Bloggers and PRs need each other to succeed. We bloggers need PRs and brands to notice our blog, and there are so many of us competing for the attention. PRs on the other hand, need to find the right bloggers to showcase their client’s products/services, and there are so many options, on both sides, so we kind of need each other really. However, I do find there is a bit of a love and hate relationship between most bloggers and PRs these days and I wonder why.
Could it be because some bloggers think too highly of themselves and behave unprofessional? Could it be because many PRs try to take advantage of bloggers, especially the new or less established ones, so many of us have our guard up as soon as a new PR comes in contact?
Who knows, but I feel a little friction in the blogging/PR relationship so I decided to share 5 tips for working with PRS that has worked for me and gotten me repeat business:
Be Polite
I know sometimes being polite maybe hard especially when you keep getting rude, unpersonalised emails from PRs asking for all sorts for little or no compensation. I try to remain as polite as possible when responding to my emails, and believe me I do receive all sorts of emails, with crazy requests, and no budget, but I bite my tongue and draft my email in the most polite tone possible, before pressing send. If I am unable to remain polite, I simply ignore the email, than send a rude response.
Respond to Emails in a Timely Manner
I aim to respond to my emails within 24 hours. I get emails from readers and PRs, so I check my emails regularly, because I like to be on top of my blog, guess I am addicted. I find it funny when some bloggers claim not to respond to emails in the evenings or at weekends, because I do. Call me weird, but I have had requests for sponsored posts in the evenings and weekends, time zones are different and some people prefer working round the clock, so it will be silly of me to ignore the possibility of receiving such emails. As long as I am awake and free, I will respond to an email even if it is 3am.
Ask for ALL the details for the Campaign
So get the post deadline date, the number of links required in the post and the type of link; are they do follow, or no follow, how many words or pictures required, any anchor texts, payment date agreed and so on. It is best to get all the required information so there is no room for assumption, and so you can decide if you will be going ahead with the campaign or not. It also makes you look professional when you ask these questions. It makes you look like you know what you are doing.
Stick to your End of the Deal
So if you say you are going to publish the post next week, make sure you do. If you say you are going to email once the post is live or once you get the samples, make sure you do. Your word is all you have when dealing with people online. Majority of the correspondence between bloggers and PRs, are done via email and Paypal, so ensure you fulfil every promise you make, when you say you would.
Don’t Name & Shame
No matter how badly a PR has treated you, try not to name and shame on Twitter or wherever. I know this is hard, I find it so hard myself but it is best not to. Naming and shaming won’t score you any points with new PRs and brands, and the internet world is very small. Many PRs move in the same circles, so it is best to heed to this advice.
These are my tried and tested blogging tips for working with PRs. Download my book here, to read more about how you can start making money from your blog.
Do you have any blogging tips to share? Sound off in the comment section.
Thanks for reading and have a great week.
Reblogged this on The Crazy Nigerian and commented:
Good advice, especially no.5
So great info for anyone starting out! Great piece xx
Thanks Emilie x
These are great tips. It might be hard at the stsrt but if we learned to work with them properly, that is something big to our blog
Yea so true x
This is such a well written blog post and all of these points are so important – I think being polite is key as well as keeping up your end – fantastic post especially for anyone starting out
Laura x
Thanks Laura x
Such great tips, especially for those bloggers who are just starting out and haven’t worked with PRs before xxx
Yea. I hope they find it useful x
Nice post.
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These are some excellent tips. My comment form emails tend to go into my spam box though so I don’t get them right away – so frustrating!
Thanks Elizabeth x
These are some great tips. I always try to respond quickly to pr emails. Sometimes I worry I may come across too keen but I guess they’d rathe have a quick response than have to be waiting on you to reply!
Yeah true that x
These are very helpful tips for those who want to approach blogging as less of a hobby and more of a business: you’ve got to learn how to work with PRs and see where they are coming from while keeping your brand’s integrity. Have a good Monday hon! x
You too hun x
Really helpful tips and advice. I usually respond politely and quickly, even if the campaign doesn’t suit my blog. Great post!! xx
Thanks Sara x
Great tips, I agree I will respond to emails anytime, that’s mainly because during the day when I am at my full time job I don’t get a lot of time to check my personal emails so I respond to most in the evening. x
Yea me too.
Fantastic tips. Very helpful advice
Love your blog.
Thanks Osime x
It’s so hard sometimes isn’t it? But even if the pay is rubbish (or non-existent), I try to remind myself that they are a human being. They might not understand how it works, or it might not even be in their control, so being rude doesn’t help anything x
It’s hard sometimes isn’t it? Even if the pay is rubbish (or non-existent), I always try to remember that a PR is still a person and might not know how it works or even have any control over it, so really there’s no reason to be rude x
Yea true that x
Being polite is such an important one and something many people forget. Some bloggers think they are way bigger than they are and are just rude to PRs.
Yea. They believe their own hype, lol..
There is some great advice here for those starting out, and reminders for those that have been blogging a while x
Yea x
You have some great tips there. It doesn’t pay to be rude or arrogant 😉
Yea it doesn’t x
Very useful tips, and you’re right bloggers have to be super polite and negotiate with prs politely, that’s the key x
Yea it is x
These advices are very helpful! Thanks!
http://womanjp.com/
Thanks for reading x
This is great advice. It’s also important to remain true to yourself and not do something your not comfortable with 🙂
Yea so true x
I agree, naming and shaming does not help anyone and might put brands off working with you which is a bit of a bummer!
Yea it can.
Thanks for the tips, I’m sure they’ll help lots of newer bloggers!
I hope so. Thanks Emily x
Great tips, I always respond politely if even if the email is a bit on the cheeky side. As tempting as it is no good comes comes from naming and shaming in public at all!
Yea me too. It pays to be polite x
There are some really great tips you have shared here. Thanks
Thanks for reading Candace x
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