I went to a great presentation this week by @jaykrall on Blogger Relations. He talked in depth about how PR pros can seek and engage bloggers with their brand. Great speaker if anyone is looking for one.

One thing he said is that bloggers know other bloggers. I guess I never really thought about it but of course they do. The challenge is breaking into that group. There are many similarities between bloggers and the cool group in high school.

 • Bloggers hold the power to say what products are cool and not. Bloggers have the following and the network to start trends that could take your brand to the next level.

• Bloggers make you nervous to talk to them. You know you get butterflies in your stomach when you hit send on an email to a blogger. There is that fear of being publically ridiculed on social media that is just like in the cafeteria in high school.

• Bloggers are party animals. The cool group in high school was always at the party to see and be seen. Bloggers are influential because they put themselves out there. They participate in a variety of social networks to be seen. Be there too if you want to be included.

• Bloggers radiate cool. Try to be cool by association by engaging with them on their blog, twitter, and Facebook. Maybe if you are soaking up the coolness, they will be more interested in what your pitch is.

• Bloggers need to be different to be noticed. The cool group was not cool because they were like everyone else. In high school they were edgy and you could definitely pick them out hallway. PR pros need to have a different pitch and request to stand out in the oodles of email a blogger receives.

PR pros must learn how to not only coexist with the cool group, but work together. Although high school is only four years, bloggers are here to stay.

If you were cool in high school then dust off those skills, but if you were not here is your chance to re-write that chapter in your career.

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