Bloggers are becoming more and more powerful in the purchase process, especially in niche markets. In a recent survey, consumers ranked blogs third – behind retail and brand sites – as the online services most likely to influence their purchase. And most of these bloggers are incredibly active on social media, further expanding their reach and impact. So the question is – how do you engage these influencers and tap into their pool of loyal followers? Read on young grasshopper.
1. Do Your Research
I know this sounds crazy but, prior to pitching a blogger, read their blog. Hopefully this is an obvious first step, but we had to include it because it’s so important. If there is one way to get on a bloggers bad side, it’s pitching them something that isn’t relevant to their blog. Put in the time to read the posts, about page, comments, social media posts, etc.
You must be certain that your product/company is a good fit for the blog and vice versa. Has the blog posted about similar products/companies before? What sort of response have these posts received? Do they have a special niche? Once you have asked yourself these questions and understand how your product/company fits into the greater theme, then you can start thinking about your pitch strategy. Bloggers who work with PR folk (hey, that’s me!) will often include information describing if they’d like to receive pitches, their preferred method of contact, and what they are interested in covering. This is a gift. Respect the process.
2. Engage On Social Media
Prior to pitching, you should begin interacting with the blogger on social media channels. This can be as simple as sharing or reTweeting one of their posts, sending a reply on Twitter, or writing a comment on their blog. This initial interaction acts as an informal introduction so that your pitch won’t be the first time they’ve heard from you. These sorts of social interactions should continue during and long after you send the pitch to maintain that relationship.
3. Craft and Deliver The Pitch
The very first thing the blogger will read is the subject line, so make it creative, concise, and relevant. It should capture the bare essence of the pitch and give them a reason to open the email. But don’t be too obscure as it may come off as unprofessional.
In the pitch, use a friendly and personal voice. Address the blogger by first name and include a brief introduction of yourself and something personal to the blogger. Mention something you have in common or reference something you read or learned from their blog and be sincere. This should make it apparent that you did your due diligence and aren’t sending out a mass email blast to hundreds of bloggers.
Blogger Pet Peeve #1: Telling the blogger you love their blog and then pitching them on something they never cover. This is a surefire way to get blacklisted.
The body of the pitch should hit three key points: what you are looking for, what you can offer, and why readers will care. Be upfront with how you’d like to work with the blogger, whether that be writing a product review, sponsored post, reader giveaway contest, etc. These are not one-sided relationships. It’s crucial to provide some sort of benefit back to the blogger and the readers. Bloggers will be interested in what you have to say if you give them something of value such as free product, discounts, exclusive content, or cross promotion on your own digital and social channels. Make it obvious how the blog and, more importantly, its readers would benefit from a relationship with your product/company. Lastly, be sure to keep the pitch concise and include links to any relevant information.
4. Follow Through
Blogger outreach should not be a one-and-done. During post-pitch communications, make the blogger aware that you’re interested in maintaining an ongoing partnership with their blog beyond just a single post. Track your outreach and don’t forget about bloggers you’ve pitched in the past, no matter if they responded or not. Send them articles or notes that you think they would be interested in even if they have nothing to do with your brand. The goal here is to develop long-term brand advocates for your product/company through ongoing interaction.
If you have any other tips or best practices for pitching bloggers, feel free to leave a comment below.
Photo credit: jeffbullas.com