Eight out of 10 PRs work with bloggers to gain coverage
More than eight of out 10 (82%) public relations professionals work with bloggers to provide coverage for clients, whilst 98% of PRs find bloggers useful, new research has found.
A survey of 252 PR professionals, conducted by DWPub, assessed the importance of working with bloggers. Research revealed that PR interaction with bloggers is on the rise, with 74% stating their communications have gradually increased or have become commonplace.
It was also revealed that of the 18% of those who do not work with bloggers, over half find it difficult to evaluate how useful a blogger could be.
The survey compared how PRs deal with bloggers to their dealings with journalists, and found that 67% of respondents stated they have a dedicated approach for bloggers, with 75% of these citing they communicate with bloggers in a more informal tone.
“The relationship between bloggers and PRs continues to provoke debate, so we decided to get the PR industry’s perspective on working with bloggers,” said Daryl Willcox, chairman and founder of DWPub. “Our survey results show an overwhelmingly positive response. Bloggers are here to stay and the PR industry is beginning to embrace them. Bloggers need to be approached in a different way to journalists - our research and whitepaper reflect this view.”
A whitepaper to accompany the results, ‘The smart PR’s guide to blogger outreach’, has been written by freelance writer and blogger Sally Whittle. Subscribers can download a copy of the whitepaper here.
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