Are Bloggers Turning down your “Blogger Outreach”?

Blogger Even at San Juan WBC

If you have attempted to reach out to bloggers and let them know about your company, you might have realized its no easy task.

Why bloggers might not care about your outreach.

Most of them don’t care because those that represent the companies, brands, services, and product clearly show very little interest in what the blogger does other than having them write about their organization or product.

Many Selfish Requests

I receive at least 20 requests a week from different companies asking me to write about their product, service, brand, or event. I only receive that amount a  week because I filtered many who continuously kept spamming my blogs with stuff that was not even relevant to what the blog’s main topic was about. Out of the  80-100 requests a month, one person might send an email to connect with me in a personal way and share what they are offering not just to me but for the community that reads my blog.

Emotions Play a Big Part

For years I have worked and collaborated with different brands as a consultant or simply reviewing their products. On most occasions the relationship has been established over time. In other cases it has been established because I fell in love with the product. When I have written about a brand, product, or service it has been due to my experience (positive or negative.)

Tips from a blogger tired of Spam

So as a blogger tired of receiving spam and other boring requests on how others want to benefit from my help,  take a look at a few tips of what you can do to start building a genuine relationship with bloggers:

1. Take the time to read what I write about

On most occasions I discard the request because it clearly has nothing to do with what I write about or my lifestyle. I remember years ago receiving a request to endorse a very well known Steakhouse. As a vegan  I let everyone know I don’t eat meat. Its in my bio and I even founded a blog on veganism and vegetarianism. So do your research and find those interests that align with the blogger.

2. Get to Know them

Sign up for their blogs via rss or their newsletter, follow them on social networks like twitter and Google Plus, comment on their blogs and add value.

You might want to create a list on twitter or circles in Google +  of bloggers. Keep nurturing the relationship and gauge when is the best time to ask for that person’s help.

3. Make sure to Offer something of Value

Sometimes its not only  about the monetary value (yes for many bloggers monetary value does matter). I have reviewed items that are barely a few dollars in price but I want to support the product. So if the product makes my daily tasks easier, then I  might quickly decide to write a blog post. Another approach might be asking the blogger if they are interested in doing a sponsored post.

4. Get them involved Early in the process:

If I am one of a select few bloggers to test a product that is not commercially available, it increases the probability of my participation in writing a post and sharing the product with my community. Look at those bloggers who might be interested in your product and reach out to them early in the marketing process.

5. Make sure to Thank them and share their content

Being grateful goes a long way but sharing their post with your audience benefits both of you.

Attention To Detail is your Best Tool.

Blogger outreach is something that takes time and definitely lots of attention to detail. If a blogger decides to write a review for your company keep in mind that he is dedicating time to your company. We have built relationships with bloggers all over the globe that write about different topics. We have fomented relationships with these bloggers over the years and not just in days. So if we have an opportunity for a blogger to work with one of our clients, we reach out to them and they are ready to help us out.

We take the time to nurture relationships with bloggers and brands alike, because we love what they do. Over time it has been very helpful because they have become business acquaintances and close friends.

What are your challenges doing blogger outreach?