The Power Publicist

Are you using the blogosphere to increase your exposure and build a powerful presence?   If not, you are missing out on free publicity. That’s why many look to bloggers to get the word out about their product or service.

However, many don’t know how to pitch a blogger in a way to help ensure a connection is made. Some consistently break the first rule, wasting their time, as well as the blogger they are targeting.

So what is the first rule you need to know?  TRADITIONAL PRESS RELEASES ARE A WASTE OF TIME AS BLOGGERS HATE THEM!

Even though a press release is out, there are some basics that both the traditional and online media want.  Here’s a quick list:

• Is it newsworthy? Bloggers are just as picky as journalists. They’re going to toss your pitch if it isn’t relevant, interesting or worth telling their readers about.
• Get rid of the jargon. Just like in traditional media, the blogger is speaking to the general public to some extent. Most will not understand jargon, and the blogger might not either. Keep it down-to-earth, as always.

But there are some differences you need to know when pitching bloggers. Here are some things that should be done differently for the blogosphere:

• Keep it personal. It is useful to follow and be actively participating by leaving comments on their blog. This way when you pitch to them, you already know them. Get to know the blogger. Dig a little deeper showing them you’ve done your homework.
• Don’t be pushy. Bloggers can do what they want with their blog, so don’t tell them what they should do (like talk about your story) or that you can’t believe they didn’t cover something you pitched to them. Sure, they may give you some publicity for this, but in a negative way.
• It’s about having a conversation. Blogging is a mainly personal activity. Most bloggers write as they chat more or less. Do the same. Make it short, sweet, to the point and more casual than a traditional pitch. You will be rewarded.
• Stop asking for a link or a link trade. Instead, ask them to take a look at your material, blog or product. If they like it, you will know about it if you are actively following the blog anyway, so there is no need to chase them.

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