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How To Work With Bloggers (The right way!)

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How To Work With Bloggers

I have been a blogger for nearly 4 years now and over that period of time I have had my fair share of emails from PR companies. On average I receive between 15 and 20 email pitches per day. Some great, some okay and some just plain weird! Seriously you would be amazed at some of the pitches I have received.

Here are some of my top tips for working with bloggers…

Actually Read The Blog Before You Contact The Blogger

I’ve lost count of the amount of times I have received an email from a PR firm wanting me to promote a product that is totally unsuitable for our lifestyle or family. ‘No thank you I wouldn’t like to review your matching twin baby suits, firstly I don’t have twins and secondly my youngest is now 4!’

Always Find Out The Bloggers Name

Emails beginning with ‘Hi there’, ‘Hello Cold Tea & Smelly Nappies Team’ or ‘Yo what’s up’ (yes someone actually wrote that) are not a great way to start a professional relationship. You can almost always find the bloggers name on their about page, unless of course they are an anonymous blogger then Hello would be acceptable.

Most Bloggers Don’t Work For Free

For many bloggers this is their full time work, this is how they earn a living to pay their rent, buy food and provide for their children. I am a full time blogger and I make a living out of my writing. If someone asked you to work for free would you do it?

Remember It’s Their Blog

This one is really important to remember. Don’t barge in making demands of when you want things posted and where. Most bloggers have a blogging schedule and sometimes have posted scheduled for up to a month in advance. They may not have space for your post so always ask what their schedule is like and when their next available slot is.

Be Clear About What You Are After

I’ve had many emails in the past that are so vague that it is hard to determine what it is the company actually wants from me. A good, clear pitch is much more likely to engage the blogger and make them want to work with you.

You Are Not Doing Them A Favour

There is nothing worse than receiving an email with a tone of we are doing you a favour by letting you write about our product on your site.

Lines In Emails That Should Be Avoided

‘We don’t have a budget to pay you for your work but we can give you good exposure to our huge following’

‘Great news I have a sponsored post for you’

‘I’m not going to pay you but I will provide you with a very informative, well written article’

‘Great deal to share with your followers’

‘Please share our competition to your social media followers’

‘We can’t pay you but we can give you a free pen!’

Lastly Always Remember Bloggers Talk

The blogger community is a tight one. There are numerous blogger forums out there and if a blogger gets treated badly by a PR company or brand they WILL let everyone know about it. Bloggers have blacklists just like PR companies do. Do you really want a negative image attached to your brand? Bloggers are social influences and many have a huge following. They can do wonders for you and your brand if you build a good relationship with them but as we all know relationships only work if it is mutually beneficial to both parties involved.

 

 

 

6 thoughts on “How To Work With Bloggers (The right way!)”

    1. Glad it’s not just me! I use to be very polite and almost apologetic that I wouldn’t work for free but now 4 years later I’ve definitely got less tolerant

  1. This is excellent advice for someone just starting out – I am pretty ignorant of this stuff.
    With many thanks.
    Smallholdingsister.

  2. This is such a bug bear of mine. The amount of emails I get that are totally not relevant to me, is unreal. Just last week I had one about a washing machine. Erm, I write about reusable menstrual products and health. Not quite sure how a washing machine is relevant to me.

    I also get a lot of begging posts, asking me for free cloth pads and menstrual cups.

    The worst thing though, has to be time scale. As I’m sure you know, menstrual related reviews are time sensitive because of being based around a small window every x amount of days. I had one company mail me after like 4 weeks, being extremely rude to me, then sending me emails every week from then on, making demands. As of yet, I haven’t written a single thing on their product because of the aggressive emails I’ve received. It’s absolutely crazy how some act like they’re doing you a favour, when actually it takes us time to grow our audience, interact with them, use said product, photograph it, write and edit posted. That’s before even promoting the post.

    I really wish PR Companies would take time to find out your name and about what you write about. Maybe then our inboxes wouldn’t get so full of junk.

    1. Good to know that it’s not just me that gets annoyed! Being chased like that about a review product is really bad and unprofessional especially when as you said they are time sensitive reviews.

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