A brief primer on how bloggers can attract media attention.

1. DIY PR FOR BLOGGERS
WordCamp San Antonio
January 24, 2015
Marjorie R. Asturias
@marj_asturias

2. What is PR?
“Public relations is a strategic communication process
that builds mutually beneficial relationships between
organizations and their publics.”
- The Public Relations Society of America, prsa.org

3. The Ego Slide

4. What is HARO?
Help a Reporter Out:
helpareporter.com

5. HARO Sample
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6. Elements of an Effective Pitch Letter
• Concise but comprehensive
• Personalized
• Laser-focused
• Did I mention concise?
• Informative
• Professional

7. Organizing Your Media Kit
• Photograph(s), including your own headshot, blog logo.
• Short and long bios
• Any media - one-pager with lists of your previous media
mentions, articles, etc. (optional)
• Statistics about your blog, including target audience, reader
demographics, social media presence
• Pitch letter template
• One-page description of your blog: theme, brief history/
background, list of most popular posts,

8. After the Pitch
Should you follow up?
Yes.
And no.

9. The Interview
• Email interview
• Respond as soon as possible
• Proofread! Have a 2nd set of eyes review and proofread
• Concise
• Thank you
• Phone interview
• Practice
• Return their call ASAP, especially the bigger media outlets
• Concise, friendly but professional
• Thank you

10. After the Interview
• Yes, it’s okay to follow up.*
• Ask for an mp3 or PDF and permission to embed on your site, if possible.
• Email your subscribers.
• Post on your site, both in a blog post and in your Media page.
• Announce on all of your social media sites.
• Add it to your Media Kit!
• Tell Mom.
* After the deadline has passed.

11. How Not to Do PR
• Focus your pitch on how great you and/or your blog
is
• Ignore the reporter’s specific pitch requests and
requirements
• Call without permission to do so
• Be a pest
• Neglect to provide value

12. Q&A
Marjorie R. Asturias
myinnerfrenchgirl.com
@marj_asturias
marjorie@myinnerfrenchgirl.com