How to gain a blogger’s support

The average blogger receives a minimum of 50 emails per day. Priorities take precedence and if you are someone who is looking to be featured on a website these tips will help gain support from bloggers.

From my experience of running Culture Climax for over 2 years I must say that I strategically pick and choose what is posted on the site, not only to align my content with my brand, but also it’s important to post about people, places and things that are going to cross promote and plug Culture Climax for maximum exposure. For example, I posted a compilation album by Orlando-based production crew The Trackoholics back in January of 2011. Since we posted that album, The Trackoholics have sent at least 3 tweets per week (every week) promoting that blog post, reminding their followers to visit the blog post on CultureClimax.com even a year after that post! Yes these tweets were scheduled, but that’s not the point. The point is, The Trackoholics make a conscious effort to promote and support a blog that promotes and supports them. And that my friends, is reciprocated support at it’s best.

Now what if you’ve never received a blog post, or even an email response back from a blogger who you’ve been hoping to connect with? Support that blog. Retweet them, share their Facebook updates on your Facebook wall, comment on their photos and blog posts. Let that blogger/company see that you are a fan and are engaged with their content. If you are sending emails containing some form of ‘I’d like to be featured on your blog’ and are not following them on twitter or don’t like their Facebook page that is an underlying problem. In the mind of a blogger, they are focusing their time on content that provides more traffic, better results and more exposure.

Here’s what you can do to get bloggers to support you

Are you following their social networks?
Follow them and stay in the loop of what they have going on. Retweet, comment, share their content at least once a week and they will start to recognize your name.

Know what they’re working with
Asking someone to support your music/event/brand and not knowing a thing about their company will get you nowhere. Research them, find a way to connect or even suggest how/where they would benefit by posting about you. Make sure your request doesn’t conflict with what they have going on.

Contact contributing writers
If you are always contacting the editor with emails, tweets, private messages, try to contact other contributors. Scan through blog posts and see who is writing each post, most likely those writers are on Twitter/Facebook/Linked In and begin to familiarize yourself with them in attempt to gain their support.

Go where they are
If the blog is sponsoring and hosting events where you know they will be present, attend those events. Shaking hands and kissing babies isn’t only for politics, networking and getting someone to put a face to a name has more of an impact and will help them remember you next time you reach out.

Content is king
Make sure your content aligns with their brand. If you are a local hip hop artist who is trying to get a video posted on a site that posts major/national artists, try to find outlets that post local music and support local artists. Bloggers are always on the hunt for fresh, original content, so make it compelling enough for them to come to you asking for your contribution.

Make it easy for them
Time and resources are of the essence. Simple things like providing all of the relevant information (i.e. all images, flyers, websites, videos, links to more information, contact info) in one all encompassing email so they don’t have to go searching for it. Make it easier and send content post-ready or provide examples. If you want them to publish something on their site, write the full blog post as how you want it to be published, most bloggers have no problem copy and pasting if you write original and compelling content, provide all relevant information and use proper grammer. If you’re looking for an interview and you have access to the resources, offer a video crew or a photographer to shoot the interview.

- Article by Vanessa Belmonte – CEO & Founder of Culture Climax (aka Vitality)

Related posts: