5 Ways Your Blog Show Brands You’re Right for the Job
Brands are constantly out in Internetland seeking out great influencers to work with. And they’re vetting you before you even know they’re interested. They might do the work themselves, use an agency to do it, or even hire your peer to scope out blogs for them.
Of course, your content must pretty much be awesome. You already know this. But what about the rest of your site?
Don’t let something as simple as the things listed here blow your chance at getting contacted.
1. Your Navigation Menu Includes Top Categories
Brands know that many, many bloggers blog about more than just one specific topic. A fashion blogger might cover beauty, fashion, and travel. A lifestyle blogger may cover all that plus food, family, and parenting. But brands don’t want to comb through your archives for half an hour trying to figure out the last time you blogging about their industry. So put your most prominent topics in your navigation menu, then make sure you ALSO have a menu of all your categories elsewhere (like your sidebar).
Of course it doesn’t have to cover everything under the sun, but your blog really should focus on a small number of topics. If you write about a gazillion things, pick the most popular or brand-worthy and use those.
A great example is Anna’s navigation menu from My Life and Kids.
Not only does this show brands they’re in the right spot, your new visitors will sure appreciate it too. Bonus!
2. You Don’t Have Too Many Sponsored Posts in a Row
Most brands don’t want to see that all of your last posts were sponsored by one brand or another. Are you a blogger or a salesperson?
Different PR peeps and marketers will tell you different ratios of sponsored to non-sponsored. I’ve heard 80/20, 60/40, even 50/50. So go with what makes you and your readers comfortable. Honestly, some brands don’t care and just want their name out there. But some of the best opps come from brands who DO care. A lot.
3. You Use Good Images
With brand marketers starting to use Pinterest and Instagram more and more, the power of good images is on everyone’s radar. Brands want their products looking snazzy and brilliant, so they look to see that your photos impress them.
Looking for a good example? How about Kelly from Smart School House? She knocks it out of the park with clean designs and a consistent look.
4. A PR or Advertising Page
A page devoted to PR and/or Advertising opportunities shows brands that you DO in fact have an interest in working with brands (let’s just get rid of the term PR-friendly, shall we?). Use this page to give brands a little insight into who your audience is, any work you’ve done before (with links!), and any accolades that make you look good.
Like #1, this page also goes in your navigation bar either as a main heading or under something like your About page. If you have a primary and secondary navigation menu, you can drop it into either.
A great page example: Jo Lynne Shane
5. Your Social Media Buttons Are Easy to Find
While a brand rep or PR person might start with looking at your blog, in order to properly vet you, they’ll also want to check out your social following and engagement. Plus, a certain platform – like Instagram – may be a key part of their campaign and if they can’t find you easily, they might just assume you aren’t on that platform.
Keep your social media buttons towards the top of your page or in your header so they can’t be missed.
Did You Pass the Test?
Got any updates to make? Have an awesome PR page to share? Dish in the comments!
Want even more ways to make sure brands don’t hit the back button out of frustration? This post explains some basic (but often missed) info you want to have on your blog.
