8 ways not to pitch a blogger

Increase your chances of getting on a blogger’s radar by avoiding these eight don’ts.

It’s challenging to capture the attention of reporters and bloggers these days. Everyone is busy—overwhelmed by the amount of content flowing their way and inundated with pitches.

So when I opened an email this morning that started with “Hi, Mark, you social media guru, you,” I can’t say I was surprised.

It was an attempt to be creative but, unfortunately, it didn’t work. I’d never consider myself a “guru,” and it makes me uncomfortable if someone describes me as a “guru” or a “social media expert.” I may be good at offering social media services but “guru” is extremely lofty territory.

This pitch got me thinking about the mistakes PR folks and companies make when they approach bloggers and media. As a reporter for more than 10 years, I have seen thousands of pitches, and created some of my own (including many that failed to resonate).

Here are some things to avoid when pitching:

1. Trying to be too creative, cute or out of the box. Yes, you want to stand out from the crowd, but at the end of the day your pitch will resonate if there is a strong, compelling or interesting story. You can dress it up all you want, but the focus should be on the story.

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