If you want to write a guest blog post at your favorite blog, and you’re writing the pitch, don’t make the five mistakes this blogger made when he emailed me today.
Can you guess what they are?
Here’s the entire pitch:
OK, what did the blogger do wrong? But let’s be fair. What two things did he do right?
Whoever comes closest to identifying the five mistakes, and the two things he did right, wins a $100 coupon good for Publicity Hound products.
Go to it, Hounds!
I’ll take a stab at it…
1) The lack of personalization in the greeting.
2) Too many exclamation points.
3) This pitch lacks an idea. The blogger said they have “a few great post ideas”, but fails to pitch a single one.
4) Asking “are you interested?”. Shows lack of confidence.
5) …”but I would be willing to write whatever you need”…We still haven’t heard an idea about what this blogger would write.
Two things done right:
1) Promising original content and relevant links.
2) Read your blog.
BONUS: This blogger seems polite.
This email seems like a form letter that was cut and pasted into several emails. When I receive emails like this, I feel that they have a list where they searched for the words “guest post” and every blog where they found that they blasted a form letter.
1) Did not address you in the email
2) Did not tell you what they liked about your blog or give you any indication that they really did read your blog and know what you write about.
3) Want you to go and take the time to research them.
4) Gave you no compelling reason to go research them.
5) Told you the name of the site that they currently write for, but gave no indication of how it is related to your blog or your topic. With the name of the blog, I have no idea how they would be related.
6) “Great post ideas” should be shared here not alluded to. Don’t waste your time trying to track down their ideas when you’re not sure they have ideas you’re interested in.
7) Offer to write on what ever you need. Too generic. You don’t have a job opening for a writer and if they review your blog they would be able to tell that content generation is not a problem for you.
8) Did not offer information on their platform (readership, social networking reach, etc.) or how they might promote the post.
Positive
1) Said they would give original content and links
2) Said they read your blog
3) Eager to help
Can’t wait to hear what you thought the 5 were. Fun idea on how to teach us Joan.
To your success!
Stephanie
Stephanie, congratulations!
You were the first person to correctly identify all five mistakes I noticed in this blogger’s pitch:
1. No personalized salutation
2. No specific ideas pitched
3. Cookie cutter format
4. He tells me to “check out my blog” but it really isn’t his blog.
5. Doesn’t explain how his expertise makes him a good candidate to write for me.
You also correctly identified the two things he did right: offered original content and mentioned that he reads my blog.
My assistant will be contacting you shortly to get your order for $100 in products from my website.
HI Joan,
Hmm. Here goes:
1. No personalized greeting. We all know that “Hello!” means we have no idea whom we are addressing.
2. The writer does not cite recent posts which would show an actual interest in the blog. “I was reading your blog today…” implies “I only read your blog once.”
3. Failure to tease with story ideas.
4. Making work for the person you’re hoping will hire you. “Check out my blog” is making work. Why not summarize some examples of your work?
5. Showing how their work is in sync. I write about X,Y, Z and I see from your past posts that you also write about X and Y. I can bring this perspective….”
Thanks!
-Jenni
Ok, I’ll take a stab too, although the first post seems to have nailed it!
1. Subject line a tentative question, not a confident, unique proposition statement that identifies what they can do for you, or what their unique skills are that you would benefit from. What are they an expert on?
2. Lack of personalization to you in greeting
3. Be more specific on titles, content ideas that show research was done on what you do and precisely how they can match with your readers. Has he even read your blog or commented on it? Generic “I read you blog” doesn’t really show a true connection.
4. No numbers to support success at Professional Intern
5. No “magic phrases” to really hook you
Did right?
1. Approached you with an inquiry
2. Included hot link to his blog for easy checking by you
Of the 10 tips you gave in your post on how to become a guest blogger here (https://publicityhound.com/blog/how-to-write-a-guest-post-for-my-publicity-blog/), 6 apply to the pitch. He sort of got the first three right:
1) He claimed to have read the blog, but as he did not offer a topic to demonstrate it, I am guessing you did not count this.
2) He promises original content.
3) He pitched before he wrote, even if he did it via your second-choice channel instead of phoning you.
He blew your other three:
1) He failed to explain his expertise.
2) He failed to offer visuals.
3) He failed to show you samples of his writing, and if you trusted him enough to click on his link and visit his multiple-author blog for this, you would have to work to find the ones written by him.
Then there is the huge, glaring error, the one so obvious it did make it into your list:
4) He pitched nothing; he did not suggest a topic.
Competing for error five, I spotted four more errors:
5) He used too many I’s, me’s, and my’s for the you’s and yours he included.
5) The subject line does not say it’s a pitch or include the pitch topic.
5) He’s missing a comma after the right parenthesis.
5) He seems to assume you might offer him an ongoing columnist position and not just a guest post, despite any evidence of this in your blog.
I liked Joseph’s idea of a bonus. I will add that he writes clearly and took the time to fix any typos.
I hope you have lined him up as a client first, guest blogger later.
I don’t have a list of five mistakes, but here’s the biggest one: it looks like a standard form letter that has been sent to hundreds of blogs that accept guest writers. No personalized greeting, nothing to that uniquely identifies your blog or its subject matter, no indication that the author has even read your blog.
As for what he’s done right: he maintained a positive tone throughout, provided a link to his work and spell-checked the message.
1. He didn’t say he understood what your readers want and need and read
2. He didn’t introduce himself as an expert – give credentials up front
3. He phrased the request in terms of what he would get (love to write for you!) instead of what he could offer your readers
4. He didn’t address you personally
5. He didn’t offer specific ideas
He DID:
Offer you a link to his writing
Offer you original content with links – he understands blogging.
P.S. – I get offers like this all the time – with varying end results. (sigh)
Not sure exactly what was done wrong. But looking forward to the answer. Here is my guess.
– not personal enough
– does not describe their experience
– no sizzle
– needs to provide some kind of credibility
– no contact information at the end
1: He didn’t address you by name or add Dear
2: Too many exclamation marks
3: He said he was willing to write whatever you wanted – reeked of desperation
4: Finishing with Cheers – too familiar
5: Did he leave his name and contact details?
The two things he did right are
1: Promising original content and relevant links
2: Appeared enthusiastic
1. Hello Joan, (Personalize and comma)
2. love the opportunity to write for you. (Remove !)
3-8 Currently, (add comma) I write for, (add comma) The Professional Intern
(www.pro…), (add comma after parenth. ) (then conclude sentence with) where you
can find samples of my writing. (remove word – there) (add period after word –
writing)
9. I’ve got a few great post (should be – I have a few…)
The only two things that I can see he did correctly; Reached for the stars (though unrefined) and wished you well at the end.
I think this is a great contest and I look forward to viewing the results.
Thanks for this opportunity. Here are the five errors I found:
1. The email is not personalized and the “Cheers” at the end is too informal.
2 The author of the email makes no suggestions as to possible guest posts he or she could write about; the promise to write whatever you need is too general.
3. The author of the email doesn’t say what his or her expertise is.
4. The question “Are you interested?” should be deleted. It is implicit and also already stated in “let me know what you think.”
5. The author doesn’t have to say “check out my blog” again in the last paragraph. It is already stated or implied earlier in the email.
The positive elements are:
1. The author noticed that your blog accepted guest contributions, which means this is not just a cold call.
2. The promise of original content and relevant links.