Name: NI Parcels - Courier Services
Brand: NI Parcels
Rating: 4.9 (3301 reviews)

Bloggers nowadays are hugely influential individuals who have the potential to take a brand’s reputation to soaring new heights.

The opportunities found in the world of blogging are endless. What started as merely a popular hobby has become a lucrative career for many. Bloggers are now viewed as a majorly reliable source of information, vastly out-shining many traditional forms of advertising. And so, many brands have seized this opportunity with both hands and managed to harness the power of bloggers to better their brand.

However, if you are new to the world of blogging, it can be difficult to figure out exactly how to get bloggers on board with your brand. So if you’re feeling like you don’t know where to start, here are our top 3 tips for small businesses collaborating with bloggers.

1. Offer a mutually beneficial, lasting relationship.

Quite possibly the most important point of all. Working with bloggers can be highly cost-effective for your small business – however it can’t be forgotten that blogging is a career for many and therefore a source of income – not to mention something that takes a lot of time and effort. It is a huge turn-off for a blogger if a company expects them to work for free, so be clear on what the gain will be for them. It’s absolutely vital to have a mutually beneficial working relationship with a blogger. Partner with them on multiple campaigns and start to develop a true relationship, which in turn allows that blogger to develop a true passion for the brand and become your strongest brand advocates.

2. Take the time to craft personalised pitches.

If you’re a company that sells insurance, there’s really no point sending a pitch email to a fashion blogger. Your email will likely be ignored, and so you have wasted your own time and the blogger’s time. When reaching out to bloggers, it’s so important to make sure that the idea you’re pitching to them is relevant to the content and tone of their blog. Read through their blog and get a feel for whether it’s right for both your brand and for them. Furthermore, there is nothing more off-putting for a blogger than receiving an email that looks like a template – so take that extra bit of time to craft each email for the specific person and it will be worth it in the long-run. And for goodness sake, don’t forget to address them by their (correct) name!

3. Be specific, yet flexible.

Chances are, the bloggers you are reaching out to receive numerous pitches from different companies on a weekly basis. It’s important to be as specific as possible in your pitch, otherwise you’ll be wasting time on both sides. Be clear on what exactly your brand is, the specific campaign you have in mind and what you would like the blogger to do, and identify their gain in return. At the same time, leave room for the blogger to add their own creative flair.