I just got the latest Marketing Sherpa e-mail blast with a good feature, “Pitching Blogs: 25 Dos and Don’ts.” This is a good, quick read with open access until Feb. 22. Access the full article here.
The Highlights:
Dos
- Do check out the sidebars for content categories. Know in advance what is relevant to each blogger. In short, be familiar with what he or she likes to write about.
- Do link to the blog you are pitching if you have a blog of your own.
- Explain why you have chosen the blogger as the recipient of your pitch. If a blogger suspects you are merely crossing a name off a long list of contacts, you will probably be ignored.
These three “dos” hit on what I feel is the most important part of contacting bloggers: being genuine. Don’t just mass blast e-mail lists. Target specific bloggers and get to know their blogs. Show that you’ve read it, appreciate his or her perspective and understand the overall tone and direction of the blog. (Again, be genuine; this can backfire on you if you are not truly reading and following the bloggers you are targeting). I always use their names when I contact bloggers and always drop in a short personal note about one of their past posts.
Don’ts
- Don’t leave advertorial comments. Be relevant and professional; otherwise you’re going to make a bad name for yourself. Why? First, your comments are probably moderated. Second, you are looking to establish a solid relationship with the blogger.
- Don’t make the huge mistake of being pushy with a blogger. Bloggers are usually their own bosses; they are in charge. Dictating when you want your information to be blogged or by what date your product needs to be reviewed is a no-no.
- Don’t put words into a blogger’s mouth. Present your information without telling the blogger that he or she will just love the subject of your pitch. Asking for their opinion on how useful it might be for their readers is the way to go.
These three “don’ts” hinge on another overall “don’t” that is important with bloggers. Know that when you turn the reins over to the blogger, he or she can be nice or mean: It’s the blogger’s prerogative. That’s why you don’t want to leave advertorial comments on blogs. It’s pushy and a quick way to lose credibility. Be there to assist and provide good content instead of trying to get a “hookup.”
Make sure to check out the entire article. It was a good one.
This entry was posted on Friday, February 15th, 2008 at 9:20 am and is filed under Online. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.One Response to “Pitching Blogs”
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February 26th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Thank you so much Rachael for putting this up! I’ve made just a couple pitches to some blogs and was wondering if there is a system to this madness!