Approaching bloggers to write about your product

paddylonglegs

I'm looking for some advice on how to approach bloggers to feature my product with the intention of getting some interest in it.

Is there an accepted method that is usually followed? Is it wise to jump straight in and ask if they would like to feature a product or should I contact them first and build up a rapore with them?

Obviously they would need to like what i have and it would need to suit their subject, but I also think that maybe sometimes they need to space to fill on their blog, and some extra content would be appreciated? Does money come into it, or what should be in it for them?

Would like to know if any of you have experience with this

Cheers

baldtooyoung

I need help with this too!

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

As far as I'd know a lot of them have info on their website in the contact section if they're PR friendly. Some would expect to be paid, some might not. Best way to find out is email and ask

Keepingitreal

It all depends on who you are approaching. Most bloggers have their contact details on their blog or social media.

Initial contact should really contain details about your product and how you feel that it would be match for their content. The rest will go from there. Some will expect payment along with the product and some will be happy to receive the product. Just bare in mind that by providing the product does not guarantee coverage on social media etc.

Best of luck with it!

JennyAnt

Marissa Carter promoted a few companies yesterday - in particular one who sent her a really professional, personalized 'press drop' with a lovely sample of the product (was a jewellery designer - Emma by Jane if I remember correctly) - check out her snapchat (it should still be live), you might get some ideas?

Neon_Lights

Take this as a sample engagement:

You: hey blogger man fancy plugging my stuff?

Blogger: okies, but what in it for me?

You: free stuff and maybe some monies:)

Blogger: no dice, give me one million dollars muahahaha or I'll slander you on my blog

You pay the blogger one million dollars and have to remortgage your house, you can't draw the dole as you're self employed. Your spouse leaves you and marries your closest friend and the bank repossesses your house. You sit crying, while eating a tin of beans huddled in a duvet wondering why you approached a blogger. They write another shaming story on you, you disapprove. Your disapproval causes left wing activists to surround your duvet. Your duvet has animal feathers in it and you're beaten to a pulp by those activists who are also peta activists and ironically nearly bite your head off. You end up lonely and broke in a hospital, deshevelled by a blogger.

The moral of the story is never approach bloggers.

paddylonglegs

JennyAnt wrote: »

Marissa Carter promoted a few companies yesterday - in particular one who sent her a really professional, personalized 'press drop' with a lovely sample of the product (was a jewellery designer - Emma by Jane if I remember correctly) - check out her snapchat (it should still be live), you might get some ideas?

Ok I'll have a look. I guess providing them with content so there is little to do would be ideal

paddylonglegs

Neon_Lights wrote: »

Take this as a sample engagement:

You: hey blogger man fancy plugging my stuff?

Blogger: okies, but what in it for me?

You: free stuff and maybe some monies:)

Blogger: no dice, give me one million dollars muahahaha or I'll slander you on my blog

You pay the blogger one million dollars and have to remortgage your house, you can't draw the dole as you're self employed. Your spouse leaves you and marries your closest friend and the bank repossesses your house. You sit crying, while eating a tin of beans huddled in a duvet wondering why you approached a blogger. They write another shaming story on you, you disapprove. Your disapproval causes left wing activists to surround your duvet. Your duvet has animal feathers in it and you're beaten to a pulp by those activists who are also peta activists and ironically nearly bite your head off. You end up lonely and broke in a hospital, deshevelled by a blogger.

The moral of the story is never approach bloggers.

Oooooookey-doke

SB_Part2

I think it depends on what your product is. Would there be an option to just send them the product and see how they got on with it?

The other option is to involve a PR agency to do the work for you.

paddylonglegs

SB_Part2 wrote: »

I think it depends on what your product is. Would there be an option to just send them the product and see how they got on with it?

The other option is to involve a PR agency to do the work for you.

Hmmm, probably not the PR route - money just gets crazy.

Luckily there is a physical product, which is obviously related to their niche - so it would be a start that hopefully the product may be enough for them. My instagram is around 2.5k followers, not huge, but could atleast introduce them to a few followers in the same niche...

SB_Part2

paddylonglegs wrote: »

Hmmm, probably not the PR route - money just gets crazy.

Luckily there is a physical product, which is obviously related to their niche - so it would be a start that hopefully the product may be enough for them. My instagram is around 2.5k followers, not huge, but could atleast introduce them to a few followers in the same niche...

Yeh I think you're best off contacting some and asking them would they like to try your product and if they liked it could they give you a shout out.

Some may do it for just the product, some may get back to you and say 'yeh sure and if you offer my followers a discount of bla bla I'll do a blog post'

Others may just come outright and ask for money. I'd stay clear of these.

GingerLily

Would you be better off just sending them the product along with promotional information for them to consider for review?
If the product is eye catching they may be more likely to take notice?

Ray37

I'd definitely try to avoid bloggers that have a poor reputation for disclosure etc, I know seeing them feature products can really turn off potential customers. Lots of people won't touch anything that's been advertised by someone considered 'shady', so be I think its best to be wise with who you pick. Good luck!

ratmouse

Ray37 wrote: »

I'd definitely try to avoid bloggers that have a poor reputation for disclosure etc, I know seeing them feature products can really turn off potential customers. Lots of people won't touch anything that's been advertised by someone considered 'shady', so be I think its best to be wise with who you pick. Good luck!

I would fully agree. I find the likes of MUF difficult to trust overall (looks different body wise in real life from her photoshopped skinny pics on social media, is mad about Mortar and Pestle as a skin care range and attributing it as the reason to her skin looking good one day and then mad about some new Italian skin care range a few weeks later, saying on one hand that she doesn't wear fake tan and yet plugs a false tan brand?!). Anytime I see a company using her to plug their product, I actually purposely avoid that product as I don't believe I can trust her review.

Sunny Dayz

I am neither a blogger nor a business person.
But from following bloggers I would suggest the following:

• Do your homework as to what bloggers to send your product to, who is your target market of consumers and who do they follow.
• Pick a select few bloggers, I'm tired of seeing the same press drops feature on everyone's social media and get bored and tap through.
• Just send a sample of the product to get their attention. Don't send them the whole product line, it's quite wasteful as bloggers rarely use all products. It's also quite costly to you as a business.
• Include a hand written note on company paper. Company paper makes it look professional but hand written makes it look personalised.
• Be professional in how you approach bloggers. If they use PR contact them. If they don't then a politely worded email outlining your business etc, To compare to another analogy, treat this first contact email as your cv covering letter and the pr pack to the blogger as your cv. If your covering email isn't good, the cv doesn't get read or in the this case there's no interest for the product.
• Depending on the product, don't forget about local bloggers. I know a local blogger I follow has been sent products from local companies, many bloggers do like to support local and their followers likewise.
• Bear in mind that a smaller blogger might not have the same reach or following but might be more appreciative of being sent a pr sample and might give your product more air time.
• Make sure your business is up and running on social media. Bloggers will generally include a link to a facebook page etc. I know some bloggers put up the business card to screen shot but I would rather look at a business facebook page to see other pictures of products and more details.

Best of luck and maybe report back to us how it went. I think it would be interesting to hear the process from your perspective.

retro:electro

There's nothing worse than over saturation of a certain product. I just assume the company/brand couldn't be bothered and just send it to all and sundry in the hope for some reach. As a viewer this is very tedious content, and some will show it once and never do a follow up or report back about it. I'd rather see one blogger discuss a brand and a product that nobody else is reviewing at that point over every blogger going talking about it. It shows the brand has done their research and sifted out the waste and targeted someone they think will endorse/appreciate/review their product properly. As a viewer it's much more special to hear an unknown brand be spoken about by one or two people, than every blogger going as it just dilutes their opinion and taints the water.

paddylonglegs

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

I am neither a blogger nor a business person.
But from following bloggers I would suggest the following:

• Do your homework as to what bloggers to send your product to, who is your target market of consumers and who do they follow.
• Pick a select few bloggers, I'm tired of seeing the same press drops feature on everyone's social media and get bored and tap through.
• Just send a sample of the product to get their attention. Don't send them the whole product line, it's quite wasteful as bloggers rarely use all products. It's also quite costly to you as a business.
• Include a hand written note on company paper. Company paper makes it look professional but hand written makes it look personalised.
• Be professional in how you approach bloggers. If they use PR contact them. If they don't then a politely worded email outlining your business etc, To compare to another analogy, treat this first contact email as your cv covering letter and the pr pack to the blogger as your cv. If your covering email isn't good, the cv doesn't get read or in the this case there's no interest for the product.
• Depending on the product, don't forget about local bloggers. I know a local blogger I follow has been sent products from local companies, many bloggers do like to support local and their followers likewise.
• Bear in mind that a smaller blogger might not have the same reach or following but might be more appreciative of being sent a pr sample and might give your product more air time.
• Make sure your business is up and running on social media. Bloggers will generally include a link to a facebook page etc. I know some bloggers put up the business card to screen shot but I would rather look at a business facebook page to see other pictures of products and more details.

Best of luck and maybe report back to us how it went. I think it would be interesting to hear the process from your perspective.

Thanks for taking the time to make these points. I started looking into potential channels at the weekend so I will report back.