HOW TO SELL YOUR BLOG TO SPONSORS AND DESTINATIONS

Michael Collins

Michael Collins

#hashtags•#tbexjlm•#tbex•@travelmedia_ie•@tbexevents

Mindset• Understand blogging from the

sponsor / destinations POV.• This is why and how we approach

blogging the way we do.• You can then sell/approach,

informed POV. Know what they want. Speak their language.

2 Ways we Work with Bloggers

1. Trips, content distributed on your blog and on your social media channels. Lesser option. Influencers.

2. Writing content for client sites. Now the preferred option. More control of content and SEO. Budget. You are still distributing socially. Bloggers. This where the money is.

The Basics. What we Take as a Given.

• Rate card/media pack with all your up-to-date stats. Short.• Include testimonials from previous clients.• Case studies. Stats, timelines, graphs.• Following prospective clients well in advance of approaching

them. Engage with them in advance. • Evergreen content.• Clear statement of intent, why you blog and why you charge.

Next Level. Advanced.• Facebook advertising. Pay to play environment. Budget. Client

happy to pay. Not big spend.• Keyword research. Done in advance. Advanced understanding.

Competition. Short-tail and long-tail.• SEO. Tools/plug-ins. Yoast. Page set-up. H1 tags, meta-

descriptions. Ongoing management.• Advanced social sharing. Not just evergreen. Facebook as an

SEO tool. Also Twitter.

Example of over competitive keywords, never going to rank on page 1.

The best place to hide a dead body is……

……….........… the 2nd page of Google search

Choice. Then and Now.1. AdWords, PPC. Only game in town. Inexpensive.2. Blogs (blogger). No WordPress.3. SEO (link building). Limited.4. Social – Facebook – Twitter. Limited distribution.

State of Play, Where we are Today.

1. AdWords, PPC – too expensive. Auction environment. Only Google wins. Ephemeral.

2. Blogs – WordPress, SEO friendly. Ranks often above static content.

3. SEO – works and value for money. Capital investment. Complete opposite to PPC.

4. Social – Facebook – distribution tool for SEO and social needs content.

5. TRUST – people trust other people.

TRUST

Position 1 and 2

33% and 17% = 50%

AdWords• Takes management, expensive, 15%• AdWords Express• Safety net• 10-15 years ago, only game in town• 5% CTR• Organic v Paid.• Capital investment v PPC emphemerel.

Blogs are Really Important

1. SEOworks, capital investment, value for money, Google likes WP, regular content, rankings often higher.

2. TRUSTPeople buy people, not products, questions answered, Company websites fail, sell

Blogs as Content Marketing

• Case study. TMB.• SEO penalty. Duplicate content.• Google Algorithm. Panda 4.• AdWords too expensive.• Rebuild site, links, page authority, organic SERP

rankings. 6 months.

0

1

23

4

TMB – Tropical Medical Bureau

example: long-tail keyword – trust

Keyword Research• Google Keyword Planner. Moz, SemRush• Not just traffic, relative search.• Long tail, not short tail. Questions, not

single words.• “Africa”

- Looking for a map?- Doing a school project?- Researching travel packages?

Be Proactive• Constructively Proactive• Talk the talk. SEO, relative keyword research,

evergreen content and distribution, distribution plan, paid social, ongoing reporting.• Case studies, not just a media pack.