These days, you are as likely to be pitching your nonprofit story idea to a blogger as to a traditional media outlet. Bloggers are a bit different than reporters since blogs are more informal and bear the stamp of the blogger's personality. Bloggers are more likely to be one-person operations covering a large topic, and he or she may need to write more frequently than a traditional reporter. Time is therefore in short supply as bloggers are often writing on the fly.
Here are five steps to approaching a blogger with your nonprofit story:
- Learn about the blogger and then personalize your approach.
Don't send the same pitch to every blogger. Yes, it takes time to personalize your approach, but it is worth it. Read the blog so that you know what the blogger is interested in and understand his style. Does the blogger like to break news? Does he favor tips? Is she interested in any nonprofit, or favor grassroots organizations? Does she specialize in a subtopic, such as nonprofit public relations, international development, fundraising, or social media? Who is her audience?
In your email pitch (use email rather than cold calling), use the blogger's name and mention a recent post that may relate to your inquiry. Complimenting the blogger on her coverage, valuable information, or value to your field can only help as well.
- Make your pitch a quick, concise read.
Quickly tell the blogger why you are contacting him, what you want, and why the topic applies to his audience. Do this within the first few sentences or you might lose his interest altogether. If you can pique the blogger's interest, he will likely read on, ask for more information, or do a little research about you. Provide a few pertinent details to ensure that the blogger understands what you are pitching.
Never email a blogger and ask that he call you about a "topic he is sure to be interested in." I've had more than a few of such emails and I always tell the person to send me more information. I don't have time to go on fishing expeditions. Many bloggers will not even respond. They will simply delete your request.
- Offer something that is unique.
If possible, offer information that is exclusive to the blogger, or suggest an angle that this particular blogger can use to be different from all the other bloggers. You might be sending similar information to everyone, but anything you can do to help the blogger write something unique will endear you to that person.
Bloggers dislike straight announcements, or writing any post that is just like everyone else's. Offer an interview with an interesting person. This is probably not your CEO. It might be with a donor, a volunteer, or a recipient of your services.
Be open to providing an email interview where the blogger emails several questions which you or another member of your organization can answer. This is faster (if you reply right away) than dealing with the phone, recording the interview, re-listening or transcribing, etc. A blogger could have several email interviews in progress in the time it takes to connect with one person by phone.
- Give the blogger lots of resources.
Provide the blogger with everything she needs to write a good post. That means links, images, sample verbiage, quotes, a chart, and statistics. You have a much better chance of actually getting the blogger to write about you if you do some of the work. Make it easy for the blogger to go to work right from your pitch. It is overwhelming for a time-strapped blogger to have to crawl all over the web looking for the resources she needs to write a good post.
Make yourself easily available should the blogger ask for more information or something specific that allows her to write a more meaningful post. She may think of a statistic that allows her to make an more interesting point, or she may want some historical background. Be ready for these requests and respond promptly.
Make sure that your pitch gets to the blogger in time for her to write something. Bloggers often have editorial calendars, or at the very least, may have her upcoming posts already written. It is very frustrating to get information too late to write a good post. Be particularly wary of events or holidays that a blogger might be writing about well ahead of time. Sending a blogger material for the year-end holidays in mid-December is useless. Most bloggers are thinking about holiday material in the early fall if not earlier.
- Always Say Thank You.
Everybody appreciates appreciation. Thank a blogger who writes about you as soon as possible. Believe me, he will notice if you do not, and he will be reluctant to be so accommodating next time. Sure, your information might be the story of the year, but a blogger who didn't get thanked last time will cover it at best grudgingly. It's just human nature. A nice thank you can work wonders for your next pitch. The nicest thank you I ever got was a mailed, handwritten thank you note. I put it on my bulletin board. That was after I had received a nice emailed thank you.
Approach bloggers in a personalized way, get to the point, offer something unique, and provide resources. Afterwards, say thank you. Making sure that you take these five steps will win you points, make friends, and get great exposure for your nonprofit story.
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