If you are waiting for opportunities to just fall in your lap when it comes to your blog, you could be waiting forever! Sponsors rarely have the time to go searching for bloggers that fit their product/brand, you need to go to them! Today I am going to give you a few tips and tricks to keep in mind when you are getting ready to pitch a company. Make sure to pin this image for later!
Pitch your blog step 1: Identify your niche.
The first step to pitching your blog is to identify your niche. Are you a fashion blogger? Parenting blogger? Homeschool blogger? DIY blogger? None of us likes to be put in a box as to what we can write about but it is important to recognize the main focus of your blog so that you can create a clear presentation to companies that align with your focus.
Pitch your blog step 2: Identify your audience.
The next step to pitching your blog is to know your audience. You can do this on both Facebook insights and your blog. If you use Google analytics, you can go into the back end and find out more information about who is viewing your blog. Do a bit of research and write down the following stats, it’s a good idea to do it for a few different months to help you build a average:
- Where are your readers coming from? The US, UK, Canada? Write down how many from your top 2
- What demographic are your readers? Women/men? What age range?
- How many pageveiws do you get a month? Write down both the total and the unique page views.
- What time is your blog most active? When are you getting the most hits?
These few questions will give you a much better idea of who your audience is and that is KEY to pitching your blog.
Pitch your blog step 3: Create a Media Kit
If you want to look professional and attractive to sponsors and brands, you need a media kit. A media kit is a collection of what you are as a blog. It is usually short, just a few pages filled with your stats, your reach, your blog and social media links, your audience demographics, etc. It is a way for a company to see at a glance if you will be a good fit to help promote their products. Think of it as your blog’s resume! Your first steps to compiling your media kit is to figure out your stats and demographics using the steps above. For more help creating your media kit, stay tuned for another Favorite things Friday linkup for more blogging tips!
Pitch your blog step 4: Start connecting!
Lastly, get out there! Make a goal for yourself, contact one new business a week! If you need ideas of companies, go to a few relevant linkups and visit everyone’s blogs. Look on the blog sidebars to see who they are advertising for/working with. Next, check the company out on social media, start mentioning them, favoriting their tweets and commenting on their Facebook page. Think of it like a little introduction. Then e-mail them a short pitch of why you love their product and why you think it would be a great fit for your readers. I usually attach my media kit to my original pitch though you can also say they can request it and send it in a second e-mail. Some people like to “reel them in” one e-mail at a time but I have found my success rate doesn’t change much.
You may get 5 responses “no” and 4 people who don’t respond at all to every 1 company who decides to arrange something with you. But don’t sell yourself short! Come across professional and really enthusiastic about their product/brand and you may be surprised at what you are able to work out!
