Tips on Using Bloggers in Your PR Campaign

Many people are currently writing blogs on their personal websites. A lot of those blogs are being read every day by large numbers of people on the internet. More people may now be reading blogs online than read the daily newspapers from their town. Getting bloggers to cover your story is a very important thing in your PR campaign.

You do not approach bloggers like you approach television reporters. You have to speak to these individuals in a different manner if you want them to hear what you have to say.

When you email a blogger to tell them about your company or your product you need to make your opening salutation personal. Talk to them like you were writing a dear friend. Address them by name, or by the name of their blog. If you simply say “Hello Sir” you can bet that the email is deleted before the next sentence is read. These individuals like a more personal approach than reporters do.

When you decide you want a blogger to cover your company information or product you have to know enough about their website to know whether your information is relevant to the things they usually cover. The site that writes about gardening is not going to be interested in writing a blog about computer software, unless that software has something to do with gardening. So the advice here is to research the blogs and pick those that have a common interest with your company.

You need to develop a relationship with the blogger that causes them to have an interest in you. Make a point of reading their postings and if there are comment sections then comment on them. If there are no comment sections then take the time to write them a short email and tell them what you read and why you liked it. Developing a common bond through praise is one of the quickest ways to establish a relationship.

You can offer to send the blogger a trial sample of a product, or possibly a free version of the product you make. Allow them to test the item and see if it is something they will recommend to their readers. These test trials will guarantee that if the blogger likes the product they will write one article about you, and the truth is they will likely write several articles about your company and the product you have to offer. This can backfire though. If the blogger is not impressed with your product then the post they create mentioning it will not be positive and their loyal readers may decide not to try your item because of what they read.

Never copy and paste a copy of the press releases you hand out at trade shows and include them in an email pitching your company to a blogger. You want to develop a relationship with the blogger and ask them if they would like to know more about the company and what it stands for.