Bridging the Gap Between Bloggers and Brands

There are many things new bloggers are unaware of – one being how to connect with PR companies and brands. Bloggers are known to connect with brands to form symbiotic relationships – they need each other. To be simply put, blogger reviews are typically a quid pro quo for free products. So who bridges the gap between bloggers and brands? Where can one start? Well, that’s what ProfNet is for. Not only is the service easy, it’s free.

Bloggers can connect with companies in six easy steps: 

1) Type in www.profnet.com into your Web browser.

2) Bloggers should click on “Journalists: Send a Free Query.”

ProfNet caters to two sides: experts and journalists. The journalist side is found on the right-hand side of the page.

3) Fill out your general information – name, blog name, URL, etc.

4) Tell ProfNet what you’re looking for and set a deadline.

I provided an example in the image below for a “Father’s Day Gift Guide.” I wrote:

I’m looking for the best in men’s clothing, shoes and accessories. These items will be reviewed and featured in my Father’s Day Gift Guide. My blog has 6,900 unique monthly visitors and complies with the FTC blogger guidelines. There are no fees to feature an item.

Feel free to add in any other relevant information or Web metrics.

All-Star Tip

We typically require three things from our bloggers:

1. amount of unique monthly visitors, along with a screenshot to prove it  (e.g., from Google Analytics, WordPress statistics, etc.)
2. your blog complies with FTC blogger guidelines
3. no fees to feature an item

Also, please note our deadlines are set in Eastern Time.

5) Choose the region and institution types of the audience you want us to send your query to. 

Please note that we only send blogger queries to four institution types:

1. Authors/Speakers/Analysts/Consultants
2. Corporations
3. PR agencies
4. Small Businesses

6) The final step is to hit submit and wait for email responses. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forming your first brand relationship can be exciting. Just wait for the magic to happen and enjoy. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at [email protected].

Happy blogging!

Whether you’re a reporter, blogger, author or other content creator, ProfNet can help you with your search for expert sources. All you have to do is fill out a quick form telling us what you’re looking for, your deadline, and how you want to be contacted, and we’ll send it to the appropriate experts in our network. The best part? It’s free! Get started here: Send a query.

Melissa Ibarra is an online community services specialist at ProfNet, a service that connects journalists with expert sources. In the past, she has worked for CBS Sports and News 12 NJ and done freelance reporting for New Jersey News Room and Reel Reporting. She specializes in social media, graphic design, and video production. Follow her media journey @melibarraTV.