Today's blog post is courtesy of Holly Reisem Hanna, a very talented blogger who founded The Work at Home Woman blog.

Blogger Outreach: What are the Best Ways Pitch a Blogger?

As a small business blogger I have enjoyed working with many PR agencies over the years, I have even developed close relationships with some of these people. But with this being said, there is another side to the coin…

To make sure that your pitch does not get this kind of reaction here are some general guidelines on how to best pitch a blogger:

Greeting: Nothing is worse than receiving an email that says, Dear Sir or Madam, and if you want to ensure that your pitch immediately ends up in the trash, using this salutation will do it. Make sure to take some time and personalize your pitch by finding out whose blog it is. The majority of bloggers out there will have a contact page and/or an about page where you can find this information. If you have searched high and low and still cannot find a name, start your pitch off with a little note saying that you were unable to locate their name.

Take Interest: Have you ever heard the saying, "you can attract more flies with honey than vinegar" - well, it's true. People are more likely to respond to kindness, so take some time to cultivate a relationship with the blogger that you're pitching. Let them know what you like about their blog, or compliment them on the design, or on some of the accomplishments that they have made, you'll be surprised how many more bloggers respond to your pitch.

Niche Related: When you are pitching a blogger, make sure that the pitch makes sense. If you're working with a baby company, you'll want to pitch mommy bloggers. If you're working with a food company you'll want to pitch food and wine bloggers. Pitching a totally irrelevant product to specific niched blogger is a waste of both party's time and energy. Before sending your pitch, check to see if the blogger has specific products and services that they will review. Many popular bloggers have it posted if they are PR Friendly and what sorts of products they are happy to test out.

Press Releases: Don't copy and paste your press release into the body of an email, it's impersonal and leaves the blogger asking, "What exactly do you want from me"? Make sure that your pitch is short, personalized and direct, so that the blogger knows exactly what you're wanting from them. If you feel it's absolutely necessary, you can attach the press release to the email for additional reference information.

Common Courtesy: Lately there has been a lot of controversy over PR and blogger relations, with each side pointing the finger at the other. No matter which side you're on it is never appropriate to treat people with disrespect and intolerance. If you get a nasty response from a blogger (Which I do not condone this sort of behavior), do not retaliate with an ugly response or worse yet, your own negative PR campaign on that blogger. Take the highroad and always act with integrity. Getting involved in a war of words is not good PR for you or the company that you're representing.

By using these guidelines you can be well on your way to getting some great PR and maybe even a new friend or two.

Holly Reisem Hanna is the Founder and Publisher of The Work at Home Woman, an award winning blog dedicated to helping women and moms fulfill their dreams of working from home and/or becoming self-employed, while providing inspiration, motivation and support.

Learn more about Holly at www.TheWorkAtHomeWoman.com.