What is one surefire tip for getting bloggers to talk about your brand?
The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs.
1. Reach out to your blogging customers
“Don’t send a free pass to your software for a blogger and expect him to write a raving review on how great your cool new service is. Instead, find out who of your existing customers blog regularly, and ask them if they’d like to write a short, hands-on post on their blog about using your service to boost business. In exchange, offer a few months off payments. It’s a win-win deal.”
Juha Liikala, Stripped Bare Media
2. Build relationships
“The easiest way to generate buzz on blogs is to already have relationships in place before you ask for coverage. Give, and you shall receive. It’s also essential, though, to have something new, cool and unique. Build something great, and bloggers will want to talk about it!”
Alexis Wolfer, The Beauty Bean
3. Give them real news
“Instead of a boring “Company X Launches Product Y” pitch, tell bloggers a story uncovered by your product. For example, if you run a pill reminder app, give them data about the types of medication people forget most. Bloggers will love the chance to break an interesting story, and your brand will get a positive mention in an article directly related to your product.”
4. Try writing a guest post
“Bloggers are busy; many maintain their blog as a side project, and the full-time bloggers are always looking for quality content. Try pitching a guest post to them (written by you) on a topic that will be interesting to their readers. If you get picked up, you will be able to tap into their network of followers and build relationships with the outlet for other opportunities.”
Ronnie Castro, Porch
5. Write data posts
“Bloggers love posts that are loaded with data and stats because they appear to have research backing up the post. This takes opinion out of the equation and allows the blogger to simply report on the facts. In addition, stats are great for headlines and generating interest from the reader because the posts are backed by proven data. Data posts allow the blogger to gain the trust of their readers.”
Dave Nevogt, Hubstaff.com
6. Add value and share trends
“The best thing you can do is help a blogger see how brand is relevant to the overall market. Share information about how people are using your brand. What are they reacting to? How is behavior changing month after month? Why is that important? Think of it as the exact opposite approach to contacting a blogger just to say you have a cool brand.”
Cari Sommer, Cari Sommer Media + Communications
7. Have a good brand
“If your brand sucks, then it doesn’t matter what kind of tips you read. The brand and the company should actually be good. Being good means that your users come back to use your product; they pay for it, and they organically want to share it. If this isn’t happening right now, then don’t talk to bloggers. Fix your brand and your business.”
Liam Martin, Staff.com
8. Keep everything timely
“Time is everyone’s most valuable asset. Show that you care by keeping your initial pitch brief and your responses timely. Quick turnarounds and thorough responses make bloggers’ lives easier, which gives them more time to talk about you and your brand.”
Matt Hunckler, Verge
9. Create Helpful Infographics
“Bloggers seem to be very interested in infographics, especially when they are visually appealing and include relevant data. When we’ve shared infographics with bloggers, they’ve often written about us and included the infographic.”
Jesse Pujji, Ampush
