Write a Great Pitch Letter - From a Companys Perspective

As the Blog Program Manager for CouponTrade, AND a blogger, I am in the unusual position of both sending and receiving pitch letters. Some of the letters I see from bloggers leave a lot to be desired!

Step ONE to a Great Pitch Letter- Professionalism

When writing a pitch letter, it is important to remember that this is your first impression. The first look at your professionalism, writing style and standards. In a sense, a pitch letter is a job application, and it needs to be looked at in that way. You are selling yourself SHORT by not selling yourself.

By sending a pitch letter, you are representing your blog as a business and the format of your letter should reflect that. A professional layout will both tell the reader that you are to be respected, and that you take your business seriously. Find a template you like and save it! Microsoft Office is a great source for ideas that can be easily customized, but there are so many other locations for free templates, like Business Letter Guru and isampleletter.com, and customized blogger pitch templates at Still Blonde After All These Years.

Courtesy of Microsoft Office Templates

 

2. Prepare your blog for pitching!

 

The first thing I do when I receive a pitch letter, is look at the blog. I want to see the blog stats, Alexa, Facebook and Twitter followers, how often it is updated, interaction, and overall appearance. Prepare your blog to pitch!

1. Make sure that your HOME page is neat and fresh
2. Eliminate expired ads and banners
3. Make sure your social media links are prominent
4. Make sure you have a search box for your BLOG, (Not Google)
5. Make sure you have navigation to your categories or archives 
6. Do NOT use a poor quality header
7. SHOW me that there is a place above the fold where our ads could go
8. SHOW me that you do not pimp yourself out for every ad you can get your hands on- I don't like competition sitting next to me!
9. Make an "About" page easy to find, and include information about your family and others that might be reviewing products.

 

3. Be clear about your intent!

 

Be clear about what kind of relationship you are looking for, and include that information in the first paragraph. Contrary to popular belief, most companies do not know how blog advertising works, and do not know what amazing exposure we have to offer! The concept of a review and giveaway cannot be taken for granted, as you will most certainly come across some that are not familiar with the process.

As you are dealing with a business, and presenting yourself as a business person, it is all about the numbers. You want to know what you can get out of the deal that will result in money. Whether it is page views, sponsored posts, affiliate relations, or product reviews that you are going for, a company will need to know the numbers. What can they get from working with you?

4. A professional media kit is a bonus! 

 

I at least, do not look badly upon including it from the get-go. This saves me more email back and forth and is hopefully clear about your financial expectations.You can get a media kit done for a very affordable price HERE.

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