I wrote this article in 2013, and I decided to move it back to the front of my blog, with a few tweeks to it! When I first started blogging, I was completely lost on how to pitch companies. I knew that I wanted to be a product reviewer and brand ambassador but I did not know how to get started. (If you have not started blogging, google it, there are a ton of articles on how to get started, Pinterest has many of them as well) 

I eventually caught on and taught myself how to blog.  If you are new to the blogging world or new to pitching companies this is the blog post for you to read. Since I have started blogging on The Small things, I have had the chance to work with hundreds of PR Reps and Companies. You can check out my reviews just to see what I am talking about. I am going to tell YOU the basics of a pitch letter. 
  • Don't be intimidated and be professional- Pitching can be intimidating. Breath and gain confidence. Be yourself, but act in a professional manner. DO NOT reply with sweetie, hun, babe- you would be surprised at the amounts of bloggers that do, and it does NOT make you look good.
  • Personality and Educating Yourself- When you write a pitch letter, you want to be sure that you add personality to it. Make it personal. You want to let them know that you are truly interested in working with them. You really need to find out more about the company and product before you pitch. Will the product even be for you or your kids. You want to have a positive review so make sure it is something you really want. Try to find a press release and get the direct media contact so that you can get a quicker response. These can often be found on Google with general searches. You can also find these on company websites at the bottom of the web page under Press. Sometimes it will be on the left too.
  • Introducing yourself. WHO are YOU?- Introducing yourself right away is a MUST! Who are you and what is the name and link of your blog? You should mention a few facts about yourself too. Introducing yourself in the beginning of a pitch letter will allow you to connect with the company or PR Rep that you are trying to pitch. Don't write a book about yourself. Keep it short but get to the point. They may get bored and delete if you are not simple.
  • Tell them what you want- What product are you interested in reviewing? Most companies and PR Reps want to know what you would be interested in. It really saves time on them having to email you back asking you what you want to review. If you are interested in all reviewing of their products, you can just tell them that you would love to review one of their products on your blog.  Most of the time, they will offer several products for you. You need to also include requirements in short. This means a product minimum, as well as whether or not you ship product back after a review. I however, do not ship product back after a review unless it is discussed upon before receiving, and that is rare.
  • Mention more about your blog- I know that I told you at the beginning of this post that you need to tell them who you are and your blog, at this point in your pitch letter you should explain your demographic and target audience. Explain how you think that this product would be of interest to your readers. If you have a Media Kit, attach that too. It is an option, not a requirement. Sometimes they will email you back asking for your stats anyways. Media kits have all of your info about your blog on it. They include everything a sponsor needs to know. Your rates, what you are about, social numbers and more! 
  • Don't act desperate- Don't add a sob story or beg for a product. YES, it has been done. I have been in the blogging world for 6 years and you will not believe the stories that I have seen. Begging and asking please will not only get you an eye roll, but you will probably have your email passed around the office and laughed at. I know you may REALLY want the product, but act professional about it.
  • Close your letter- Now that you have pitched the company/PR Rep, you should go ahead and  wrap it up. Telling them Thank You and how you are excited to hear back from them. I often include my address for shipping at the bottom of a pitch letter because it saves on going back and forth. I have been told they appreciate it on multiple occasions.
  • Following Up- Sometimes you will have to follow up with the person you emailed. If you are seeking them out to review something, think of how many other bloggers have done it too. Sometimes your email can also go to spam. If you haven't heard anything back within two weeks, send a follow-up email! Most of the time, they will reply. You can download STREAK, it is a free Chrome add-on. It allows you to see if someone read your email as well as how many times they opened it. It helps to see if they opened it too!
  • GO THROUGH WITH YOUR IDEA!- I absolutely cannot stress enough that it is important that you actually go through with your idea that you pitched with. If you promised a review- DO IT. If you promised social shares- DO IT. I promise you do not want to be blacklisted.

Be yourself when you write your pitch letter. You should really keep it short. You can include all of these elements into your pitch without it being too lengthy. Don't go and Google a random pitch letter. Chances are many of companies have already read that letter. 

Make it unique, be yourself and have fun! I would post examples, however, I want you to be unique and come up with your own. If you have any doubts, EMAIL ME and I will help you! (bbrown@thesmallthings89.com)

Welcome to the blogging world, buckle up, because it is a bumpy ride! If you have any tips that you would like to share, feel free to comment with them! Thanks for reading!
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  1. a very informative post :D learned something new, i should edit something in my pitch letter :) thanks for sharing brenda

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  2. Thanks for this! I have been blogging for two years but I am just really starting to pitch companies. This is the easiest to follow post on how to pitch! Thanks for keeping it straightforward and simple to follow! Bookmarking this for the future!

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  3. Thanks for the tips. I've just started in reviewing from blogger sites, but haven't gathered the knowledge or courage to pitch a company. Wish I knew more of HOW to go about it than just what to say......any ideas?

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  4. I have been wanting to start to do this. Thanks for writing this as I wasn't totally sure how to go about pitching. :) Now, I know I'm going to be more confident when I finally send one out.

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  5. Thank you so much for this helpful and informative post. I've only been blogging since January, but I've been wanting to start pitching companies. This has provided me with excellent tips to get started writing my own pitch letters. Thank you for taking the time to share this with us.

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  6. Great post with some really good tips on pitching companies! Thanks for the resource!

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  7. Thank you so much. This is exactly the kind on information I've been looking for.

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  8. Boy, don't people usually keep information like this to themselves? It's awesome that you are helping people out...and it can also be applied to job resumés.

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  9. Found you in Sverve and soooooo glad that I did! Pitching is not a forte of mine- I tend to go off subject.
    ; ) Gracias for giving a REAL way to write a pitch letter. Now, can you do a post on the elevator pitch too?? BB2U

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    1. I wish I could! LOL That is something I have problems with myself! Thanks for visiting!! I found this article useful! http://www.sheltoninteractive.com/blog/how-to-create-a-great-elevator-pitch-elevator-pitch-examples

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  10. This is definitely good information to have. Thanks for sharing! I'll have to try this out soon.

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  11. I've never thought about pitching to a company since companies seems to always contact me. I'll keep your post in mind. Thanks!

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  12. I pinned that. I just did my first pitch a couple of days ago. This will definitely be helpful :) Thanks!

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  13. Examples would be a great addition to this article.

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