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Pitching News to Bloggers

Jay

A novel concept or a savvy online press release tactic?

Bloggers put out about 1.5 million postings per day, which is 10 times more than articles put out by traditional media. This powerful group of writers are motivated and passionate about their chosen topics. A well-crafted pitch can earn their interest or scorn depending on how well you pitch your news to this fickle but powerful group.

First, do your research. Make sure that you’re pitching the right story to the right set of bloggers. Read their blogs to see what their favorite topics are, what their style is, and be wary of bloggers who tend to be scornful and sarcastic of the subject matter in which they write on (although negative publicity does have it’s time and place). Ten Golden Rules TipTechnorati is an excellent place to find popular bloggers.

Next, develop a personalized pitch that speaks to the blogger. A canned letter is likely to make it to the trash or worse, in a negative blog post. Keep in mind the subject matter. For example, technology news is going to be pitched differently than the latest fashion accessory.

Lastly, offer an incentive or special scoop that makes the bloggers feel special. If it’s a product, offer to send it for free for them to review. Or give your bloggers the scoop, telling them the news ahead of time, so when the news is released to the general public, the bloggers you select can offer some special insight. Ten Golden Rules Tip – Host a “press” conference via GoToMeeting giving your bloggers a chance to ask questions and get the answers they’re looking for.

Harness the power of bloggers to work for you. But be careful, you should only pitch real news.