Our recent post on blogger outreach turned out to be quite popular, so we’ve brought you more news on the topic.
That post shared advice on how to evaluate a blog and make sure it’s a good match for your audience and media strategy before you reach out. Now let’s look at some best practices for reaching out, and go over things to avoid.
Blogger outreach best practices
First of all, do your research. Many influential bloggers, because they are used to receiving outreach, lay out a clear method for how they do and do not want to be contacted. Take the time to check if a blogger you are interested in has written anything on the topic. If they have, respect their requests.
Similarly, don’t pitch a guest post at a blog that does not accept them. This is an easy thing to determine. Has the site ever run a guest post before? Blogs that are looking for new guest bloggers often have a clear method for inquiring about opportunities.
When you contact a blogger, send a personal note, not a form email. Keep it concise, but show why this writer and their audience should care about your product or service. That is your job. Don’t ask a blogger to do it for you.
Show that you are a fan of a blogger’s work by sharing their posts, signing up for their newsletter and otherwise engaging with their work, says Stan Smith of Pushing Social. You want to expand your reach, and so do they. Better to spend your time building relationships with a few bloggers who share your audience than blasting emails to people who have no reason to care about your business.
Photo by Wesley Fryer
Things to avoid
Looking to read some real examples of what not to do? Bloggers have a lot to say on the topic. Read this piece by Dana Forman, a fashion blogger and freelancer in SEO, social media and copywriting. She provides examples of emails she has received, along with commentary on what was well or poorly done.
Bloggers consistently complain about outreach that is not personalized in any way or clearly sent to a massive list of writers. Just like journalists, bloggers do not want to put time and effort into a piece that will be one in a sea of similar posts. Writers are also wary of praise for their work that reveals how little of it you have actually read. If you say that you were particularly interested in a blogger’s many tech reviews and they have only written two in the past year, you are not going to win their interest.
Ultimately, be respectful. Treat bloggers as you would any member of the media. Learn from your mistakes and your successes.
Think you are ready to do some worthwhile blogger outreach? Get out there and tell your story!
