News Search

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News Search
Blogs
Nan_at_redboots.com
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Who We Are

• Launched in 2001
• Full Service Interactive Agency
• Banner to the Blog
• Strong focus on analytics and on/offline
  conversions

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Some of our clients have serious issues

• global warming, pollution, genetically modified
  foods, equal pay, labor rights, corporate
  misconduct, predatory lending, medical
  malpractice reform, death penalty reform, right
  to die, gay marriage, abortion, illegal
  immigration, stem cell research, school choice,
  foster care reform, child poverty, wilderness
  protection, energy policy, biotechnology, youth
  voting, public health, Iraq war, privacy rights,
  AIDS, social security, animal born disease, civil
  rights, separation of church and state, community
  development, affordable housing, youth violence,
  teen pregnancy, homelessness, microenterprise
  development, higher education reform, disaster
  relief, poverty relief, family planning, violence
  against women, racial profiling, welfare reform,
  campaign finance reform

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Blog Basics

• 27 million and growing
• Doubling every 5 months
• 70,000 new Blogs per day
• 50,000 posts per hour

Where there is news, there are Blogs Where
there are Blogs there is news
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Blogs follow, report and analyze news
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Blogs act as a watchdog for MSM
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Blogs are sources of news
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Blog Search Engines The New Black for
journalists?
51 of journalists say they follow Blogs regularly
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Ok, but what does this have to do with News
Search Engines?
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Blogs appear in the results of some News Search
engines
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Blogs especially visible on searches of company
name negative keyword
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Yahoo Synergy between Blogs MSM becomes very
obvious
Did we need a study to tell us that journalists
are using Blogs to do their jobs?
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Bottom Line Blogs can help you dominate News
Search shelf space
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Increased coverage/visibility across search
channels
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Follow up coverage by Bloggers leads to ongoing
free visibility in News Search and in other
search channels
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Where are the best opportunities?
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Yahoo Easy Double Exposure Possible
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Forget the top 100Only 15 of top 100Only 1 of
top 10
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Focus on Niche News Blogs

• Autoblog
• Manufacturers Association Blog

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Dont assume that overtly political Blogs are
excluded
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Dont assume that low or non-ranking Blogs are
excluded
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And not always strictly News Blogs
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Yes, but really No
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Where do I start?
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Establish a Blog Outreach Program

• 50 of Bloggers write about companies once per
  week
• Only 21 report regular contact from companies
  they write about most in the form of unsolicited
  press releases
• Only 2 say they dont want contact from the
  companies they write about
• Personalized emails are the preferred method of
  communication

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Create a target list

• Start with Technoratis Blog Finder and Blog/RSS
  Search Engines to identify Blogs in your space,
  esp niche news sites
• Use Blogpulse Profiles to identify
  neighborhoods that may be relevant to your
  space (dont focus on rank!)
• Test your list in Google News
• Test in Yahoo to identify double coverage
  opportunities

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Develop relationships

• Read the Blog be familiar with content, style
  (Set up Google Alerts, RSS searches)
• Dont bother the Blogger with irrelevant
  materials
• Send press releases only when asked
• Dont spam, but use Comments when you have
  material that relates to the Bloggers post
• Use a news aggregator or feed reader to track
  what your target list is talking about (identify
  opportunities for outreach, comments, etc.)

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Be Honest and Transparent

• Never EVER offer to pay a Blogger for positive
  coverage
• Product testing/trial offers fine if transparent
  and Blogger has no obligation to cover
• If you have a reputation as a spammer or a shill
  marketer it will not go well for you in the
  Blogosphere

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Dont skip the optimized press release or the
wire service!