The Age of the Niche Blogger and Why PR Should Care
The traditional newspaper & broadcast industries have always wielded huge influence over public opinion. It is because of this influence that Public Relations & Marketing professionals carefully monitor & evaluate what is published about their brands and their competitors in the media.
Today however the media landscape has evolved and niche bloggers have quietly risen from relative insignificance, to become new and powerful influencers over their growing audiences. The clear line that once separated online media from traditional media has blurred and as such, the opinions of niche bloggers have become increasingly of interest to communications professionals. When a consumer has a question they turn to online sources for answers. It is there that they will find niche bloggers, whose specialist articles are amongst the very first internet results which users will see.
Whether you’re organising a wedding, buying a car or choosing a holiday, there’s a relevant niche blogger who will help you to form your opinion. As most bloggers generally focus on a particular niche, they tend to rank highly on search engine results for specific keywords. These bloggers also operate independently of brands; meaning readers tend to associate their articles with a high level of credibility.
The growing power of niche bloggers represents a shift in the ‘influence landscape’ and reflects the growing democratisation of the media. It is important that communications professionals recognise the growing importance of this group of key influencers and respond by building strategic relationships and monitoring the content which this powerful group creates!
Brian McCarthy
Brian McCarthy is the Sales & Marketing Director with Newsaccess Media Intelligence, based in Dublin 2. For more information on Media Monitoring & Analysis contact Brian at: mccarthyb@newsaccess.ie or 01-6799403
