Events are the perfect way t show the world what your company is doing and bloggers are definitely crucial for this. They are nowadays thought of as part of the media and very sought after. Make sure you can bring them to your events!

1. Treat bloggers as press: Bloggers have an audience, they have a platform (usually multiple platforms) and they have an organic voice and can help amplify your message. Sometimes the readership of a blog is twice the size of any other industry magazine, so treat them good. You could have a bloggers lounge or area, guarantee good internet connection…

2. Show some appreciation: Everyone loves to be appreciated so show bloggers how important they are. The best ways to do this are by retweeting their tweets, thanking them both privately and publicly, tag them in your event photos… Make them feel comfortable!

3. Offer incentives: Bloggers are willing to share your news, but you better have in mind the fact that if it’s going to be too hard for them to get into your events, they will just find someone else’s event to talk about. Offer them free tickets to your conferences, free drinks, discounts on your programs or even discount codes they can extend to their readers.

4. Give them more control: Bloggers want to be treated as professionals and want to be counted on. They normally know their audience more than you do so let them do their job like they know how to do it. Don’t suggest a hashtag for the event, let them suggest it. If you are going to run a competition with bloggers or Twitters, get them to use their creativity. Even ask them for feedback after the event, this info could be really useful.

5. Send them a cool invitation: Customize the invitation, show them you know who they are by mentioning something you liked about their blog  (mentioning the last post doesn’t work), and make them feel VIP. Being nice is always the key to a fruitful relationship.