Comments on: 7 Tips to Improve Pitches to Bloggers

By: Multi-Author Blogging: 5 Tools to Help Your Business in 2013 | TKGenius | Online Marketing Strategies & Training

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:32:00 +0000

[...] Group High: GroupHigh is particularly helpful in that it allows managing editors the ability to efficiently build lists of influential bloggers and begin to develop relationships that lead to guest post requests, influencer marketing and other blogger relationship opportunities. While the technology is well designed and very powerful, make sure to use this tool wisely. For tips on that, read Heather Whaling’s post on how to pitch bloggers. [...]

By: Agency Entourage

Agency Entourage — Wed, 25 May 2011 00:42:49 +0000

[...] taken time out of your day to do a little research on the blog and blogger beforehand. Heather states that “this small gesture [helps] establish familiarity and credibility” and that [...]

By: Nikki_Stephan

Nikki_Stephan — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:20:52 +0000

@HeatherWhaling @Pink_Katillac I completely agree! Add some personalization to the email beyond addressing the person by name, just like the second person did relating to Heather’s comment on his RWW post. Referring to a previous post and tying it into what you’re suggesting/sharing in your email is also a good strategy.

By: John_Trader1

John_Trader1 — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:58:59 +0000

One strategy I have found out that works well for me to secure a guest blog post and build a relationship is to not pitch the blogger immediately (as it appears #1 did, but #2 waited). I plant the seed by identifying them first, then I water it a little by commenting on posts they write and continuing to read subsequent posts then eventually I wait until the sprout appears and the plant has grown a little to reach out and ask for a guest blog post. I feel that in the “real time” day and age we live in where immediate results are expected, people often forget to fill their pipeline first, and then slowly harvest the crops as they grow – different crops will ripen at different times.

Great post Heather.

By: HeatherWhaling

HeatherWhaling — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:46:52 +0000

@jeffespo I’m lucky if I remember to get my oil changed on time.

By: HeatherWhaling

HeatherWhaling — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:46:09 +0000

@Pink_Katillac Exactly! I was impressed that he knew that I had commented. It’s a good way to build some rapport with the person your’e trying to pitch.

By: AlexisNasc

AlexisNasc — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:26:43 +0000

Excellent points, Heather. Unless you’ve done your homework on the blogger and his/her audience, don’t waste their time — or yours — with a pitch. Build a relationship first!

By: CharlesMignot

CharlesMignot — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:14:50 +0000

Nice work! We’ve also compiled these handy tips on the same subject here :
http://www.pressking.com/resources/how-to-pitch-blogger

By: Pink_Katillac

Pink_Katillac — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:12:42 +0000

I think adding a personal touch as the 2nd pitch did will not only establish a relationship, but will help the blogger to remember your pitch–who doesn’t like a little flattery?

By: Laurent

Laurent — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:37:31 +0000

Heather
Lot’s of good points. Blogger outreach is much better when it doesn’t ‘come out of the blue’. The worst is the non targeted/non personalized pitch you described, the better is targeted/personalized, the ideal is when there’re already an pre-existing relationship between the pitcher and the blogger (it can be implicit). Here, we advocate that marketers should hand around with the influencers/bloggers in their community (i.e: if you’re a marketer for a beauty brand on organic stuff, find the beauty bloggers that talk a lot about organic – we have a list of 2000 beauty bloggers here so easy to find 200 talking about organic)…then you pitch can be relevant/targeted and have some context because influencers will recognize you through your ongoing presence in the community.
We do that here at eCairn and it yields a very high response rate when we do an outreach (75% min).