Tips & Tricks: How to pitch a blogger

I was thinking about the fact that a lot of PR professionals do not know how to pitch bloggers.  They tend to use the same tactics and strategies in doing so that they normally use with news or feature writers for print/online publications.  Generally this doesn’t do well to translate into coverage for your client.  Bloggers are a funny bunch, we want to be considered 2legit2quit but we don’t want to be given the same pat pitch that you send to every news pub on your media list.

I want to share some tips on how public relations professionals can chat up bloggers below the top-tier level and translate that effort into meaningful coverage.  Without making themselves look stupid and uninformed.  And, without the blogger in question getting pissed off at you.

• Tip #1 – Cold pitching isn’t the best strategy.  Blogging is about a larger conversation.  If you really want to get the “in” with a blogger you need to do advance work.  Reading their blog and commenting on their posts – re-tweeting their posts, even – is a good way to become a known presence to the writer you’re targetting.
• Tip #2 – Much of the time, blog posts are written in a subjective voice… Therefore: Just sending a release with news about your client isn’t going grab the attention of a blogger.  Asking for reviews of a specific product works… reviews are all about subjectivity.  Consumer trend stories are good, as are interviews.  Remember that the position of a blogger is to provide commentary on _______ that their blog focuses on.
• Tip #3 – “Blogging” isn’t a beat.  Just because one is a blogger doesn’t mean that they’ll write about anything.  Like most journos, bloggers tend to have beats.  Example:  I tend to write about politics/news, geek culture/consumer tech, women’s issues and DIY.  Which means that if you send me a client story about fashion or music or an event I’m not going to have much use for it.  As I said in a previous post – blogging is a very very segmented arena.  It’s CRUCIAL to know the beat of the blogger you’re pitching.
• Tip #4 - Similarly it’s important to know what kind of blogger you’re dealing with.  I – for example – am a columnist.  Occasionally I write features.  Not everyone does both.  Know what kind of writer you’re pitching before you pitch so you can tailor your pitch to fit their needs.
• Tip #5 – This goes for ALL pitching.  DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK DIRECTLY FOR COVERAGE. We will appreciate that you’re quick and to the point and will be able to answer you yes or no based on what you’ve sent us.  (Or, ask for more information if we feel like we need it to make a decision.)

If you follow these tips you’re going to be really successful in developing a knack for pitching bloggers… And, your clients & agency will love you for it.  I think that all of these are common sense – I’ve been generally shocked that all flacks do not know these tips already… So here they are: use them in good health!