How To Reach Out To Health, Beauty and Lifestyle Bloggers

Recently, someone asked me about how to reach out to bloggers to request product coverage. That is a common question -- we all want influential bloggers to mention and link to our products.

Being mentioned by an influential blogger who has the attention of women who like healthy, natural, handmade (etc.) products can sometimes mean an immediate bump in sales. Other times, it's a feather in our cap and an SEO boost. Either and all are great outcomes!

There are are few things that are important to know before you reach out to bloggers. Here are a few tips.

1. Research.

Don't just pitch your products to any old blogger. Pitch them to bloggers who have influence with the types of customers you are trying to reach. To narrow down this list, select and subscribe to 50 or so blogs that look nice, publish frequently and have a clearly identifiable community of people who care about the issues your customers care about. A great place to start narrowing your search is The Beauty Blog Network.

Set aside some time each week to read through blog posts so you can narrow down your search to the top blogs you want to pitch to. Read the bloggers's editorial policies to find out how to pitch to them, and then follow those instructions precisely.

2. Reach Out. Leave some non-promotional comments at the blog so the blogger can see that she is on your radar and that you are taking time from your busy schedule to contribute to her community. Follow on Twitter and join their FaceBook community. Offer up a ReTweet here and there, or some other type of mention so the blogger can see that you think enough of her work to share it with your friends.

3. Pitch. Submit your pitch exactly as the blogger says you should.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to be brief and professional. No misspelled words. Make sure the blogger knows you are a subscriber. Make sure you convey that you are not just throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something will stick. Personalize your pitch so she can tell that you are not sending a cut and paste job to a million people.

Let the blogger know that you have targeted her blog because it's good and because you appreciate the value it delivers -- and you have something of value to offer too.

4. Wait. Sometimes, the blogger's website will explain what to do about follow up. You should take those statements into account when you decide whether to pitch them. For example, some bloggers do not like people to follow up at all. If they don't write you back, that's just that. If the blog says that, and you know you cannot live with that uncertainty, then don't pitch your products there.

5. Follow Up. Otherwise, if you don't hear anything back, wait an appropriate amount of time before following up. "Appropriate time" will differ depending on the blog. In the meantime, continue to comment (non-promotional). After 6 or 8 weeks of hearing nothing, send a follow up email --

Don't whine about how you haven't heard back. (Yes, following up can seem like whining.) Just re-state how excited you are to have the opportunity to share your products with their readers, and let them know that you are available to answer any questions in furtherance of your submission.

6. Move On. if you don't hear back afer that, move on.

7. Celebrate. Hopefully, you'll be included at their blog, and you can celebrate!

A while back, the editors of beauty blog Cybele and the now-defunct Organic Beauty Blog shared some super tips with me. I strongly encourage you to read their tips in Beauty And The Blog. You will find them very helpful.

Exclusive PR Training For IBN Members!

If you are a member of IBN, you will get a lot more juicy tips and cutting edge advice in IBN's 60-minute training sessions to help you pitch your products to the media. Click here to log in and enjoy How To Be A Media Magnet with PR expert Drew Gerber. The sessions are:

1. Introduction to Using PitchRate.com to Get Media Attention For You and Your Business

2. Holiday Leads, Creating and Solidifying Your Platform and Organization Your Pitching

3. How To Pitch Yourself As An Expert In Your Field

(If you are not a member of IBN, click here to find out how you can ...)

Question: What are your best beauty blog pitch tips?