & multimedia
content (live reports)
• Organization of blog trips:
smooth coordination, costs
• ROI in terms of bookings
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30. 5. Travel blogging
– hype or trend?
An outlook on perspectives
and possible cooperations
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31. Travel blogging – hype or trend?
• Professionalisation of travel bloggers
• Various cooperations with mutual benefits:
• Support of blog trips
• Sponsoring, advertorials, advertising
• Payment for strategic consulting, campaigns
• Corporate content: blogs, photos, videos, live
reports (#TravelLive)
• Concerted action with your own media!
• Cooperations in the long term
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32. 6. Your check list
for blogger relations
9 To Do‘s right before you
start inviting bloggers
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33. Your check list
1. Which experiences and brand values of
your destination are suitable as a blogger‘s
topic? What's the story?
2. Do you have an extraordinary idea to
orchestrate these experiences?
3. Which specialized bloggers might be
interested in your destination?
4. What multimedia tools are suitable for your
story (photo, video, short video, podcast)?
5. How can you boost the blogger‘s content
on your website/social media platforms?
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34. Your check list
6. Which encounters could you organize?
Do you have testimonials worth a story?
7. Where do you need input and support
from your destination‘s tourism
professionals?
8. Which obstacles do you have to cope with
(infrastructure, wifi, understanding and
support from locals …)?
9. What can you contribute to improve
internal communication, to sensitize the
base (infos, links, blogger profiles)?
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35. Download me
www.j.mp/enter14-bloggerrelations
Follow me
www.guenterexel.com, www.TravelLive.cc
twitter.com/guenterexel
facebook.com/guenterexel
twitter.com/twitt_consult
google.com/+günterexel
twitter.com/TravelLiveCC
google.com/+TravelLiveCC
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