A few weeks ago I started to email companies to ask if they partnered with bloggers. It was more of a whim idea that has taken off. You can read my first post here.
I’ve learned a lot in the past few weeks. I mainly started out emailing companies I liked or items I used daily such as pens, markers or other things like that. Recently I’ve been branching out to contact other companies such as cosmetics, skincare, and tech.
I will say this much as I mentioned in my previous post. Some companies reply quickly. By that, I mean within hours or a day. Other’s you may not hear back from at all. I will admit that some cosmetics companies will tell you straight out that they have so many emails they can’t get to all of them. So you may have a long wait.
For the most part, i have been lucky enough to have a mix of both replies.Many replies are simply to let me know that the company does not collaborate or partner with bloggers. Or to share that my question and info was passed along to the right department. I have also had some companies ask for further details such as blog and social media pages. Things like that. I think this is when creating a media kit comes in handy. Here’s how I created mine. Since my blog is still small I kept it very simple.
I thought I’d add a list of Do’s and Don’ts that I’ve learned during through this process
DO’s:
Have an idea of where you would like to start.
What I mean is are you going to have a mix of companies you’d like to email or will you focus on a set few.
Think of a clear and concise question to ask.
When I started out my emailing journey I blundered and didn’t state my question properly I think. I try to make a point of asking a straightforward question. I also add anything else such as I would like to learn more about your company or products.
Be prepared to reply to a few extra questions
I will confess earlier this week I hit a snag and wasn’t prepared to answer a question I wasn’t expecting to be asked. Many times some companies will ask as I mentioned earlier for your blog link along with social sites. Some even want to know how many views you have.
Reply back even if it’s not the reply you were hoping for
I make sure to reply back to all of the answered emails. Even if it’s a no.
One Final Do is
Be persistent.
Persistence is key at times. Even if you don’t end up with a reply. You can always keep that company in mind and contact them at a later time.
Don’t’s
Waste time.
What I mean by this is don’t contact random companies your not serious to work with or see if they will work with you.
Get discouraged
You may be surprised by how many no’s you might receive but you may have a yes in there too. So don’t give up.
I’ll keep you all updated on my progress as I go along. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below.
