I have been asked quite a few times, how I do get PR samples to review on the blog. So I decided to write a post, and I hope it informs many new bloggers, who may have a desire to write product reviews, but have no clue on how to get started with getting PRs to notice their blogs and send samples.
I received an offer to review a homemade hair oil in 2013. That was the first of many PR samples I received to review on the blog, and my blog was only few months old then. Since them, I have worked with quite a couple of PRs, and received various samples to review. Here are some ways you could get on the radar of the PRs:
Write Good Regular Content
This should go without saying, but unfortunately it still needs to be said. For you to get on the radar of the brands and their PRs, you need to have good content and your blog needs to be regularly updated. So if you content is fab but not regular, lets say you don’t post for weeks, surely no one may want to gift you a product. Same thing applies if you content is regular, say you post every day or every other day, but your posts are not good enough.
What is the definition of a good content I hear you ask? That is subjective, and it depends on your niche. So as long as your blog posts are well written, with nice pictures, and you are informing, entertaining or doing both, you should be fine.
Grow Your Following
Unfortunately no matter how good a blogger you are, or how fantastic your blog content is, it is not good enough for the PRs, if no one is reading your blog. It is all about the numbers most of the time, because they want maximum coverage for their clients. So work on increasing your following and think of ways you could get more people to read your blog.
Some ways to grow your following and increasing your views are:
Reading and commenting on other blogs.
Following relevant people on social media
Publishing great content
Run giveaways
Sharing and resharing your blog posts on social media during peak times.
Work on your Photography
I am still improving my photography, and not where I want to be at yet but I am a lot better than when I started. PRs want you to photograph the products they send you, and they want amazing shots. So for you to get on their radar, you should have amazing photos or try to. Taking with your iPhone may not be good enough, you may need a DSLR, photo editing software, tripod, photo props and so on, but you don’t need them all to have excellent photos, but having them all won’t hurt either.
Also, PRs aside, most times your readers want to see the pictures on you or through your eyes. So if you are going to showcase a wig, I want to see it on you, if you are going to showcase a lipstick, I want to see a swatch and see it on your lips as well.
Follow PRs
Following PRs on social media is a good way to get their eyes on your blog, but you have to make sure you have done all you can do to make your blog worth reading, before you chase them. So following PRs on Twitter and Instagram is a good idea. Saying a cheeky hello won’t hurt as well. How do you know who is a PR? It is usually in their bio, a quick search on Twitter would bring a few up, and you can take it from there.
Review What You Have
So I saved the best tip of all for last. Start reviewing what you do have and those PRs in your niche will notice you.
You can read more blogging tips in my eBook – How to Cash In as a Blogger, available to download on Amazon for £3.44, and free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. If you do download, thank you, and remember to leave me a review because I need it. Also, if you are considering charging for product reviews, have a read to get ideas on what you could charge.
Thanks for reading and have a lovely week.
I find joining blogging Facebook groups a handy way to build up contacts and to share opportunities
Yea true..
Great tips, really like reading this kind of content!
Glad you enjoyed the post..
These are good tips for getting samples to review! I’m saving this for the future when I self host 🙂
Ah great stuff..
Excellent tips here Stella. I think reviewing what you have is a great idea. PRs can see then how you review a product. If the product is not for you it’s also important to be constructive in any comments, and try to end on a positive if possible
Yea very true. Thanks Mellissa x
Lovely post. As a PR I agree with everything you have said and these are all things I look out for myself. One thing I also look for is a good balance of original writing as well as reviews. There’s nothing more offputting to a PR than a blog full of review items – we like to learn about the bloggers behind the blogs and see what interests them as well as products 🙂 x
Ah gret tip. Thanks for letting us know xo
These sound like some great tips 🙂 I hope they help some people 🙂 x
I hope so too xo
Great tips, I really do think that being noticed by PRs is just all about working hard, growing your blog, and making it the best it can be, and they’ll notice you eventually 🙂
Yea that is true xo
Great post and very useful for this newbie blogger.
Ah nice one x
what a great post, there are some great tips here
Thanks for reading xo
It’s always worth, emailing brands/pr agencies of your most recent work, I always try to keep in touch. And never be afraid to pitch ideas to brands to x
Yea that is another great tip x
These are great tips. I started off reviewing some terrible things, I’m much choosier now!
Yea we have all reviewed not so great items in the past.
Great post with some good tips in there. It’s hard work but keeping at it helps.
Yea it does. Thanks Melanie x
Wow what an inspiring post!! I have started 2momths back… And such inspiration is required.✨ please look for my blogs too! Hope you like it maam
Hi..Yea I will. Happy to know this post inspired you xo
I love that you said you want to See lipstick swatched and on the lip too. There are so many reviews out there that only swatch and it would never make me buy without seeing it on the lip. Great tips here!
I know. I see may reviews done wrong. Thanks Jo x
Excellent, informative post! SO true about making your blog as good as it can be before approaching PRs as the quality of your images and writing is so important. I’m constantly checking ours for typos and grammar as it’s little things like that that make a big difference 👍
Thanks for sharing!
Leigh at Fashion Du Jour LDN HQ x
http://www.fashiondujour.co.uk
Thanks for reading xo
There are some really good tips here and a working relationship is really worth having with PR girls, it has to go past ‘hey I need some new stuff’ to regular email chats x
I absolutely lovelovelove my relationships with good PR’s…and when it’s a mutually beneficial relationship, it’s incredible! Good tips, girl!
Coming Up Roses
Yea it is once it is mutually beneficial. Thanks Erica xo
i was talking to pr over dinner a few weeks ago and she said she gets a list of bloggers to go through and decide on whether they’re suitable
Ah great stuff..
There are some great tips here. It took me awhile to get going but now I get to review the most amazing and unusual things these days. I love it!
Yea once you start reviewing products, it opens up many opportunities.
These are great tips, and you’re right its all about numbers and first impressions are everything so its best not to get on a PRs radar till you are ‘blogger ready’ ( :
Yes it is. Thanks hun xo
These are some great tips and I agree regular good content and a good following are key for sure! X
Miss Kitty Kaos – Adventures Of A Riot Grrrl
Yea they are. Thanks for reading xo
I think a lot of people start blogging because they think they will be handed a bunch of free stuff but I think this is a great post to give them tips on how to work towards that without it being their main goal
Yea true. I hope many find it useful.
Thank you for the tips, I find that brands tend to find me these days which is great.
Ah nice..
Excellent tips Stella, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading Wheeniey x