I get a pitch just about every single day.
Most days, it’s complete crap.
I can tell right off the bat, usually from the subject line, whether something shows promise at all.
It’s truly amazing that in today’s day and age people still haven’t figured it out, or choose to essentially spam thousands of people than actually target individuals with personalized messages.
For example, a “pitch” I received today:
Is it not surprising that you don’t see the top companies spamming people?
When was the last time you received a message from LeadPages that started by saying “Hey Webmaster”.
That’s right – never.
That’s just not how you win brand ambassadors.
Let’s go through the 5 things bloggers want to see in every pitch.
#1 A Personalized Message
Without a doubt the number one differentiator between good pitches and bad pitches is personalization.
The one’s that care take the time to customize each message to their target audience.
How do they do that? Simple.
- Use their name – The majority of the time you are able to get a person’s name of their website, linkedin profile, or email address. The smart guys lead with this, sometimes even in the subject line itself in order to get their email opened.
- Mention their website or source – Although this can be automated by many tools, mentioning a person’s website is fairly standard nowadays. Additionally, you might also think to mention where you found the person (was it a guest post, their website, their LinkedIn profile, or something else)?
- Cite something specific – The kicker is when someone takes the time to find something that simply can’t be automated. This might be a recent post that the person wrote, or even a specific line in a post.
Of course, this is all just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to personalization, but it’s also more than what 90% of people are doing.
So if you can incorporate this, you’ll already be in the top 10%.
#2 Make It Easy
The problem with most pitches is it is essentially extra work.
Imagine this.
One day, out of the blue, while you’re planning out your daily to do list, you get an email from someone.
In it, they’re asking you to do X Y Z.
All of the sudden you have a bunch more to do today, if you were to accept it, that is.
Sure, if the value proposition is there, then maybe it’s worth it.
But why does this always have to be so much extra hassle.
If you’re asking someone to log into a website – create the username and password for them.
If you’re asking someone to do a tutorial or write up – supply them with videos and scripts they can leverage
If you’re inviting someone to be an affiliate – sign them up and provide them the full details (username, password, and affiliate link).
Basically, make it easy for them, and then the friction to get started will go down dramatically.
#3 Credibility
I’m always surprised by how many pitches lack any sort of credibility, whatsoever.
The fact is, if this is a valuable offer, then chances are you’ve done it with someone and it was successful.
If that’s the case, you should be citing that person or case study as an example of how much money a blogger can get through the partnership.
If you have permission, supply your prospect with the contact information of a former partner, or at least examples of the articles that were produced, so they can see how it looks.
People nowadays are very wary of strangers, so credibility goes a long way when it comes to forming partnerships.
#4 Something For Them
So often companies want something for nothing.
They want a review but they aren’t willing to offer anything in return.
The fact of the matter is, if you value what the blogger is offering, then they deserve to be compensated in some form or another.
And really, if you understand the time it takes to put together a well run giveaway, you should understand that sometimes a free sample just doesn’t cut it.
Consider the following:
- Affiliate Program – Allow the blogger to make commissions on sales by instituting an affiliate program.
- Life Time Free Membership – Offer the blogger free use of the product or service for an extended period of time, such as a year or even for life.
- Exposure – If you run a high traffic website, offer to feature the blogger as a testimonial, in your blog, or on the home page as a customer.
Get creative in thinking about your assets, and what you can offer them.
#5 Something For Their Audience
At the end of the day bloggers want to serve their audiences, because down the line, they are hoping that their audiences will serve them.
So, if you are planning to give something away for free to the blogger, consider giving it away for free to an audience member, or several.
By offering up 3 Free One Year Licences, LeadPages dominated a Smart Passive Income Podcast and got over 700 comments from interested customers.
This was great publicity for LeadPages, great reputational PR for Pat Flynn, and great prizes for his audience.
Conclusion
Take the time to check the boxes on all of the above and you’ll be on your way to forming fantastic, valuable partnerships with bloggers.
Additionally, don’t forget the little things like correct grammar and spelling.
Then, as long as you are smart about your prospecting and have a compelling offer, you’ll get takers.
