You might be surprised by what you can get, if you just ask. Many bloggers suffer from stage fright and shyness when they start out posting articles and trying to cultivate a social media presence.
You may not realize how much power and potential lies behind putting the right questions to the right people. A simple request to read an article can generate hundreds of new business introductions and leads, if you’re able to grab the interest of a very well-connected person or celebrity.
The ripple effect
We all know how Tweets, Facebook posts, and blog articles can snowball in popularity. How do you imagine that happens?
We post blog articles in the hope that someone interesting will take notice and share our words. Many people don’t realize that you can give these processes an extra nudge.
Instead of waiting an indeterminate amount of time for someone noteworthy to come along, you can ask key players to share your work. Who are these people? Make a list of the bloggers and industry leaders you admire the most.
Craft a considerate and brief introduction that tells them about yourself and your work. Then ask nicely. Inquire whether they would be willing to provide feedback, introduce you to new resources, and share your work. Some of your requests will undoubtedly be ignored, but a few people might respond.
What doors can this open?
There’s really no limit to asking. Even introverts can use these social media techniques with success, if they tailor one-on-one interactions. Once you’re able to get one of your online heroes to read and share your work, you can take it to the next step.
What will happen if you request an interview or a guest blog post? Give a miniature value proposition during your request: explain that you’re trying to connect with a niche audience that’s passionate about a particular topic. Many noteworthy people are happy to help others, if you share the same interests.
You might be surprised by how much you can obtain by asking. Do you want to have lunch with expert leaders? Shoot them an email or a Tweet. Maintain a casual air and help them understand how simple it can be.
Just take a stroll down the street for some coffee and a bite to eat. Next thing you know, you’re meeting with C-Level execs to explore your common interests. That is the power of asking.
An exercise in breaking barriers
If it’s really this easy to land top-notch guest bloggers, interviews, and meetings, then why isn’t everyone doing it? Why aren’t your online heroes swamped with requests for lunch dates and blog discussions?
Honestly, the majority of bloggers are too shy to ask. They’re afraid of being rejected or ridiculed. But honestly, what do you have to lose? The worst thing that someone can do is to ignore your request, in which case, you just move on to the next.
Entrepreneur and blogger Tim Ferriss is a major advocate of breaking down these social barriers. He encourages his students to write to leaders all the time, and cites many examples in which students have received genuine responses and new business opportunities.
Ferriss makes a very good point by emphasizing the effort: you can only fail if you don’t try. Those who make the attempt increase their chances of hearing back and developing a solid re
lationship with an influential person.
lationship with an influential person.
The secret to successful blogs is that the authors don’t give up; they keep reaching out to influential people and leaders until they strike gold. Your industry heroes are people just like you, and they’re even more accessible now through the Internet.
Why hesitate when they’re just a Tweet or email away?
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