Rule number one for getting your email read by brands: You get one chance to impress, so impress. Brands are slammed with e-mail after e-mail and phone call after phone call on any given day. What makes your e-mail so special? Pretty much nothing. Your e-mail doesn’t have anything different to offer from the next; after all, an e-mail is content, a message—the same as the other hundreds of e-mails received daily.
So, how do you stand out? It starts with a subject line. What are you saying to capture the person on the other end of the e-mail? You can read about this more in my next rule, but get to know the person you are e-mailing. Would they go for a cutesy and creative subject line like “Hey, go viral with this blogger”? Or are they more serious and straight to the point, and would respond to something along the lines of “My numbers speak for themselves: let’s partner up”? No matter how you shape it, make it unique. Blogging sort of gives you the pass to be creative, out of the box, and unique. That’s what blogging is all about—freedom of expression. And blogs get millions of visitors because people are attracted to the blogger’s quirky personality.
1. Don’t be a stranger, say hello
Use social media to your advantage. Engage with the person you aim to e-mail by liking, sharing, and/or retweeting on their platforms. Don’t social stalk. Wait for an opening to introduce yourself. People in decision-making positions will naturally engage and interact with their audience, so wait for them to make their move. Show your personality and your blog’s personality. Be creative. Getting their attention ahead of time can be used to your advantage prior to e-mailing them.
2. Know your recipient
Stand out from the other million e-mails your brand company is receiving. How? Send a personal message directed to that brand exec and don’t sound generic. “To Whom It May Concern, My name is Mary-Beth and I am a blogger looking to partner with your brand because I really love what you sell.” Boring. I am pretty much assuring you this will get trashed.
Pro tip: People often forget that assistants have more power than we usually think. Seduce the assistant. The executive assistant after all is probably the one reading the e-mail, taking the phone calls, or putting you in front of the person you want to meet. Outside of assistants the Social Media Manager and Coordinators for the brand are great people to get to know.
3. Be knowledgeable
As much as we all want the whale of brands—Target, Pepsi, high-fashion lines—we can’t go after them if we’re not ready.
Don’t reach out to large brands that have no interest in your small blog; large brands want to partner with large blogs. Your numbers can be average, but your engagement and interaction would have to be above average to get their attention. Even still, you should have a minimum of 5,000 followers for brands to take you seriously, when it comes to getting compensated.
Pitch to brands that are approachable and need you just as much as you need them. Despite what you may see on Instagram or YouTube, brands have egos and want to show them off. If you’re promoting their product/service and the phrasing is right, you are making THAT BRAND look good.
People are brands too. Don’t be afraid to partner with other bloggers and vloggers who have a larger following and higher numbers than you to approach a company together. Don’t underestimate the power of a network.
4. Say hello and get to the point
Introduce yourself and your blog, get to the point and close. Think sixty-second pitch in e-mail form. You should not have a two-page message or even one page, for that matter, explaining whatever you’re talking about after those first sixty seconds. People’s attention spans have drastically decreased since the advent of all things digital, and especially since the game changer of social media, thank you Twitter and Instagram. Tell them ways you can help and give a sample of how you can do so.
5. Typos are a no-no
You know this already. I don’t have to say it, but I will just in case you’re sleeping today. Proofread, proofread, proofread. If you’re comfortable sending your e-mail without hiring an editor, then fine, but I warn you—double, triple read it for a week and then show it to five friends. You can never be too careful. First impressions are everything with e-mail; don’t be trashed because of a typo. Remember, you’re a blogger, a writer at heart, so no mistakes!
6. Be patient
Be prepared to be in this for the long haul. It can literally take months, even years to partner with a brand and the right brand at that. Don’t rush the situation and partner with a brand that isn’t a good fit. Being a blogger means your audience trusts your opinion and values; if you sell your soul (blog) for the first check and don’t stand by the brand, you could risk losing your audience. Money can always be made, true followers cannot be bought.
