The latest PR crisis regarding a blogger media event that turned bad made me think that it is about time that I write a Blogger Media Event 101 guide. I already published about the art of pitching to bloggers at Media Sidekick.

I will not go into the details of the event hosted by ConAgra Foods and organized by Ketchum since I do not have all the facts. I did not even see the invitation. But after reading several tweets and the article on the New York Times, it is clear that someone in the creative/planning committee failed to understand, not only their targeted audience, but the basis of blogging culture. Transparency and authenticity are two values share by most bloggers.

Hosting a successful blogger media event relies on common sense, creativity and giving back. My food for thought for brands and PR agencies goes like that:

1. Bloggers attend an event based on their own agenda, not yours.

2. Deliver on their Expectations. Bloggers expect to get something out of the event: a potential story line, mingling with peers, networking with potential advertisers, learning something useful to them or their readers. Your goal is to provide as many chances as possible to get coverage. Be imaginative in the way you present the products. If you wish for bloggers to do interviews with the invited celebrities, provide the video equipment and the cameraman. Be sure to publish a professionally edited video hosted on Vimeo or You Tube a few hours after the event, and send them their link as soon as possible.

3. Do not waste a blogger’s time. It is not rare for a blogger to receive many invitations per week. They often have to choose between two events. Make sure that your invitation enables the bloggers to screen if the event is for them. Therefore, your invitation must give a clear idea of what is in it for them.

4. Set up an Hashtag and a Foursquare place. Make sure every guest knows the official hashtag by displaying it at the event. Ideally, you should provide the hashtag in your invitation so they can mention it before going to the event. A good practice is to use the hashtag as the name of the place when you create your event on Foursquare. An official hashtag enables you to easily track all the tweets and conversations that refer to your event.

5. You must earn your post. Tweets are easy to write but writing a post requires more work. You must host a stunning event and give them something to talk about if you want a post.

One last thing…

Instead of giving printed press files that are awkward to carry during the event, give a USB key or publish a microsite that does not require a password to download the material they need. Even if it is obvious that you increase your chances that they will share a recipe if you provide a digital version, I went to many media events where I had to write an email after the event to request a digital copy of a recipe.

I hope that that my little guide will help you to host more successful media events in a near future.

+ photo by Kim Vallee – taken at exhibitIKEA 2011, which was well organized, btw.

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I received many event invitations each week and I am amazed by how the PR professionals fail to use new technology. I will review what are the most common mistakes and how to easily solve them.

The typical media event invitation is received by email. The event details, including the RSVP email, is nicely published on an image file. I understand the need of presenting a design invitation but why not also type the RSVP email and show it inside the email message. It often happens that the RSVP email is not the sender email. The blogger needs to remember the email and type it to respond. Not very user friendly.

Then, you need to add the event to our calendar. Again, you have to remember the venue name, address and time to type it to our calendar. On top of not making typing errors, you must set a reminder alert. Frankly, it’s a cumbersome process that any of the Add to Calendar tools out there would streamline.

My question to PR professionals is “Why make it so difficult for bloggers to attend a media event?” when you hope to get press coverage from them.

The Easy Solution

I recommend to PR professionals that they continue to send media event invite through email with a nicely designed invite but that they add a link to handle the RSVP process. And do it via an online invitation management system like Eventbrite. It will make the entire process easier for you and your guests.

I used Eventbrite both as an event organizer and as an attendee. I like it in both scenarios. I will go as far as to say that there is absolutely no reasons not to use it since Eventbrite is FREE for free events. Practical features include:

• Create a branded event page to manage the RSVP and provide your event details
• Attendee management with contact information of the attendees. You can keep track of the number of attendees in real time.
• Add to my Calendar button. They support Outlook calendar, Google calendar, Yahoo! calendar and iCal
• Share buttons. Attendees can send an email to friends, tweet it, share it on LinkedIn, and like it on Facebook
• Automatically schedule a brief reminder email to be sent to your attendees 48 hours before an event
• Automatically generate customized name badge templates for all registered attendees.

If you are not tech savvy, do not worry. Eventbrite produced tutorial videos to get you started. Please make it easy for everyone to attend your event! Then, you can concentrate your efforts on organizing an event that bloggers would not want to miss.

+ Eventbrite

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Rebecca Orlov interviewed me for Blog Out Loud. I thought she asked very good questions about blogging and how to use social media for small business. When I read her introduction, I blushed. I feel really honored to have earned her respect.

Giving interview and interviewing other bloggers are effective ways to get word around about what you are doing and share with others. You should include both in your blog marketing strategy.

I am taking the opportunity to spread the word further about the next Blog Out Loud event that will happen March 4th, 2010 in San Francisco. The first 4 Blog Out Loud events were a success. I encourage you to do. It is good for learning, mingling and networking. Get more details here.

+ My Interview
+ Event 5 of Blog Out Loud

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• Catch The Business of Online Communities for Women at podcamp Toronto

I hope you plan to come to PodCamp Toronto 2010. I already told you about my individual session. To pursuit further the discussion on niche communities, I will sit on a panel with the popular Erica Ehm of Yummy Mummy Club.  We will exchange on the business of online communities for women. A savvy girl on social media will moderate the talk. It is Eden Spodek who is the editor of Barganista.ca and the Digital Strategist at High Road Communications.

I hope to see you there. Discover the other sessions at PodCamp Toronto 2010. And do not forget to register if you wish to attend this free unconference.

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• The Schedule for PodCamp Toronto 2010 is Out

Podcamp Toronto is a FREE unconference for those interested in all things regarding podcasting, blogging and new media. Amateurs, pros, newbies and veterans are all welcome! The unconference is happening February 21 and 22, 2009.

I will also present a session. This is a follow-up to the PodCamp session I gave last autumn in Montreal. A lot has happened since then. We will have a chat on the current state of the women and mom blogging and marketing universe. Here is my session brief:

Updated Look at Women and Social Media by Kim Vallee — A look at the latest metrics and what is happening in the world of women and mom marketing and blogging. See how blogging and social media enhance the life and the daily activities of modern women. I will share great initiatives but I also want to hear about yours.

The session schedule is not done yet. I will keep you posted. There are plenty of topics covered by amazing podcasters and bloggers. It is a great networking and learning experience. Register online to assist at PodCamp Toronto 2009.

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