Travel PR meets parent blogger: Five tips to make it work

I WAS recently interviewed for a feature in a travel publication about the emerging relationship between travel PRs and UK parent bloggers. I thought I'd expand on what I said to include it here.

I'm a regular target of for approaches from tourist industry PR firms.

Often this is as a 'generic sweep' of UK mum bloggers but sometimes you can tell companies have done their homework.

As I have worked as a journalist for 20 years, I see a lot of similarities in approaches from PRs to parent bloggers as I have on news or feature desks – and with them come similar not only frustrations but added 'rigmarole.'

There is no doubt that some agencies and individual PR practitioners have taken the time to genuinely research the so-called mum blogs they are targeting but most off all, it's plain they haven't.

It's like any aspect of PR, if you choose your target medium with care, seek to build up a relationship and treat those with influence as human beings rather than as a name to tick off a list then you will get somewhere.

Travel companies who have made a splash in the parent blogging community include:

Butlins- invited around 20 parent bloggers to launch of Ocean Hotel at Bognor Regis, engaged with bloggers when a minority of feedback about facilities at the established resort – rather than the gleaming new hotel – wasn't entirely positive. Now backing the MADs awards and gaining a phenomenal amount of attention from parent bloggers. Around 20,000 nominations were received for some 2,500 sites.*

Keycamp and Eurocamp have established relationships with bloggers now two years running and have engaged with them about any constructive feedback

Disney – did an amazing job – when a group of seven bloggers went in April last year, there was a lot of negativity in initial posts as writers detailed their very negative preconceptions about theme parks, when those preconceptions were overturned, the same writers admitted they were wrong. Bloggers have also been invited on further press trips alongside journalists from regional and national media.

Seaworld – invited a six-strong group of UK mum bloggers to see what they had to offer in May. Trip postponed due to ash cloud, now heading off in June.

Inevitably, there are still plenty of PR companies or holiday firms who aren't interested in what bloggers have to say. But then they may not be interested in major online travel resources either. I was once told I could join a press trip if I filed copy for an evening paper I left 10 years ago because the 'client was old fashioned.'

Some tips for dealing with parent bloggers

1. Don't assume that the term 'mum blogger' means the same to everyone.

Some mums of younger children may be online to find and chat with friends or chronicle the trials and tribulations of bringing up a young family. Others may blog about different aspects of parenting or life. Although they are parents, they may not see themselves as parent bloggers per se.

2. Don't think it is all about stats of how many people visit a particular site.

Of course this is important and you need to be wary about claims made which can't be backed up. But bloggers don't always consider themselves as publishers who can provide such stats. More than that, it's about conversation, which spills over to other blogs, to other social media platforms and to 'real life' – for example with the Disney trip last year, the 'buzz' this created was massive – and much of this was down to friendships formed. A chain of conversation was unleashed that spilled over onto lots of different blogs and social media platforms. That can't be measured in hits to any one site. Twitter followers and readers via RSS also discussed the trip – and this doesn't always show up in stats.

To understand whether a site is popular, you can start by looking at comments, how many people follow by RSS, Feedburner or Google Reader and what a site's ranking is on Technorati. Look at the Tots 100 or Cision and maybe consider what influence the writer may have outside their blog.

3. Understand the similarities between bloggers and journalists – and the differences.

Mum bloggers do not write to editors' deadlines but if they have successful sites they will have very high standards. They will want to be ethical, transparent and professional. If I am writing a review then I am doing so from a mum's point of view, not as a travel "expert" I may not be able to compare and contrast all destinations like a veteran learned broadsheet writer but I can tell my readers what individual pluses and negatives there are from the point of view of someone who wants to take a family and have a lovely time – whatever their budget!

4. Treat influential bloggers with the same respect as you would travel writers from 'older media'

Just like editors, they talk to each other. If the extent of your 'research' means accessing the lists mentioned above and sending the same information to those on the list, then be aware of their pitfalls. Information changes quickly or may not be tailored to your needs. The same sort of 'scatter gun' approach used to contact journalists over the years has been applied to contacting bloggers. It doesn't work for journalists so why should it for bloggers? Got Your Hands Full was set up primarily for families of twins and more and I've lost count of the number of times I was approached about what "my baby" might like. As a mum to two 11-year-olds I'm not likely to be impressed.

5. Don't think social media savvy is the be-all and end-all

What matters most is what you are saying and how, not the technology you are using. Get your message right and then worry about the fact you don't know if Facebook or Twitter is the right way to promote it.

What do you think, what tips would you add? This isn't an exhaustive list.

* Thank you to all our lovely readers who voted for us in this high-profile blog awards scheme, backed by Butlins. Thank you to all the contributors to this site, especially Keris and Camilla.

We're included in a list of five finalists in the Best Family Fun category which is sponsored by Woolworths.co.uk.

We're delighted to have been included. My blog Got Your Hands Full is also shortlisted in the Most Inspirational category.

You can vote here:

Should we go any further in the competition, anything we win will be donated to the children's cancer charity NACCPO, who we've been raising money for and are supporting in a Great British Days Out Campaign. I hope it's not too churlish to mention this. They are a small charity and appreciate all the profile they can get. Their fundraiser Rachel Olley is a Have a Lovely Time contributor. Please donate at www.justgiving.com/havealovelytime

The MADs, sponsored by Butlins, was created to celebrate the best and brightest parent bloggers in the UK. Over the next month, blog readers will be able to vote for their favourite blogs, while an independent judging panel will decide the winner of the prestigious Butlins MAD Blogger of the Year Award.

Finalists are:

Butlins MAD blogger of the year, sponsored by Butlins
Bringing up Charlie
Everyday Stranger
Goodbye to Pert Breasts
My Daddy Cooks
Slightly South of Sanity

Most Innovative MAD Blog, sponsored by BitDefender
Cafe Bebe
Little Mummy
Notes from Lapland
My Daddy Cooks
Urban Vox

Best MAD Blog for Family Fun, sponsored by Woolworths.co.uk
A Mother's Ramblings
Have a Lovely Time
It's a Small World
Nurture Store
The Mad House

Funniest MAD Blog, sponsored by John Lewis
Are We Nearly There Yet, Mummy?
Goodbye to Pert Breasts
More Than Just a Mother
Mr Shev
Slightly South of Sanity

Best Looking MAD Blog, sponsored by Simplehuman
English Mum
Glowstars
It's a Mummy's Life
Metropolitan Mum
Violet Posy

Best MAD Baby Blog, sponsored by TinyTalk
Babyrambles
New Mummy
Mellow Mummy
Muddling Along Mummy
Young and Younger

Best MAD Blog Photography, sponsored by Photobox
Carrots and Kids
Clinically Fed Up
Mocha Beanie Mummy
Sticky Fingers
Suburban Mummy

Best MAD Blog Writer, sponsored by Childsure
Bringing up Charlie
Everyday Stranger
If I Could Escape
Hairy Farmer Family
Not Wrong Just Different

Best New MAD Blog, sponsored by Sitters
Angels and Urchins
Baby Budgeting
Eggs, Cream and Honey
Slummy Single Mummy
Three Kids and the Cat

Most Inspirational MAD Blog, sponsored by Plum Baby
Baby Baby
Battling On
Everyday Parent
Got Your Hands Full
Strange and Beautiful

http://www.twitter.com Dan via Twitter

Brilliant piece. Press officers can learn much from this.
http://www.kidstart.co.uk/livingwithkids Liz (LivingwithKids)

I think this is all great advice and I hope PRs take note. I’m still finding that many travel PRs prefer traditional media – they say it is because their clients prefer it but I wonder if it’s because they themselves haven’t moved into 2010. With some of the big newspapers going behind paywalls I think bloggers are probably going to become increasingly important. I also find I’m asked about stats a lot but unless a PR is a digital PR I do wonder whether they really understand what it is they’re asking for – I worry that they’re comparing blog stats to print rather than thinking about reach and demographics.
http://peekaboocoms.wordpress.com Melissa (also known as Home Office Mum)

As a PR with a travel client I agree with all you say. The challenge we have is budget. As a small travel company, my client can’t afford to send a bunch of bloggers somewhere (or a bunch of journalists for that matter) so we’ve been far more low key in the blogosphere. They can’t even afford the time needed to personally investigate individual bloggers to find out what is suitable for them.
Creating a buzz amongst bloggers does not have the same impact on sales as being profiled in say the Sunday Times travel supplement, so we have to focus our efforts on what has the biggest effect. But hopefully this will change. Till then, I just keep recommending them to bloggers I’ve met via my own mummy blogging (because I genuinely think it’s a brilliant company) and they’ve received mentions and indeed sales as a result!
http://www.havealovelytime.com Linda

Hi Melissa – but PR doesn’t have to be all about sales does it? I don’t think budget should impact on the actual care and attention given to contacts with bloggers. Of course PRs want their clients featured in the Sunday Times (and perhaps now’s a good time to say I’ve also worked in media relations and a recent piece in the Telegraph resulted in significant sales for a client.)
But perhaps that’s where problems can lie – if PRs are focusing on where they think their clients are going to get sales instead of seeking to engage with their customers direct.
In my view, PRs should be explaining that PR is not all about sales. It’s a pretty shortsighted view on a client’s part, many bloggers’ influence outside their blogs may even reach to national newspapers. And if a client does have a reduced/modest budget it *could* be argued that you get more for your money in terms of brand awareness, building trust and listening to a carefully targeted group than a one-off feature in a broadsheet. Any PRs targeting freelance writers for the broadsheets are going to be on a sticky wicket at the moment as commissions and budgets shrink.
While the example companies I have quoted have sent bloggers on trips, when I offer my experience about how PRs can interact with bloggers, I’m not talking about their clients, however big or small sending bloggers on trips, I’m talking about knowing how to target them in the first place with news from their client that may be of interest in the hope it will be carried on their blog. It would be good to see better press release writing skills, a better understanding of the fact not every blogger wants to carry a competition that other bloggers have been offered and most of all, a better understanding that bloggers aren’t stupid. I for one don’t want to carry information that has been sent that looks like an ad, I never would as a journalist so I’m buggered if I’m going to now. I think it’s a shame that marketing-led PR companies may have a poor grasp of media relations. They report back to clients that the journalists/bloggers didn’t want to carry the story when their press release doesn’t hit the spot. Um, well they would if it was a better story so why on earth is the PR sending it out?
http://exmoorjane.blogspot.com Jane Alexander

This is a great feature, Linda. Like you, I straddle the two camps – I’m a journalist but also a blogger.
Parent bloggers offer a unique opportunity for canny PRs – readers trust good bloggers and word of mouth spreads quickly within social media (you are quite right about other, less quantifiable aspects of social media – Twitter, Facebook etc. I often tweet or FB some products or services, even if I don’t necessarily blog about them).
But there has to be a good fit. I too am bombarded with baby offers (my son is 11) but then, as a journalist, I am used to inappropriate press releases and tend to shrug it off (but bloggers without that background can get very irritated).
Interestingly (and surprisingly), I now receive more releases as a blogger, than as a journalist (and I do write for some pretty big names in print media). Maybe it’s because PRs recognise that they will receive a multi-platform response.
Melissa’s post above is interesting. I can see how frustrating it must be for small companies without huge PR budges. However I think it is really worth PRs (or the companies themselves)engaging with bloggers. We are big-hearted people on the whole and, while a press/blog trip is always welcomed, it isn’t the only way to get coverage. I recently *met* a lovely woman on Twitter who has a fabulous eco-lodge in Tanzania. No way can she afford to host a trip (they want to plough any spare money back into their community) but I’ve been plugging Ras Mbisi Lodge on Twitter and FB and have just written a 2000 word account of their journey for the Mail. So, you never know!
Can I put out a plea though. In general we bloggers do need to try things out – for example, I will only blog about things that directly affect my life (that’s the big difference for me between blogging and journalism). So asking me to review a camera (without letting me try it out) or rave about a car (when I haven’t driven it) – isn’t going to wash.
http://www.gotyourhandsfull.com Linda

Thanks Jane – what a brilliant example of how relationships can be forged through blogs to lead to national newspaper coverage. Like you, I do tend to shrug off poor press releases but I know of bloggers who feel bad for not replying to each and every one that comes their way – however good or bad. Now and again an approach is so awful it is irritating. It makes me smile when an email or phone call begins with “I’m an intern at…..”
http://exmoorjane.blogspot.com Jane Alexander

Aha, we posted at the same time, Linda!! Amen to your points in the post above mine.
Yep, it’s all about forging relationships. I also think, with blogging in particular, there has to be a certain amount of exclusivity. My first question, when approached by a PR is, how many other people have you taken this to? I don’t want to be the 100th person to write about a product or a trip.
Also, remember that we bloggers talk to one another – WAY more than journalists do. So news of an offer will whizz round the blogsphere in about two minutes flat.
It goes back again to what Linda said about finding the perfect fit. Yes, that can be time-consuming in the first place but, long-term, the benefits will be enormous.
http://peekaboocoms.wordpress.com Melissa (also known as Home Office Mum)

HI Linda
I agree that PR isn’t just about sales. It’s about building awareness and relationships with customers. But when you’re a small business, you want every penny of your marketing budget to pay it’s way. Building awarness has long term gains. This needs to be balanced with short term needs.
I think bloggers are a great way of building awareness. But getting to know bloggers, which ones are prolific tweeters, what age their kids are, what their hot buttons are, takes a long time – and I’m a blogger and already know many of them! Time costs money. And money isn’t something small businesses have masses of.
As a blogger, I get bombarded with press releases and I just hit delete. Which is why I purposefully don’t do it, which means we’re possibly missing a trick. I do send out a few (what I think are useful) tips type articles to selected bloggers.
But building a buzz amongst bloggers is less important to the client than it is to build a direct and lasting relationship with a qualified lead. We’re doing that in lots of ways, but the verdict on how influential bloggers are for this particular client is not yet proven.
http://www.gotyourhandsfull.com Linda

Hi Melissa, yes I appreciate that for small businesses every penny counts and I think that as a blogger and a PR, you have done so much great work with your client to raise awareness you really should be applauded. I don’t think you are missing a trick at all, you are doing what you know works best – carefully selecting journalists and bloggers rather than thinking some standard press release is the way to go. And you have got some great results in terms of coverage. My post I think is more about how people who are already actively engaging with bloggers a lot are doing that – and the corkers this can throw up.
http://peekaboocoms.wordpress.com Melissa (also known as Home Office Mum)

thanks Linda. That’s really kind of you to say. Completely agree with your post by the way. How I get onto some of the lists for things I get sent, I have no idea!
http://www.gotyourhandsfull.com Linda

I also think that as an independent PR it’s entirely possible you have to prove yourself to clients a lot more.
http://profile.typepad.com/6p012875a1e859970c twitter.com/nixdminx

Hello Linda – thanks for inviting me to respond – I have written a sizeable post on this http://www.nixdminx.com/2010/05/11/bloggers-brands-happiness-discuss/ because I think we all need to work together to move the debate forward. So brilliant to see all this feedback from PR, journo and blog camps too x
http://rosiescribble.typepad.com Rosie Scribble

This is really interesting, Linda. I was contacted by a PR company a few months ago and asked if I was free over Easter for a holiday. I said that I was and kept the dates free. I was promised by the PR company that I would receive deatils finalising the trip as soon as they were available, but they never arrived. I would be very reluctant to deal with the same company again. I think it’s important not to offer false hopes or to promise something that never materialises. I think the blogging community quickly lose interest as a result and any further contact from the compant gets ignored.
http://www.parentdish.co.uk Joanne Mallon

What an interesting post and discussion. I deal with lots of PRs because I write for quite a high profile site. I recently reviewed a hotel, and the review went straight to page 1 of Google for that place. Yet another hotel told me (via their PR) that they weren’t convinced of the benefits of online PR. Where do they think their customers are looking before they book?
I think Butlins is really at the forefront of how to engage with this sort of stuff – not just with inviting mummy bloggers, but in their blog, Twitter feed and sponsorship of the MAD Awards. They wouldn’t be doing that if there weren’t clear, measurable benefits.
http://www.uknetguide.co.uk/Holiday-Guides/ Holiday Guides

Sounds a good idea in principle, however many may question how wide a scope and depth of information would be made available for public scrutiny. A seamless feedback system would be required to maintain quick responses to enquiries from public and bodies representing legal institutions, not to mention the media who would be keen to exploit and challenge any new data made available to them. On a local level, such enquiries could place further demands on public services.
http://www.enjoyengland.com/ England

I think it would be good to have discounted capped hotel rm offers to encourage the travel industry to pick up.