Ready to Pitch a Blog? Take This Quiz First

Everyone wants to know the secret formula to pitching blogs. The secret is it takes more than pitching.

You need to get immersed in the topic you’re pitching and be able to expand the conversation. This requires a deeper level of subject matter expertise than media relations folk usually have time to establish.

Many agencies have practitioners doing specific tasks across several accounts -- account execs make the phone calls and send the emails. The team in the trenches is focused on pitching -- not the bigger picture that includes the story.

As blog-savvy firms forge ahead, here are six questions you should be able to answer in the affirmative before you start pitching a blog. Have you...

1. Read more than the most recent post of the blog?
2. Searched the blog for your client or relevant product/service/industry terms to see if they are even covered?
3. Subscribed to the blog’s RSS feed or e-mail delivery to make it easier to follow and to boost their audience metrics?
4. Left a comment on the blog that continues the discussion and is unrelated to your pitch?
5. Looked for posts and links from their home page telling you if/how the blog author likes to receive information?
6. Sent the blog author an email unrelated to your pitch?

Does this read like a lot of work? If your news doesn’t merit this level of effort, don’t pitch it to a blog. This will eliminate a few of the irrelevant news releases many blogs receive.

If you answered no to any of the above, you may need to ramp up your approach to mainstream media first. Here are four tips.

1. Send a reporter a story idea or lead that has nothing to do with your client. It builds the relationship and turns you into a source increasing the odds you’ll be sought out for a story.
2. Set up a Google News Alert on a specific reporter to follow their work more closely.
3. Seek out a reporter on Slideshare, Flickr, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn or Twitter to learn more about them and connect with them as relevant. Just make sure it’s in context. Do NOT pitch a reporter using these channels. It’s skeevy.
4. Study up on current events…news is media relations jet fuel.

Does this read like a lot of work? Well new rules require new tools. And as more and more bloggers extend the olive branch, the price of a bad pitch is increasing -- less coverage, whiny bloggers and angry clients.

Cross-posted from The Bad Pitch Blog. | Standardization uploaded by seduction by snapshots | tags | public relations | PR | media relations | media

Comments

[David Wescott]

I hear you, Kevin - it reminds me of the "open letter to mommybloggers everywhere" I wrote a while back.

One of the things I ask social media practitioners in my charge to do is go exploring a bit in the sector of the blogosphere that interests them most - BEFORE you have to worry about pitching anyone. Develop relationships with people that have common interests and build your own credibility. If we have to pitch a segment of the blogosphere, we already have relationships that matter with people we trust. It takes time, but if you're not willing to invest it you're not willing to do this right.

[Geoff Livingston]

Gets back to participation first, then promotion. A blogger is much more willing to follow/consider your effort if you are part of the community first. Then they'll talk to you. Good post, Kevin.

[Vanys]

ich würde mich freuen wenn du dich in meine Freundesliste einträgst.

Meine Freunde

[MuchTooLonginPR]

Technology was supposed to make our lives easier --- and ironically, for the PR person, it's a lot more work these days.

[Adam Denison]

You know, I just spent three hours working on pitches for about 15 bloggers, but I think it's well worth the effort. I applied nearly every one of the above rules. Sure, it took more time, but at least I won't come off sounding like a spammer or a PR guy who doesn't know how to work with blogs. Even though they not take the bait, at least I've cultivated a relationship.

[Todd Defren]

This may be the single best post on Blogger Relations that I've ever friggin' read. Wish I'd written it. :)

Good stuff, Kevin.

[Kevin Dugan]

Thanks everyone. Adam - It's great to hear GM is doing it right, but no surprise.

Todd - Who do I make the check out to? Seriously, thank you for all of the feedback.

[Michael]

Oh its a nice site! I like your photo of the quiz!
Greetings f. Germany