Brands are consistently looking for new approaches to raise awareness in the social media realm. With hits and impressions as a priority for achieving these goals, blogger outreach has become a greater component to the overall marketing strategy of a brand. To achieve online coverage in the past, brands would look to traditional PR methods when releasing information, blasting cold and unwanted press releases to a large network hoping their information would stick.
In the world of blogger outreach, this approach simply does not work. Bloggers do not want information thrown at them with the expectation that they have to do what brands say. It shows a lack of respect and bloggers want to work on campaigns that are mutually beneficial for both their blog and the brand. Don’t assume a blogger wants to work with you just because of your brand name.
If you want to reach out to bloggers, then do so with best practices in mind to build a relationship with the individual.
There is no exact science to drafting the perfect pitch email, but below are a few tips to getting started when looking to reach out to an online influencer.
Address the Blogger Appropriately – I shouldn’t even have to offer this as a tip since it should be automatic. I still hear from my contacts that at times they receive e-mail pitches addressed as “Dear Blogger,” or “Dear [Name],” or “Dear [Insert wrong name here].” Bloggers are people just like you and I and they should be addressed properly. Take the time to learn the name or by which they would like to be addressed and make sure to include it.
Read the Blog – Receiving a blind cold pitch email is about as friendly as Kevin McCallister throwing a brick in Marv’s face in Home Alone 2. Some bloggers receive hundreds of emails a day, and if you would like to stand out from the rest of the trash they receive, go out of your way to get to know the blogger by actually reading their blog. Try to find a nugget of information within a post to relate back within the email, hyperlinking to the post. For example, if a blogger wrote about a recent trip, make note of it and ask about it. It shows you’ve taken the initiative to learn more about the blogger and that you are genuinely trying to open up a line of friendly communication.
Read the About Page – The About Page is there for a reason. You can learn a lot about a blogger, their tastes, and preferences. Many bloggers include what types of brands and products they prefer working with, how they would like to be pitched (if at all), and how they would like to work with brands. This information is key when reaching out to bloggers.
For example, if a blogger shares in her About Page that she is a vegetarian, don’t pitch her asking for a review of your client’s brand new beef jerky. It’s a quick way to get you on her bad side.
Connect the Pitch to the Blogger – Do your best to connect the product/promotion to the blogger and their readers. Remember, blogger outreach is all about creating a mutual relationship, and the pitch has to be something that may interest the blogger and their readers. For example, if a blogger writes about running and you are promoting new sneakers, offer reasons to why the new sneakers would help their current running regimen.
Short Pitches – With bloggers receiving so many e-mails daily, they don’t have time to read every e-mail word for word. Stick with the most important information, talking points, and what’s in it for the blogger and their readers. Don’t let them guess, tell them right away. If a blogger is interested, they will let you know. If interested, then send a follow-up email with additional information, links and images to help the blogger craft their post. If a blogger has questions, find out the answers right away and respond as soon as possible so you do not keep them waiting.
As blogger outreach continues to be part of a brand’s social strategy to accomplish their goals, e-mail pitches and communications become more of a priority. By sticking to best practices when contacting bloggers, you can help increase your positive response rates, which will be the foundation to developing long term mutually beneficial working relationships with bloggers.