This post is a response to a reader question, which can be seen below:
Despite reading numerous articles on crowdcrux, I’m still unclear on something. Many of the articles and posts on your site talk about how getting bloggers to blog about your campaign/product is the key to success.
My question is: HOW? It almost appears that the individuals who get this attention are very well connected in the blog sphere prior to launching a product, or they have a friend who gave them an introduction.
For someone who doesn’t have those contacts, you reach out without an intro – and I’ve done this. My project is a crazy innovative cell phone case (beyond just turning your cell phone case into a wallet). It’s a game changer and nothing like it exists. I reached out to many tech bloggers after doing extensive research of bloggers who covered this sort of product. I actually heard back from a bunch of them, but they said they don’t review things while in the crowd-funding phase – but to keep in touch and they would review it once it goes into manufacture. How can I get them to write about me now?
I’d first like to emphasize this part of the reader’s question above “or they have a friend who gave them an introduction.” Once you generate your media list, which should be complete with publications and authors that you can reach out to, you should plug these names and companies into LinkedIn’s search feature to see if you have any common connections.
If you have any second degree connections to bloggers, journalists, or publications that you’ve identified as important to getting the word out about your campaign, then ask for an email introduction or LinkedIn introduction.
Before going further, I’d recommend checking out How to get media attention for your crowdfunding camaign.
Build a Relationship With Bloggers
I know that a lot of people don’t want to hear this, but building relationships takes time. In this field, and others, preparation really pays off.
Your number one technique for getting bloggers to blog about your Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or Pozible campaign should be developing genuine relationships, before you “need” something from them.
This is no different from developing a relationship with a stranger. What do you have in common? How can you get them to notice you? Often times, it’s easy to begin a discussion around the content they are creating via comments.
Comments were designed to be a discussion forum for blog content. The creator of the blog will get a notification every time a reader leaves a comment, and you can bet that they pay way more attention to comment notifications than emails from strangers asking them to do something.
Many small and medium sized blog authors will directly respond to comments, or at least take notice of who is leaving them. Leaving comments on new articles, facebook posts, linkedin posts, or tweeting to a blogger regarding a specific article are all great ways to get attention.
In order for this method to work, it’s best to be consistent with your avatar or profile picture. After a while, bloggers will begin to remember your face if you consistently are leaving comments on their social media posts or blog articles. Play that up to your advantage by customizing your google+ profile so that when you email them, they will recognize your face or your name.
Takeaway: First seek to understand, then to be understood. It will help bring down the guard that many people put up around them and people always like it when others are interested in them. It makes them more willing to listen to what you will have to say in the future and even if they are not willing to write about you, they may be willing to mention you in some way.
So How Do you Get Bloggers To Write About You Now?
The first question to answer is why would they write about you now?
Let’s say, for example, we are contacting a news blogger in your niche. You contact them and the first thing they see is you haven’t raised any money. If you haven’t raised any money, there is no indication of demand for your product, no story with big dollar signs to capture readers’ attention, and no people following the success of your project that will read their story when YOU tweet it out.
So, they pass and go on looking for another story. What can you do?
It’s simple. You need to give them another angle for the story that appeals to their audience and that doesn’t focus on the “funds raised”.
Simple, yes, but not easy.
Coming up with an new story angle is so highly specialized to the particular product and blog, that it’s difficult to give useful blanket advice. However, I’ll try to provide a few examples:
– If you have a protoype that you have already invested money in or that has a few customers, try to find an angle as to how it fits into the larger media discussion. Are you part of a new and growing trend of consumer products? Does your “news” tie into a hot or trending topic like 3D printing or the maker movement?
– If your company has a history and is just now getting into crowdfunding, make the specific crowdfunding project the after thought. Focus on the new product launch and the story of your company up until this point. Make the story about this new trend of established companies beginning to use crowdfunding rather than traditional financing methods.
– If this campaign has been a year in the making and you have learned a lot about the process of preparation for a Kickstarter campaign, offer to share this knowledge. Other members of the blogger’s audience may be interested in running a Kickstarter campaign and will read your article.
In Conclusion
Coming up with a new story angle is difficult and takes creativity. It must appeal to the blogger and the blogger’s audience. If you have a large social media following, be sure to emphasize this, as it will let the blogger know there is a wider audience for the article aside from just their own following.
More questions? Leave a comment below.
