Craft Focus - Aug/Sep (Issue 68)

92 craft focus PR expert Michael O’Connor explains how giveaways and competitions can boost your blog rating If you run a blog and you are serious about increasing your followers, giveaways can be extremely useful. Competitions like this are a great way to thank your current followers and also attract new ones. The craft industry is full of reputable bloggers, and from a commercial aspect it can be a two-way street: brands want to utilise your followers and you want an exclusive on a product to review or give away. I’ve recently run some great competitions and now I want to share some of my ideas with you. Brands nowadays are always on the lookout for bloggers to promote their products. Studies have shown that brand advocates are 70 per cent more likely to be seen as a reliable source of information, as well as being 50 per cent better at creating content that influences people to buy. If you feel your own blog has the right tone and style to attract this kind of attention, you may be well on your way to running a successful sponsored giveaway. To build credibility if you’re just starting out, include some honest and informative reviews. This will help you get to the stage where brands can become interested in you as an advocate. "Brands nowadays are always on the lookout for bloggers to promote their products." Giveaway goals The next step is to think about what it is you’re hoping to get out of your giveaway. Your goal might be to encourage more Facebook likes or Instagram followers, or you may want to cement a relationship with a particular company. Once you have thought about your objectives, get in contact with specific brands to source prizes and arrange for their promotion in return. This may consist of backlinks to their website, a good review or a link to their social media page. As a rule of thumb, the easier your competition or giveaway is, the more entries you will get. The simplest way to achieve this is to invite your readers to leave a comment on the relevant blog post. Bear in mind that if you choose this option, you will have to make sure you pick the winner at random. It’s also necessary to ensure that your blog post includes a disclosure notice stating your affiliation. In order to build credibility eyes on the prize