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Blogger Outreach: Three Steps to a Successful Program
A couple of months ago Vocus hosted a really interesting event.
They took the videos that were created during their conference (where I spoke along with the likes of Valeria Maltoni, Adam Singer, David Meerman Scott, and Ann Handley) and they created an online event where they replayed the videos and had the speakers on-hand for Q&A afterwards.
There wasn’t enough time to get through all of the questions people had so I asked the Vocus team if I could answer some of them on Spin Sucks in the coming weeks and their answer was a resounding yes.
Going through the list of questions, there were a lot around finding the right bloggers to pitch for your product or service. So that’s what we’ll cover today.
Finding the Right Bloggers
There are multiple tools you can use to find the right bloggers to pitch:
- Vocus (paid)
- Cision (paid)
- Burrelles (paid)
- BlogDash (paid)
- Technorati (free)
- Google Blogsearch (free)
- Klout (free)
- Peer Index (free)
- Traackr (paid)
These, however, are just tools and only as good as the people who are using them. They are the first step in developing your list of bloggers to reach.
For instance, I think we can all agree that Klout doesn’t really define influence, but it does give you a good starting point for your list development.
List Development
This is the path I would follow to begin to build my list: Using a tool such as Vocus (or Cision or Burrelles), I would export a list around a certain topic. Then I would add to that list by searching the same topic on Technorati. From there I would add an authority score next to each blog name (Technorati gives you that). Then I would look up each blogger on Klout and put that score next to their name. Then I would sort, based on score, and would move to the engagement phase.
Engagement
Taking five bloggers at a time, I would begin to read their blogs. I would read for at least a week. I would comment. I would begin to build the relationship.
They would be added to my Google Reader and I would engage with them as often as possible.
I’m not going to pretend this isn’t hard work or time intense. It is. But it works. Really, really well.
Think about it from your own perspective. If you blog, wouldn’t you much rather be pitched by someone who knows you, has commented on the blog, and knows what types of things you may or may not cover? Plus, it’s A LOT harder to say no to a friend than it is to delete an email from a stranger.
Blogger Outreach
Then it’s time to begin your blogger outreach. The hard part is you’re going to have to create a different angle for each blogger.
A really good example of this is one Danny Brown highlighted about a year ago.
Alexandra Kirsch was working with an author and she needed top bloggers to do a book review for him.
She developed her list, she engaged, and then she began her blogger outreach. But what she did not do is send the same pitch to every blogger.
Instead, she sent a chapter of the book to each blogger (Danny received chapter seven) and she explained why she thought he was the right blogger to read, and review, that one particular chapter.
But she didn’t stop there. She also gave him the table of contents to review, in case he was more interested in a different chapter.
Danny and several other bloggers wrote their reviews and Alexandra got what she needed for her client.
The book, by-the-way, is microMARKETING and she did exactly what Greg Verdino suggests in his book: She provided one small thing to many bloggers, coordinated the reviews to be released, and it was made to look like the new book was all over the place. She got big results by thinking and acting small.
Is it a lot of work? Yes. A ton. But it’s not any different than media relations. It’s about relationships. And relationships are with human beings…and that takes time.
Not sure I'd recommend Technorati for much of anything these days - I'd go for Alltop.com instead, if you're looking for online resources in lots of different subject areas.
The blogroll idea from commenter C_Pappas is good too, when you can find blogs that still do them. Also look at Twitter Lists on Listorious and the membership of open Facebook Groups.
Consider Twitter chats - many travel bloggers hang out on the #TBEX and #TBU hashtags, for example, and also attend the associated TBEX / @TBEXEvents and Travel Bloggers Unite / @tbloggersunite travel blogging conferences.
It's particularly effective to connect OFFline by going where the geeks are; events like BlogWorld & New Media Expo, SXSWi (South by Southwest Interactive,) BlogHer, 140 Character Conferences worldwide, Blissdom, local Social Media Clubs and Social Media Breakfasts, etc. plus small niche gatherings....there's a pet blogging conference, a beer blogging conference, food blogger events, craft blogger conferences....you get the idea.
But yes - meet bloggers on their blog, not their email IN box (where I spend an inordinate amount of time deleting stupid stuff that I don't want, thanks to people buying my name from Vocus & Cision.)
As always Gini, sound advice.
Take care and good luck keeping up the networking before you publish.
Rajka
Thanks Gini! That was a really great Vocus chat. I needed six cups of coffee when it was over though :) You make an excellent point - making a list is one thing, acting on the list is another. I appreciate you sharing your "engagement" strategy... too often we hear "Well just get out there and engage" as a tip, but it doesn't give newbies a starting off point.
@Maranda I'm two weeks late responding! What the heck is wrong with me?! Six cups of coffee?!? Nah...
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@ginidietrich What's wrong with you is that you're a loon. I thought we'd already established this. :)
Great article Gini! A list of bloggers (just like a list of traditional journalists) is something that has to be developed with a lot of time and effort. Has anyone found that many bloggers today want to be compensated for reviewing your product? In my outreach (travel related), I find it difficult to get past the conversations that are immediately requesting some sort of comp - even if I've followed the steps above.
-Mandy
@mjgresh Hi Mandy! Not sure how I missed your original comment, but wanted to answer your question. We are seeing more and more bloggers wanting to be compensated for their review. To me, that's church and state. I don't want to pay for a review. I want an honest review. The minute money exchanges hands, it becomes less credible. That may be old school or naive, but that's how I feel about it.
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@Sean McGinnis Well said Sean. I completely agree that meaningful and valuable results take effort. That is why I tell people to think critically about which activity could have the biggest return and start there. Nothing beats a genuine relationship with people. This can be shown simply through results. A marketer who spams thousand people will likely failed reach 998 of them and the end result will not be worth the credibility lost. The person who reaches out to 10 people and builds real relationships will get reap the benefit 10x over (net effect 100). Thanks for the value added comments Sean. Thanks, Keith Griffis
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Yay for the links, @ginidietrich ! This made me happy... Tweeting it out to our nonprofit followers.
I agree, it's very tough work! I love how you put together the list development but some of us dont have money for tools like Vocus. Couple tricks I learned is to look at blogrolls on sites. So for instance, if you Gini were my target, then I would look at your blogroll and see who else I could add to my list. Another one is to simply ask people who they listen to, respect and ask for help from. I was able to build a pretty large list of influential bloggers for my last company just by reaching out to people in the groups on LinkedIn.
I can't imagine what it's going to be like for you in these coming months Gini-- writing the book and looking to maximize your network to the fullest. It's unfortunate that most people's network suffers the most during big projects like a book, because once the project is ready for release, that's when the help of others is needed most.
As everyone else in these parts, I can't wait to do whatever I can to help your book be a huge success Gini.
Marcus
@Marcus_Sheridan I think the difference is I'm a marketer and communicator, by trade, so I know these months are more important than when the book is published. When the book is published, it'll be too late. That's a big mistake A LOT of company leaders make. They call us a month before they're ready to launch something and we have to tell them there just isn't enough time to do what they want to do. We turn away a lot of disappointed people because of that.
@ginidietrich - thanks to you, very timely too. I shared it around the @delvinia office. Regular listener of InsidePR here :)
@randymatheson Oh cool! Podcasting isn't very engaging so it's fun to hear someone listens
@wordsdonewrite Hey Amber! Good, Thanks 4 askin! I gtg pick up friend from airport, but LOVED your #hashtagitis blog! Love all your stuff :)
Great advice! RT @ginidietrich Three steps to a successful blogger outreach program http://t.co/my65iBBq
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Thanks for highlighting Alexandra, Gini - her approach is by far my favourite even now, 12 months and many hundreds of pitches later (hint - read that post before pitching me, PR folks!!).
Yes, the grunt work is mind-numbing; but the payoff can be immense. Is it really so hard to understand?
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@Danny Brown I always ask the people that pitch me how they found me and what they like about my blog. I don't do it because I am trying to trick them but because it is smart business.
It irritates me when they can't give me an answer and I don't understand why people don't get that. It is like telling someone that you want them to be your wife/girlfriend because you think that they are attractive. That lack of substance approach works really well in the movies but not so much in real life.
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That's actually a good policy @TheJackB . A good filter like that can save a bunch of time.
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@TheJackB@Danny Brown What's wrong with dating someone because they're attractive?
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@ginidietrich Cool. After staring at the computer for 129 hours my brain is a bit fried... :)
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@TheJackB I was just teasing you. I actually agree with you. I just wanted to give you a hard time.
@ginidietrich@Danny Brown I didn't explain that well. I was referring to a lack of substance.
Maybe a better way of explaining is suggesting that someone is dating you strictly because you have money or access to things that they can't otherwise get.
@Danny Brown Well, you and I both know people think it's hard to understand and they don't want to go to the trouble, using "I don't have time" as the excuse. But I'd like to think some would want their reputations to stay in tact.
Holy cow - it's amazing how things like this happen. I am working with an author right now. I'd like to get her in front of several good bloggers. Wasn't sure how.
BLAMO - Gini Dietrich to the rescue!
I'm glad you focus on:
The need to read, learn and comment on each blogger and the fact that this is a time consuming thing. It puts it in the proper perspective.
Thankful for you and your writing!
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@Danny Brown@ginidietrich@HowieG LOL - Ok - I have no snappy reply to that one!
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@ginidietrich@HowieG@FrankDickinson To be fair, I heard Gini is anyone's for a spritzer and spandex gift card.
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@HowieG@FrankDickinson Howie, this is Frank's first request. Yours is $800 because it's your second.
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@FrankDickinson@ginidietrich@Danny Brown she charged me $800! What did you do to get the steep discount Frank?
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@Danny Brown@ginidietrich no worries mate - I just found out Dom was knocked off by Guido - I'm screwed.
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@ginidietrich@FrankDickinson What the bloody hell is all this? Mutiny, I tells ya!
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@ginidietrich Well....I do have a couple bottles of Boone's and a pint of Wild Irish Rose.
And i could always whip up a glass of chocolate milk :)
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