Liz Pope, Media and Research Manager
When I first started learning about social media and “pitching” bloggers, the words that stayed with me the longest were from a colleague who, when asked how to pitch a blogger, responded, “You don’t.” You should never “pitch” a blogger, it’s like “walking into their living room uninvited. Would YOU want a complete stranger in your living room?”
It’s true. You should never “pitch” a blogger. With every email I send out, I keep these words in the back of my mind. Because media relations isn’t about “pitching,” it’s about engaging and building mutually beneficial relationships.
Engaging with bloggers, or anyone else in the social media realm, is about having a two-way conversation. You’re not talking AT a person, you’re talking WITH them. This means visiting their blog when a new post is up to leave thoughtful comments, reaching out through Twitter to have a conversation – even if you don’t need anything.
Kairi Soosaar, Associate
Reaching out to bloggers and other social media influencers through Social PR might seem easy, but to actually connect and solicit a response requires creativity, strategy and research.
Before you even begin writing an email, KNOW the person you’re reaching out to. As part of social or public relations planning and preparation, thoroughly study each blog, read through the posts so that you have an in-depth understanding of (1) the blogger’s audience, (2) the blogger’s background and (3) what kinds of topics the blog covers.
- NEVER blind copy bloggers on emails. It shows lack of caring and it’s one of the fastest ways to get deleted (or added to the spam list). Address a blogger by name.
- DON’T just read the first post and assume you know everything. Show that you have taken time to read the blog, and not just the most recent posts but older posts as well.
- Keep it SHORT and get to the point FAST. Let the blogger know the gist of the pitch in the first few sentences. Make your wording succinct, as bloggers aren’t interested in reading a novel. Use hyperlinks and highlight any key words or phrases in bold so that if a blogger is skimming, he or she will pull out the important pieces.
- Help a blogger out. Bloggers are extremely busy. Even though your topic might dead on, they might not have the time to write the post. Instead, include a ready-made tweet that they’re able to share with their followers.
- Reread. Read your email through the eyes of the blogger — Would you be interested in this piece or does it sound like a walking advertisement?
Now that we’ve shared our thoughts, what are your suggestions on how to engage with bloggers?
Liz (@lizpope) and Kairi Soosaar (@kairisoosaar) want to give a hat tip for Elaine Ellis (@elaineellis) advice on not pitching bloggers.
Sevans Strategy is a Chicago-based public relations and new media consultancy owned by Sarah Evans. Learn how new strategies and tools can integrate with traditional public relations. From speaking and training to implementation, Sevans Strategy is on the cutting edge of all things new media.
