I get a solid amount of spam email in my blog email box. Sometimes it's from companies or individuals who are asking me to promote their product, and you've probably noticed that I don't do that here.
Any giveaways I promote are sponsored solely by me, in that I purchase what I'm giving away, such as a Target gift card, or are sponsored by a friend of mine, such as the personalized Christmas cards from PoppySeed Paper.
But yesterday I received an email from a woman named Julia, who was writing on behalf of Kohl's. She'd seen the post I'd written about the clothes I just bought for Amelia at Kohl's, and she was asking if I'd mind including a link to Kohl's in the post itself.
I wanted to share her email with you, and after you read it, I'll tell you why I'm a fan and how her email will help YOU.
Hello,
My name is Julia and I am working with Kohl's Department Stores, making sure that they are accurately and effectively represented online.
I noticed that your post "More for my dress-up doll" displays some really adorable girls' clothing, but does not contain a link to the Kohl's website for the convenience of your readers. Therefore, I wanted to share the Kohl's kids shop with you, in the hopes that you will consider adding a link to: http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/kids.jsp
I also wanted to share an exclusive 10% off code for kohls.com. You can use the code UBLOGTEN until August 24 and stack your savings with one other department specific code as well. Feel free to use this code and share it with your readers!
I also want to let you know that the family photos you have on your "about me" page are just so beautifully composed. If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact me via email or phone.
Thank you!
Julia
I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but my degree is in Journalism with a Public Relations concentration. And half of my career was spent in PR, so I have a soft spot for it, as well as for effective communication. Here's what I think Julia got right:
1. She told me in the first sentence who she was, who she represents and what her objective is.
2. She told me in her second sentence that she noticed I didn't include a link to the Kohl's website (which I typically do, but didn't in this case for whatever reason), and she provided me with a link that goes not just to their store, but to their KIDS' store. She did NOT ask me to include the link five times, with specific verbiage, in a specific size and color of type. (If you've never been asked to do something like that, it's so obnoxious. They give you all these guidelines. Gah.)
3. She offered a 10%-off coupon code to you, my readers, which is valid whether or not I go back and insert the link in the post.
4. She complimented the photos on my "About Me" page. I don't even care that this sentence is probably in every email of this type that she sends. She took the time to notice that the title of the page is actually "About Me," and she commented on the composition of the photos, which is different than just saying, "Cute pictures!"
5. She provided her email and phone contact information in case I wanted to get in touch with her directly.
I hope PR people are paying attention. THAT is how you politely ask a blogger to do something for you. The professionalism and tone of her email not only got me to add the link in the post for which she was asking, but ALSO netted her this post. Win-win for Julia.
And don't forget ...
you can use the 10% off code UBLOGTEN at Kohls.com until August 24 to get 10 percent off your purchase!
No comments:
Post a Comment