Recently, I’ve been working with companies and brands more, so I decided to share some of the things I’ve learned in a blog post. Whether you’ve been blogging for years but you’re only just learning about making money from your blog, or you’re starting to work with bloggers on behalf of a company, here’s what you need to know about blogger outreach.
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There are different ways of working with brands and bloggers. Some people spend ages researching and cold emailing, and that’s great if you have the time. Personally, I feel like you could spend weeks doing that and not hear anything back or get any worthwhile (read: not a discount code/cheap free product) opportunities. As I have a few different blogs and a main business to run on top of that, it’s not worth my time – or a virtual assistant’s time – to be spending so much time on research and contacting.
One of the best things I’ve found to do is to work with a service like Get Blogged. They’re kind of like a dating service for bloggers and brands, and match them together with available opportunities. As a blogger, I can just skim down the list of current opportunities and click “Apply” next to any that seem like a good match for one of my blogs. As a business owner, I can view everything from the other side and find bloggers to promote my services. It’s a win-win, not least because it’s just so quick and easy to use.
Tips for blogger outreach as a brand
If you’re looking to work with bloggers, you should expect it to be like any business partnership or collaboration you do. Some businesses look down on bloggers or just see them as money-grabbing, but that’s not true at all. Running a blog requires a lot of different skills that can span everything from search engine optimization to web design, so you’re working with someone who knows a lot about crafting and marketing a good web presence.
Make sure you’re selective about who you work with, and judge each blogger as an individual. Some bloggers earn a full-time income from their blog and are completely self-employed, while others run a blog alongside a day job. Regardless, the life of a blogger is always a busy one, and they always appreciate their independence. Don’t make the mistake of treating them as you would an employee or contractor; think of it like booking an event space instead – you have a lot of say, but at the end of the day the venue doesn’t belong to you so you have to play by the rules. The vast majority of bloggers are very approachable and happy to work within reasonable guidelines, so you don’t need to be heavy-handed; always see it as an equal partnership for mutual benefit.
Tips for working with brands as a blogger
When you’re using blogger outreach services, remember not to get too trigger happy. It’s easy to blanket apply for applications, but you should only apply for ones that are relevant to your blog and that you know you’re comfortable writing about. Remember there’s someone at the other end looking at your applications, and you want to build a reputation for being selective about the opportunities you want to take up.
In the beginning I made the mistake of applying for lots of opportunities that weren’t the best fit for my blogs, and even ended up having to decline one due to the requirements involved.
Although you may want to maximise your income or chances of being picked, you also need to consider what would happen if you got flooded with requests. You want to make sure you’re still able to create quality content that your readers will enjoy and find useful, and that becomes increasingly difficult if there’s a sustained influx of overly commercial posts or topics that you’re not enjoying writing about.
It’s also important that you’re happy with the money involved. If you think you should be paid more or you’re unhappy with the brief, that will reflect in the quality of your writing and both readers and brands will be turned off. Remember, it’s not just your audience and the company involved you have to please; your paid work is an example to other potential brands of what you produce and can lead to more opportunities. You never know who’s reading!
Have you ever been involved in blogger outreach, either as a brand or a blogger? Let me know in the comments!