A simple guide to blogger engagement (and case studies)

Blogger Relations Social Media Bootcamp - December 2010

We’re not the only ones pitching... “ I am generally drowning in a sea of emails. I get about 60 emails a day from PR companies and a fair few more to a different email account for affiliates etc. I try and read them all and hate pressing delete on something unless I know it’s definitely not relevant.” 60 PR pitches per day 10 PR pitches per day “ We get about 10 emails a day; releases, pitches, event invites, etc”

Pitching a Story to Bloggers
140 characters pitching
Digital PR don’ts
Writing a successful PR pitch
Case studies – WIN or FAIL?

Pitching a story to bloggers
Research the blog, connect on Twitter or at least listen (by creating private Twitter lists)
Be relevant: Look at the categories of the blog and look at previous blog posts. Is your pitch REALLY relevant for the blog?
What kind of content are they interested in; video? Images? Breaking news?
Are they news breakers? Casual bloggers? Trend hunters?
Remember, they have full time jobs (and their jobs may not be relevant to what they blog about too)
Personalise : Getting an email pitch with no personal reference at all, or just a press release and no message is a sure trip to the trash folder.
Make it easy for bloggers to blog your story : be succinct, friendly and straight to the point!
Twitter pitching is OK (are you up for the 140 characters challenge?)

140 characters pitching
Good to get a blogger’s attention BUT...
Find a hook in the conversation, don’t interrupt
Ask permission to send more information
Follow up: Do make sure that you aren't just using Twitter to broadcast messages, but that you are actively engaging your followers as well.

Digital PR don’ts
Blanket / ‘Hey blogger’ emails
Please find attached a press release (bloggers do not like press releases)
Evidence that you haven’t researched a blog
Irrelevant content (e.g. sending music content to a fashion blogger)

Writing a successful PR pitch
Bloggers need content BUT…
Your pitch needs to stand out from the crowd
Your email subject needs to grab their attention…
And so does your pitch; it needs to be clear and succinct
Bloggers share GOOD content!
Is your content conversational?
Is the content you’re offering adding value?
Put yourself in the blogger’s shoes
if I were a fashion/automotive/music etc blogger, is it something I would blog about?

inbox!

e.g. #1 New Recruitment Site Claims Resumes & CVs are 'Boring, Ineffective & Obsolete'
Just following up regarding this new site that vastly eases and expedites the employee identification and job search process for recruiters, hiring managers and job seekers, alike. Might you want to connect with the founder for a chat, or need screen shot art? - Stephanie
_______________________________________________________
Newly Launched Recruitment Site Claims that Resumes and CVs are ‘Boring, Ineffective and Obsolete’
Labels.io - a Unique Smart Database of Job Seekers and Skills - Streamlines, Simplifies and Enhances Ability to Match Suitable Positions with Qualified Candidates Based on Key Attributes
November 2, 2010 – The burgeoning number of social networks and recruitment Web sites have made it more difficult than ever for job seekers to be seen, heard and ultimately matched with suitable positions. This as recruiters are often inundated with resumes – many irrelevant to, or unqualified for, the position at hand. To address these and similar employment concerns on the global level, a public, free to use database has launched at www.Labels.io to provide recruiters and job seekers a smarter, easier and more effective means of matching specific experience and skills to available positions.

e.g. #2 New web app for your blog
Hi Laurence, I'm Clinton with the web app. company EarnMOJO. I wanted to introduce you to our new web app. we call MOJO as it is Foursquare but for Digital/Web Content. It's actually quite a bit deeper than Foursquare could ever be, but the core idea is similar. MOJO is a free app. you use in tandem with your blog and sites that allows individuals to earn points and badges for checking-in to your content. There are a lot of social layers already baked in and more coming very soon that focus on readers engaging your content and then sharing it across the social web. Each time they engage and interact with particular content, they are rewarded via points and badges. There are even "secret" codes so you can annotate videos and podcasts with MOJO codes ensuring the masses aren't just arriving at your URL but then checking out the content you want them engaged with! Don't want to be long winded in an intro email. I know you operate a solid blog, have a great following and I thought you'd be able to wield this gamification app. meaningfully, deliver new value to your readers and drive more eyes than ever to content you want them reading/viewing, sharing etc ...

e.g. #3 London Fashion Week

e.g. #4 Housebites – Bringing food home
Hi Lolly,
Think we met at the first Twestival a couple of years ago! Below a new internet service you might be interested in featuring:
Regards,
Simon
PRESS RELEASE : Housebites.com – Bringing Food Home
Housebites.com is launching an exciting and innovative dining experience this September.
Like all the best ideas Housebites is incredibly simple. Hosts’ set up a dinner party online, guests book the dinner party, attend, then rate online. Customers will be able to search for dinners going on near to them, check out the planned menu and see how previous guests rated the host before choosing to attend.
There is currently a massive trend in underground dining with over 100 ‘supperclubs’ opening in UK living rooms over the last 12 months. Housebites is taking this format above ground to make dinner parties a regular occurrence to the masses and to provide a novel way of meeting like-minded people. Anyone keen on cooking can set up a dinner on the website and even add a theme to the event if they want.

e.g. #5 Coach Poppy Project Hey Laurence, Thanks for your interest! So basically the Poppy Project is an innovative art project that celebrates bloggers and blog readers in the spirit of our new Poppy collection. What we will be doing is during the coming month of August, Poppy Patterns will start appearing across all participating sites, fueled by Tweets, Facebook “Likes” and site visits. You and your readers will be able to customize your pattern using your personal #hashtag and by being creative with your Tweets (the pattern will change depending on what you write). The more relevant, and interesting the Tweets with your #hashtag are, the more creative and unique your Poppy pattern will grow. And, to keep things interesting, the pattern that blooms also gives your readers the opportunity to discover Poppy surprises (i.e. prizes) hidden within. And, whenever a reader spots a Coach Poppy bag on your site, you'll get a special gift from us too. We will also have a page on Coach.com that lists all the sites who have the code embedded, which can be sorted by name and rank based upon impressions and interactions with the pattern. And there will be a nice grand prize for the #1 spot. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email.

Coach Poppy Project

e.g. #6 Universal Music: New CJ Baran Track
Hey!
Hope your day is going great! I’m working on pop artist CJ Baran and his new track, “Boomerang”. It’s a really catchy and upbeat song which will definitely make some buzz. “The track was inspired by the old school disco and funk of the late 70’s,” Baran says of the song.
Formerly of the hit pop band Push Play , Baran is now pursuing a solo career and has had success with his remix to Katy Perry’s “California Gurl’s”.
Below is the Youtube video link (audio only) and attached is a publicity shot. Please let me know if you would like to post.
"Boomerang" Youtube Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4ePEdVJP4Q& (views: 2,953)

e.g. #7 TweeShirt Hi Laurence, Our website clothes2order.com has launched it's first ever social media campaign - 'Tweeshirts'. We're asking twitterers to send us a tweet they'd like printing on a t shirt, and every Friday we'll be selecting our favourite, printing up the t shirt and sending it to the winner [...] If you want to blog about it I would be delighted to print you a t shirt with whatever message you wanted on it, be it a 'Tweeshirt' or just a tee with your blog logo on it. For more info see www.clothes2order.com/tweeshirts and check out our (very young) Twitter account @clothes2order. As for me I'm personally on Twitter as @SimonJTurner so drop me a message there or through this email if there's ever anything I can do for you. Thanks for your time

TweeShirt coverage

A simple guide to blogger engagement (and case studies)

by Laurence Borel

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