Spa Blogger Relations – Do’s and Dont’s

Writing articles on my website about companies and their products requires being in contact with marketing departments.

Oh boy, what different experiences in spa blogger relations I make!

I have written an article called why blogging is good for your spa business and wish more marketing people could heed the potential of this marketing channel as much as the way how to liaise successfully with bloggers.

I am giving you two examples of experiences how I have recently been in touch with very different approaches.

Case 1: How blogger relations do NOT work

An agency contacts me to inquire about my services.
Their client is a Wellness Hotel that wishes to improve their social media appearance, if I could help and what are my conditions.

I reply with all technicalities including my fees.

Their reply asks for a price discount, after all they are offering me a 2 nights stay at the hotel in return…

I reply in very clear terms that free products are not an adequate compensation for work, including explanation and potential conflict resolution.

And never hear back again.

Yes, I agree, there are some bloggers out there that are after the freebies more than anything else, however I believe my website is sufficiently transparent to make the reader understand that I take my profession and ambition serious.

What went totally wrong:

the email conversation was entirely between me and an intern, which tells me that this is a topic the marketing department / agency does not highly regard
they did not bother to call me even once
their questions and their reactions tell me that they have not done any research on me. Blogger relations is about – you guessed it – a relationship. It is ongoing process, not a single email. Sometimes a cooperation does not work out immediately, but it is always worth networking and staying in touch, from both sides
I never hear back from them, which is rather rude. They have contacted me in the first place, not the other way around, and at least a brief ‘thank you but maybe next time’ is appropriate.

spa blogger relations Anja Eva Keller TalkWellness

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Case 2: How blogger relation DO work very well

I have been in touch with a legendary Hotel in St Moritz for a Spa Review. And wish all hotels would work this way when it comes to blogger relations!

After contacting the respective marketing department by email I receive an immediate and friendly reply asking for more information.

When I reply and clarify, the marketing director calls me to confirm a cooperation, followed by an email confirmation with great details and instructions.

Briefly after my visit, she calls me again to ask about my experience, a few more emails follow, an additional future cooperation is discussed.