So if you are jumping into this series on this post, you’ve got some catching up to do! First, be sure to read how you need to prepare your social media profiles and blog before pitching brands. If you’ve already been there and done that, then read on!
I know that sending that email to that big name company can be really scary. My whole purpose behind this post is to equip you so that you feel confident and well equipped to reach out to as big of a brand as you would like. Let’s jump into the steps.
Selecting the Brands
Before you start the rest of the process, you need to come up with a running list of brands you would like to pitch.
I always suggest to those who are first starting out with sponsored content to reach out to brands whose products you are already using.
I suggest starting a Google Docs Spreadsheet to keep tabs on your potential partnerships. Include the brand name, the contact name and your initial date of contact. We will talk about follow-up later on.
Research
In order to make contact, you need a contact. The best place to start is the brand website. I have alot of luck scrolling to the bottom of the website and looking for media, press, or a contact us option. If that doesn’t work, try just Googling “ABC Brand Media Contact”.
If that still fails, you can pull out the big guns and head to LinkedIn. If you still don’t have any luck there, it’s time to do old school and pick up the phone. Whenever you get in touch with someone, be kind and honest. “Hi, My name is Caroline and I am a blogger looking to partner with ABC brand. May I please have the contact for media relations?” Be nice! It will take you far.
Create the Pitch
Now it’s time to create the email we will send. In this case, I am going to use the example of myself as a blogger, pitching a company to pay me to promote the theme I use on my blog. (Which I haven’t done but I now realize might be a great idea!)
Start by addressing the contact by their first name. “Hi Amanda”, Good morning Morgan”… etc. Be casual with this.
Next, you want to introduce yourself and your blog/brand.
“My name is Caroline and I own The Basics of Blogging, a website geared towards helping other bloggers meet their goals through proven strategies.”
Next, we need to clearly answer one simple question: Why are you the best person to promote this product?
“As a blogger myself, I understand how much a well-developed theme can really take a blog to the next level. Since using the Divi theme, I have come to really appreciate the ease of use of the drag-and-drop editor, the outstanding support and of course, the fact that all elements can be fully customized. Building my professionally looking website was so much simpler than I ever would have imagined it would be, thanks to your product.”
Now, we want to set the stage for the story you would expand on if selected for the collaboration. So now let’s continue to show them why you are the best person for the job: your audience.
“The Basics of Blogging has an email list of over 22,000 bloggers and has over 78,000 unique visitors to the site each month. Each of these individuals has a common goal: to grow their blog and meet their goals. I believe that Divi could be a great tool for them to do just this and would love to partner to promote the Divi product.”
Now we wrap it up.
I have attached a copy of my media kit so you can get a little bit of a better idea of who our audience is and our monthly statistics. I would love to put together a full promotion proposal for your reviews.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Caroline
There you have it! That is the framework for just about EVERY single pitch email I send. I’ve worked up a few more examples with slight variations to help you get a better idea for how it flows.
Again, please ( I BEG YOU!) make this your own in more than one way. None of us are ever going to land a sponsorship again if we all start sending the EXACT same email. Let your personality shine through. Add what feels right and remove what doesn’t.
The money is in the follow-up
This is actually a term that I heard every single day when I used to work for a sales based company. And it’s true. You have to follow-up on every pitch. I usually wait 10 days and then send a second email that reads something like:
Hi Amanda,
I wanted to follow-up in regards to my first email. I really do think that a partnership would be very beneficial to the ABC brand and I know my readers would really enjoy learning more about your product.
Now, is this a 100% guaranteed way to land a sponsored posts. Absolutely not. There are too many outside factors that affect it. For example, what if it is the last month of the quarter and there isn’t a single penny left in the brands budget for promotions? Or what if they are focusing more on new product development versus current product promotion? It happens!
But you have to start sowing in order to reap. Even if they can’t say yes right now, they may have a chance to say yes in the future. Maybe they will make room for you in the next quarters budget. Maybe they will reach out once that new product is fully developed. Make sure the email shows them that even if they cannot work with you now, they do want to work with you eventually.
So now, we need to discuss the one BIG thing we are missing. Your MEDIA KIT.
Don’t worry, you know I’ve got you covered!
Up Next: How to Make a Bomb dot com Media kit!