It’s funny how… when you own a blog you start getting pitches simply because you have a blog that people read. After a while, you start to get a real sense for who the people are that are making the pitches. Some people just have that “Celebrity” squeal going, they want to connect with you just to connect with you. Others want to connect with you because they want something of value or feel like they can learn something more.

You certainly don’t need to be a PR or media hound in order to make the contact but it helps if you’re a complete twink within your contact or pitch. There’s a good chance your pitch can go awry if you’re letting those celebrity twinkles get in the way of your sight while making a pitch.

Here’s some ways you can tell that you’re letting your excitement and anxiousness get away from you:

1) You’re opening has the appeal of leftover meatloaf. Yes, you’re likely an important individual however are you so important that you can’t put effort into making it at least look like you know who the blogger is? Did you realize you spelled their name wrong? Such a small thing can have a large impact.

2) Your pitch covers how amazing the author, company or product is, that it’s the best thing published in this marked and it can’t be topped – but did you consider that the blogger you’re pitching to is likely in the same market and may be as “awesome” if not more so than whatever it is you’re pitching. Afterall, you came to them for a feature spot.

3) The whole “black sheep” family member thing gets old as well. You get what you want and you disappear… at least until you need something again. If you’ve yet to grasp the concept that social media is about relationship (give and take) then you won’t have a round two.

4) Incessant follow ups that add no value to the original email do nothing to inspire interest, especially considering that a first impression can only be made once it’s probably best to just let it go. Unless you can expand upon your first contact with something really enticing, an email that says something like “since you haven’t written about this yet, any interest in this?” won’t likely work well either.

5) Writing your emails with crayon, or having them look like your 5 year old did it, won’t win you any awards – unless you’re pitching to a Disney blogger that’s dyslexic. Perhaps then your typo’s, grammar and overall style will make more sense.

6) You’re unable or unwilling to initiate or engage conversation makes follow up painful, and it’s a prime reason to have a pitch…pitched. Again, social media is about relationships and conversation. Join or leave.

7) You (somehow) manage to pull off a clever subject for your email but the train wreck immediately begins with the opening paragraph. There are successful marketers within social media that can make the reader hang on every detail, post, word, comma, sliver of info, etc. Do that.

Somehow neglecting to say Thank You for the response, the attention, the converstion, whatever you got. Lack of gratitude - Probably a good method for ending a pitch.

9) Your pitch isn’t relevant. What good does it do to pitch something like a 30 day lean-meat protein challenge to a vegan blogger? That’s a stretch, but it happens.

10) Your pitch is dishonest. Not a good idea, since the blogger in question is likely going to do plenty of research if they DO choose to write for you. Turning up contradictory information and lies is a quick way for a blogger to drop you and walk away.

Remember that when you’re writing a pitch, something from this list will likely apply to you but the primary thing to consider is that a good product, service, author, etc should be able to stand on its own. Your contact or pitch is not to launch it, merely to support its own launch efforts.

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