How to pitch a blogger PROPERLY
On Saturday, I posted a “How NOT to pitch” guide for PR people pitching bloggers. Today, I’ll tell you how we WANT to be pitched.
I’ve just recently sent queries out onto two networks PR people use to get leads: PR Newswire’s ProfNet and Help a Reporter Out (HARO) on a couple of different topics. Some of the responses I got were fantastic, and others fell way short of the mark.
An example of one of the way short of the mark ones for BuzzNetworker:
I’d recommend speaking to any of our expert panelists who were part of [a] discussion on “…. Social Media.” You can reach their media pages and listen to or read a transcript of this discussion at [website].
This doesn’t help me. It doesn’t help me because you’re just making more work for me. You didn’t tell me what they talked about, what the session was about, and for that matter, you didn’t tell me what your success or failure story was. Basically, you didn’t tell me how you could help me or answer my query across the board. So, um thanks, but I’m trashing this one.
I know this isn’t just my problem. Other bloggers have had similar problems. Mainstream reporters deal with this all the time.
At least this time around, the good pitches outweighed the bad. So what does a good pitch look like?
Despite the level of marketing-speak in this pitch, which I’m categorically against these days
This is Jackie [redacted] at [redacted] a next-generation marketing services ecosystem.
I saw that you’re looking to speak with authors of recent books on social media. You should talk with [our] chairman and author of business best-seller, [book I’ll be reviewing and will post about later].
Let me know if you’d like to interview him. Would you like a copy of the book? If yes, where should we send it?
I will be getting back in touch with Jackie, and likely this afternoon, because she told me what the book was, who to talk to, and where she could send a copy of it to. She basically did everything right. The pitch was succinct, to the point, gave me all the information I needed to know and offered to send me a copy so that I could read it myself.
Now that you’ve seen both ways this can go - both bad and good, in short and sweet queries - here’s a few tips to ensure that your blogger pitch goes well, and ideally, results in coverage!
- In your subject line, tell me what you’re replying to. Remember that many bloggers have more than one outlet we write for and we need to know right away what you’re pitching us.
- Answer my question, don’t give me a throw away comment. Think about what you want me to know about, and frame your response properly.
- Also, when you’re thinking about your response, take the time to think about what someone who knows nothing about your product or client would want to know. Answer all the 5w’s and make sure it makes sense. Read it with fresh eyes. Don’t make extra work for me.
- Don’t pitch me off topic. If I ask for information about Vodka, don’t pitch me Pomegranate Gin. All that will do is frustrate me. If you know it doesn’t fit, don’t pitch it until it DOES fit.
- Wait for me to follow up with you. One follow up email is cool. Four is not.
- Be succinct and clear about what you’re pitching. Get to the point.
These are things that can be applied across the board to many bloggers, but like mainstream news, not all bloggers are the same. Many write more personal blogs from a news perspective, and don’t want to be pitched like a traditional news outlet. You still have to do your due diligence and make sure that you have some background knowledge about the blogger first. Do your research! figure out what we write about, and the way we write about it and then approach us.
Another really great post about blogger outreach is by Jason Falls on Social Media Explorer.
(Image source: Newscom.com)
2 opinions for How to pitch a blogger PROPERLY
Explorer » How to pitch a blogger PROPERLY
May 5, 2008 at 7:52 pm
[…] Buzz Networker - Social Networking wrote an interesting post today on How to pitch a blogger PROPERLYHere’s a quick excerpt On Saturday, I posted a “How NOT to pitch” guide for PR people pitching bloggers. Today, I’ll tell you how we WANT to be pitched. I’ve just recently sent queries out onto two networks PR people use to get leads: PR Newswire’s ProfNet and Help a Reporter Out (HARO) on a couple of different topics. Some of the responses I got were fantastic, and others fell way short of the mark. An example of one of the way short of the mark ones for BuzzNetworker: I’d recommend speaking to any of our expe […]
Coffee Break
May 10, 2008 at 10:25 pm
[…] Coplick, over at Buzznetworker, has posts up on how to pitch a blogger properly and how not to conduct blogger relations. If your business wants to tap into the power and […]
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