by Shannon Cherry, Guest Blogger
Blogs are a great way to get the word out about your business. It can help increase your credibility and visibility, building you a powerful presence online. That’s why many look to bloggers to get the word out about their product or service.
But most people don’t know how to pitch a blogger correctly. Some consistently break the first rule, completely wasting their time and making their efforts reaching the blogger futile.
So what is the first rule you need to know? DO NOT GIVE BLOGGERS A CANNED PRESS RELEASE; THEY HATE IT!
Just because you won’t be sending a blogger a press release doesn’t mean they don’t value some of the same information as traditional journalists. Here’s a quick list to help you send the right details to get publicity from blogs.
- Make sure it’s really news. Bloggers are just as picky as journalists. They’re going to dismiss your pitch if it isn’t relevant, interesting or worth telling their readers about.
- Eliminate jargon. Just like in traditional media, the blogger is speaking to the general public to some extent. Most will not understand jargon, and the blogger might not either. Keep it straightforward, as always.
But there are some differences you need to know when pitching bloggers. Here are some things that should be done differently for the blogosphere:
- Make it personal. It makes a difference to follow and be actively participating by leaving comments on their blog. This way when you pitch to them, you already know them. Know and understand who the blogger is. Dig a little deeper, showing them you’ve done your homework.
- Remember this isn’t your space so don’t be too pushy. Bloggers can do what they want with their blog, so don’t tell them what they should do (like talk about your story) or that you can’t believe they didn’t cover something you pitched to them. Sure, they may give you some publicity for this, but in a negative way.
- Have a conversation, not a sales pitch. Blogging is a mainly personal activity. Most bloggers write as they talk more or less. Do the same. Make it short, sweet, to the point and more casual than a traditional pitch. You will be rewarded.
- Don’t ever ask for a link or to trade links. Instead, ask them to take a look at your material, blog or product. If they like it, you will know about it if you are actively following the blog anyway, so there is no need to pester..
About the Author:
Shannon Cherry is known as The Power Publicist. She helps small business owners, coaches, consultants and entrepreneurs create a powerful presence using low-cost, high impact publicity methods. To get Shannon’s Be Heard! free publicity power pack visit http://www.beheardsolutions.com
