The blogger whose audience you’ve been dying to get in front of publishes your guest blog post, letting you strut your stuff to a new crop of potential customers and clients.
- A journalist who works for your local business journal writes a flattering, error-free feature story on your new business, and it makes the front page of the paper, complete with a photo and sidebar.
- The editorial page editor of a national newspaper contacts you to write an opposing viewpoint to a column on a controversial topic that another expert submitted.
Each of those is every Publicity Hound’s dream!
But don’t stop there. It’s time to say thanks—not with flowers or flashy gifts, but with thoughtful gestures they will remember.
Here are 7 ways to say thanks to bloggers and journalists:
- Send a handwritten thank-you note. Almost nobody does this anymore.
- Send a handwritten note of appreciation to the journalist’s or blogger’s boss, explaining how gratifying it was to work with them, and why.
- Return to the blogger’s blog periodically to comment on posts.
- Tweet about his blog content, and link to it.
- Does he have a Facebook page? Like it, share his content, and be sure to tag him. (See 12 More Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on the New & Improved Facebook.)
- Email the blogger and suggest ideas you’d like to see him write about. Bloggers love it when readers give them ideas for content.
- Ask the journalist, “How can I help you?” This is one of 10 magic phrases that bloggers and journalists love.
- To say thanks to the staff of a newspaper or magazine, or a TV or radio station, make a contribution to the media outlet’s favorite charity.
- Give a journalist a scoop.
- Write a recommendation on LinkedIn.
- Share flattering information about the blogger or journalist in a LinkedIn group. (See Your LinkedIn Power Formula 2: Advanced Strategies for Writing a Killer Profile, Cashing in on Groups and Creating Company Pages.)
- Offer a story idea about someone else, or another company, that has no relation to you.
I can’t say this too many times: Do NOT send gifts, particularly to newspapers and magazines that might have ethics policies prohibiting gifts.
What other ways have you said thanks? Bloggers, what have your readers done to show their appreciation?
This is a fantastic post on an overlooked topic.
Another suggestion is if you have your own blog, write about them! Share the positives about the experience and make a public thank you. Blog posts live on longer than Twitter and Facebook status updates.
Thanks for sharing!
//R
Thanks for your newsletter. I fixed my FB employer link to go to my FB Internet marketing page. Cool trick!
I watched the YouTube webinar too. It was very informative.
Someone else said that you can create the annotations to keep running after the video stops so that your name and URL appear for a longer period of time.
Glad you fixed your profile. We Hounds can’t miss a trick.
Yes, Ii think you’re right about annotations. Colin Martin and Marc Bullock covered annotations in their webinar. Do review it. Fabulous stuff.
Good stuff – really useful
“How can I help you?” This sentiment is right on target.. However, I go for a slight variant. I use the phrase, “How may I be of service?”
I tried this phrase a couple of years ago with an editor of a really good industrial trade publication who had just been forced to lay off a good portion of his staff. It opened up lots of new editorial opportunities for my clients and it’s given me an edge that’s lasted to this very day.
Why “service” as opposed to “help”?
Ask any Funeral Director.
If a person is bereaved, or even just feeling down in any way, shape or form, they may well feel there’s nothing anybody can do right there and then to “help”. However, the word service sidesteps that pothole quite neatly and is almost always seen as a positive. It’s actionable, and to the bereaved party, “service” means something concrete, as opposed to a warm, fuzzy and all-too-often amorphous term like help.
My experience with the offer of “service” works when the editor, writer or blogger is in a good mood as well.
John, this is a great suggestion. And your reminder to ask this of journalists whose companies have had layoffs is timely. So many newspapers, magazines and trade pubs have been cut to the bone.
Hi, your article above is really good and thanks for your advice of not sending gifts to the media people. I am a PR Professional and was actually planning to send them gifts.
Now it’s a BIG NO.
I’m really glad you got here first before going to the post office to mail that gift! A handwritten thank you note is adequate. Thanks for stopping by, Kavita.