Dietitians Investing in the Blogosphere

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Recently I attended a webinar titled Dietitians Investing in the Blogosphere, given by RD/LD and communications consultant Robin Plotkin.  This was an extremely relevant webinar to us as nutrition experts, members of the "social media" age and future dietitians - in any area of dietetics!

To summarize her presentation, blogs are just one example of how influential social media has become to our society - 77% of internet users are reading blogs, and 81% of consumers trust advice and information from blogs.  In fact, blogs influence purchasing decisions more than any other social media outlet, like Facebook or twitter.  Robin stressed the importance of "Blog-Brand" relationships, and the new aspect of marketing that it could represent.  She also made an important point:
     RD's are a brand - we are the nutrition expert and as such, we have to brand ourselves, and market our unique good / service (knowledge, skills, abilities) in order to increase our customer base (clients).

Some reasons that Robin identifies why these "Blog-Brand" relationships work is because they are low-risk, low investment, involve a ready made audience who is already interested in specific categories / markets, provide instant reaction of products/services and also have a measureable impact!

She also offers a step by step guide to getting involved in a "Blog-Brand" relationship:
1. Ask, "Does this make sense for me?"
2. Figure out your target audience, and market to that niche: for example, if you are a community dietitian specializing in pediatrics, you would want to market to "Mommy-bloggers"
3. Make a budget! Remember this should include all resources, like time, not just money.
4. If you choose, partner with other professionals who are relevant in your chosen niche - wellness professionals, athletes, chefs, or a well known local "celebrity"
5. Identify your specific group of bloggers, and generate a pitch. Make sure you have a list of what you want out of this relationship - "Deliverables"
6. Once you have formed a relationship, a giveaway or group outing which involves the bloggers is the best way to increase your reach to all of their audiences. Don't forget to personally recognize or thank those individual bloggers and keep that relationship going!

Here's a link to check out Robin's blog, RobinsBite!

CR

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