Marketing

How to Pitch Guest Blog Posts: The Do’s and Don’ts

July 16, 2014

Getting featured in a top-tier publication can help build your brand, generate quality back-links, and win you more customers. But it’s often easier said than done. Here are a few key do’s and don’ts for getting editors to actually respond.books

I come from a reporting background and know all-too-well the annoyances of being an editor, fielding tons of requests, and pushing people to meet necessary deadlines. Now that I have my marketing hat on, I’m officially on the other side of this relationship — and I want to change our bad wrap.
Pitching guest blogs doesn’t have to be a complete waste of yours and an editor’s time. After all, getting placement in top-tier publications is one of the best ways to build your company’s brand, generate some high quality back-links, and build the personal brand of individuals in your company. For the publisher, they’re getting free, quality content that they have ultimate rights to.
On paper, this relationship should be a good one, but so often it’s strained because of two things: manners and common sense.

How to Pitch Guest Blog Posts: The Do’s and Dont’s

dontDon’t Act Like a Robot

I often see marketers making the mistake of approaching editors like they’re a robot. To start, oftentimes marketers neglect research and fail to find the right person to contact: Instead of reaching out to the “innovative tech editor” at a publication, a lot of people stop at the general [email protected] address. This is your first mistake, and if you don’t have a name either, you look lazy and unprofessional. If this is your strategy, go ahead and sit the next couple of plays out – you likely won’t be getting anyone’s attention.

checkDo Your Research

Instead, find the right contact whether that’s available on the publication’s website, through LinkedIn, through Twitter, or even a current connection you already have. Once you have that contact, address them by their name in your message and do your research to make sure you understand what they typically cover, if they are in fact the person who manages guest posts, and what the guidelines for publishing are. Don’t be over formalized in your approach but also be sure you’re not hasty, it’s unbecoming.

dontDon’t Be Impatient

We as marketers find our goals and purposes rather important, as we should. But, we are not the only ones who have goals and deadlines. Editors and publishers aren’t paid to respond to every single email they receive and – just like you – their calendars are booked. Their job is to accept and publish the best content for their audience – plain and simple. While it’s your job to follow up with an editor if she/he hasn’t gotten back to you, don’t be too pushy.
Securing a spot in a top-tier publication is a tough – don’t make your job harder than it has to be by being a jerk.

checkDo Respect Their Role

Give the editor a few weeks to review and consider your blog. My tip is to check in 48-72 hours following your first message to them. This helps you stay on their radar (we all need reminders sometimes!) and shows them that you’re serious about getting featured.
To that end, be polite by noting your friendly reminder, copy your first email when you follow up so they know what you’re talking about, state your name again, and always resend the assets you sent over the first time. The goal of all of this communication is to make the editors job easier – in return, you’ll be more likely to land that spot.

checkDo Follow Up Promptly

While I’m not one to promote being or sounding desperate, it’s your job to provide assets and follow-up communication promptly once you hear from your contact. Therefore, before you pitch a blog or even a blog idea, have something waiting for them. And if you can’t have the post completely buttoned up at the drop of a hat (try not to do this, but that can be impossible depending on your role and the author of the post), keep that communication open with the editor and let them know your expected turnaround time as soon as possible.

The Bottom Line

Editors aren’t scary and they are people with jobs just like you. By approaching your relationship with them in a more casual, yet professional way, you may be surprised at how much easier your job gets. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t matter how nice or professional you are – sometimes your posts are not a good fit and you won’t get accepted no matter what. But, if you act like a normal person and not a high-strung marketing bully, you may get such good feedback from the editor that you can take to the post, make some adjustments and get published. At the very least, you’ll get some feedback about how to make a better pitch in the future.

How do you manage your relationships with editors? And editors, what’s your biggest pet peeve when it comes to marketer pitches?

Image courtesy of az

Chief Marketing Office

<strong>Morgan Burke</strong> is Chief Marketing Officer at <a href="https://greenpinatatoys.com/">Green Pinata</a>. She previously worked on OpenView's marketing team.