Thinking of working with bloggers but not sure who to contact and how to pitch to them? We've listed our top 'dos and don'ts' for approaching your chosen influencers.

first things first... Do your research!

“You may think it blindingly obvious, but you would be astounded at how many brands/PRs fail to read my blog and pitch me entirely inappropriate products” says Julie Falconer, founder of A Lady in London Blog. “Sometimes they even approach me with wrong name! Brands and PRs could do themselves a favour by reading at least my last couple of posts before launching into their pitch.”

• Take the time to read the blog and understand the blogger’s style (it needs not be said, but also the blogger’s name). If they tend not to feature products similar to those you’re pitching, it’s a waste of time for all concerned.

• Twitter offers great potential for monitoring, possible relevant story seeding & early heads up on industry developments

• Subscribe to blogs relevant to clients & make contact with target bloggers to start building blocks of good relationship!

DO:

1. Send short initial email introducing yourself & asking do they mind you sending something for consideration.

2. Think about why you are pitching to their blog? Does the blogger have any specific interests within their field?

3. Keep the tone fairly informal

4. Thank them if they cover your news

5. Keep a ‘do not pitch’ list

DON’T:

1. Pitch irrelevant stories

2. Copy & paste salutations like Dear Nameofblog. Make it personal

3. Attach documents (copy & paste into body of email)

4. Send stale information or dull stories

5. Embargo an announcement – bloggers like to act now

6. Call – bloggers prefer replying in their own time

To summarise, make sure you...

Learn about the blogger and then personalise your approach. 

Make your pitch a quick, concise read.

Offer something that is unique.

Give the blogger lots of resources.

To make life a little easier when remembering our tips, we have created a friendly little infographic to remind you of the best practice for approaching bloggers.

To learn more, why not check out our post on 'What you need to know about blogger outreach.'