Bloggers and blogging, all the rage nowadays, right? As a business owner you, no doubt, have heard about the benefits of blogging for your business. Coming up with content and updating your blog is one thing, but what if you want other bloggers to write about you? Don’t we all?
The blogging community is just that – a “community.” Much like social media, it’s all about interaction.
We often have people reach out to us and say, “Can you get [insert blogger name] to write about my [insert product/service] and tell everyone how great it is?” The answer is “yes” and “no.” The media carefully picks and chooses, so do the best blogs. They all need great content to present and share, but it has to be on target. A mommy blogger who covers her day-to-day happenings may seem like an ideal fit for a day at the spa, but may be more inclined to write about the automotive shop that allows her to get a quick oil change while being conveniently located next to Chuck E. Cheese.
When it comes to news, it’s usually “just the facts.” Information is presented in a way to inform the reader and make him/her think. Great journalists and writers ask questions that make the viewers/readers think and come to their own conclusions after viewing or reading their information.
For instance, think about a recent high profile court case (hint: rhymes with hazey manthony), the trial and news coverage. Details of the case were “presented” and perhaps you were able to glean opinions from choice words or facial expressions, but for the most part it was just enough information to have you form your own opinions.
Bloggers across the country let you know exactly where they stood on the issue. Sharing every, “Are you frickin’ kidding me?” to “No way is this happening.”
See the difference? You’re definitely going to get a blogger’s opinion, it’s their space of expression!
Bloggers know that you want to reach their 10K+ followers, but why should they tell their followers about you?
Here are three quick tips:
1) Visit and subscribe to their blogs. Find out what they typically write about. Do they even accept pitches from businesses or firms, or will your outreach serve as “what not to do” content for their next blog post?
2) Interact. Comment on blogs that speak to you and are of interest. This does not mean a post that says: “Visit my website for great [shameless plug]!” That’s not engaging, that’s self-promotion.
3) Read comments from others. In the comments section you will find other bloggers who are active in the community. Perhaps their blog is a good fit for your product/service as well, but more importantly you get an idea of what the community is like. Are they business professionals, casual fans, other firms, etc.? This will give you an idea of what the Romans are doing and if it’s a good fit.
How do you feel about blogger outreach?
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