Freeing yourself of fear – how to successfully contact A-list bloggers

Howdy!

You know, sometimes life just throws you a curveball that ends up delivering far more benefits than you ever could image. I had started by writing a blog post that focused on solely my ideas…and then received such useful insights from another blogger, I felt compelled to feature it in an article all by itself.

Earlier today, I had read the extremely masterful piece “PR Tips: How to Pitch Mommy Bloggers“. To say I was captivated was an understatement…as I was hooked by the following paragraph:

…After watching Hota Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford totally miss the boat with “air quotes,” backhanded compliments and asking Heather, “Is it all moms who are on your blogosphere,” it basically solidified for me, if the media doesn’t “get” mommy bloggers, how can PR expect to understand how to reach out to them either? Well, being a mom myself, I decided to do something no one else has seemed to do before–I asked them ….MORE….

Being an extremely shy (on the phone, that is) person myself, I wondered just how on earth the author, Shannon Nelson of Pierce Mattie Public Relations, was able to write such an thought-provoking post. And, well, me being me (since no phones were involved!)….I contacted her and asked.

The results were extremely insightful and, like I said earlier, deserving of a blog post by itself! Thus, pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee, lean back in your chair and begin to read…..

Shannon: I follow all three on Twitter, but I know Elizabeth (Busy Mom) from b5media. I initially contacted Erin and Jenn via a direct message on Twitter and Elizabeth via email then all follow ups were done through emailing back and forth.

Barbara: Were you nervous talking to them? What would you recommend to help marketers overcome their fear of contacting A-list bloggers?

Shannon: Not at all.

I read their blogs, we chat through Twitter and besides having blogging in common, I am also a mom. I wasn’t really concerned about having my PR title attached to me because in the end we are all just people. If I overthink a pitch to someone, then it will definitely come across as formatted and impersonal and that’s not who I am.

Whether in PR or marketing, the only way to overcome your fear of contacting A-list bloggers is to read their blogs and become familiar with them–even if it just means lurking. Just because you read a blog doesn’t mean you have to comment on every post. Simply listen to what the blogger talks about, how they talk about it and who they are talking to. Once you really understand them, writing that pitch will become a lot easier because then you have a clear understanding of what they are looking for.

Barbara: What’s your most important tip regarding interviewing people for articles?

Shannon: Speak to who they are and what they are passionate about.

Whether I am interviewing bloggers or icons in the beauty and fashion industry, everyone is treated with the same respect and attention to detail. I spend a lot of time researching the person I am interviewing and try to not only come to understand their work, but who they are. Taking a well-rounded approach to understanding the person you are interviewing helps create depth to the conversation. In the end, that is what resonates with the reader.

Read the original article, “PR Tips: How to Pitch Mommy Bloggers“, HERE!

“Resonate with the reader.”

So very very very VERY true. It’s the readers who subscribe to your blog (and if you’re a marketer online, who buy your products as well).

Resonate with the reader!

It’s one of the best ways you can build up not only your own blog readership….but your own future product sales as well.

Enjoy!

Barbara

#BEGIN highlights of this blog writing post:

Beginners blogging tips: Give yourself permission to contact A-list bloggers; they’re people like you and me.

Intermediate and/or Advanced blogging tips: Dare I say it….resonate with your readers.

#END highlights of this blog writing post

FREE GIFT! My 100% Affiliate Commissions Secrets!

Tagged as: confidence, fear, free

"Hey there, thanks so much for stopping by! If you enjoyed this article, please do feel free to tell your friends about it or use those nifty neato social icons above to spread the word. I love sharing great info, and would really appreciate it...thanks!"
-- Barbara Ling