Blogger outreach – tips for bloggers and brands

It’s hard to imagine a life without blogging now. I’ve blogged on and off for the past twenty years {from those old GeoCities days!}, and have been writing this particular blog for almost nine years. It has honestly had the biggest effect of anything on my life. It has brought me some amazing friendships and opportunities, but more than anything it also gave me a career.

When I started I was ‘just’ a stay at home mum of three girls, looking for a creative outlet. Over the years, my hobby has turned into my job, a job I am thankful for every day as it means I can earn a living and stay at home with my kiddos. That freedom meant I had the security to leave a marriage, knowing that I could support them all by myself.

I often get asked how to get into blogging, how to make a living doing so, and what my top tips would be – so, here they are!

5 steps to being a successful blogger

1| KNOW YOUR VOICE

A successful blog has it’s own voice, it doesn’t imitate others. Figure out what it is you want to achieve with your blog, what topics are important to you, what messages you want to share. Who is your audience, what are they expecting from you? A blog doesn’t have to stick to just one topic – I write a lifestyle blog, so I frequently cover topics ranging from parenting to food, fashion to my own thoughts/feelings – but they are all relevant to me, to my readers and they are all written in my own voice so the different topics still feel cohesive.

2| CREATE USEFUL AND INTERESTING CONTENT

I wrote for years before I started to make a living from my blog. You want to ensure that the content you are producing is engaging to your readers – that they are getting some value from it, which will make them keep coming back to read more. Whether it is informative how-to posts, posts that talk about your own experiences, recipes, etc – you want to fill your blog with posts that draw your readers in and make them return to catch up on new posts.

3| ENGAGEMENT

While stats hold a certain value, numbers aren’t everything. Brands more often look for engagement which is a sign of loyal readers who will be interested when you are promoting their brand. Ask questions at the end of your blog posts, and make sure you reply to any comments. Share your posts on social media, chat to your followers and engage with them.

4| STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF

It might be tempting at first to take every campaign you are offered, or review any product that you can – BUT think about how it fits in with you as a brand. I only take campaigns that feel like a good fit – that align with my own personal ethos in life. And I wouldn’t review products that I wouldn’t actually buy or use personally. Your readers will see if something isn’t ‘on brand’ and will feel let down.

5| BE BRAND FRIENDLY

Be easily approachable, make sure your contact details are easy to find on your blog and on your social media profiles. Follow brands that you would like to work with on Social Media and engage with them. Don’t be afraid to approach brands if you think that they would be a really good fit for your blog – figure out what you can offer them, and send them an email! There are some great blogger outreach sites where you can find paid blogging jobs as well.

If you are a brand looking to work with bloggers, here are a few tips for you to help boost your blogger outreach!

1| DO YOUR RESEARCH

Make sure you understand what the blog is about and who its audience is before you reach out. Don’t choose a blogger just because of the following – make sure they are a good fit, and also have an engaged readership.

2| HAVE A GOOD STORY

Bloggers make their living producing great content, so they are unlikely to share yours if it isn’t up to scratch! They are not looking for canned press releases, but freebies, giveaways, interviews, and exclusivity are popular approaches that are more likely to be successful.

3| MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM

Provide plenty of resources, content, and multimedia. Be clear on what you would like from them, any fees, links, dates, etc

4| TRUST THEM TO KNOW THEIR AUDIENCE

Bloggers know their readers, what they like, what works and what doesn’t. They’ll figure out the best angle to introudce your brand, so that it works best for their readers. WHile you may have your own ideas on what you would like, be open to their ideas too as they are the ones who know their readers the best.