Blogger Outreach Best Practices
There are a number of best practices when it comes to blogger outreach. The first is to understand why bloggers can be some of the best contacts for you in relation to promoting your brand.
Think Niche.
Always think about your niche audience and prospective customers. What blogs do they read and why do they choose them?
Think Content For That Niche.
What do your target customers really want and need, in relation to your products and services? Plan content around their needs. In this way, you are more likely to be able to pitch successfully to bloggers in your niche.
Remember That Bloggers Are People Too.
Read their biographies, look at the way they have organized their blog. Do they write reviews? If so, contact them to ask them if they would like to try a free sample. They may not give you a review, but most bloggers will be interested in trying something that could make their lives better.
Treat Bloggers With Respect.
These days, bloggers are key influences who help spread brand awareness. Treat them like media professionals. Don’t try to make them your best friend or waste your time pitching to them. Chances are they’re on deadline just like any other journalist.
Look For Other Chances To Work With Them.
Look around their blog carefully. See what they include on it and how they monetize it. For example, you might see banners, AdSense ads from Google, and ad blocks from services like Double click and so on. They might be willing sell you ad space for a reasonable amount of money. Ask for more information about their demographics and check their rate card.
Offer To Become A Guest Blogger.
Most bloggers will be willing to accept guest blog posts as long as they are useful and relevant and don’t like one long, dull sales letter. Check the keywords that are most prominent at the blog and think of several articles you could write about that topic.
Or, look for any gaps in topic that you feel are important in relation to your niche and point this out to them. You can use the formula, “I love your content about X but notice you haven’t got a great deal about Y. Would it be helpful to you and your readers if we were to offer you some guest blog posts about Y?”
Think Multimedia.
Support your content with images, video, infographics any anything that makes the content stand out.
Follow Up Promptly.
If the blogger you approach does express an interest, get back to them as soon as you can. Show how you are reliable and easy to work with. They will be interested in a long-term relationship.
Don’t Give Up.
If at first you don’t succeed, try several more times. You can’t be sure your email has been delivered. Even if it has, you can’t be sure it was read. They may be so busy that they put it aside to read later and forgot about it.
If you don’t hear anything within a day or 2, try again. If they say yes, follow up. If they say maybe, follow up. If they say no, try again with a different pitch in the near future.
Use these blogger outreach best practices and see how much media coverage you can get.