If you are a new blogger in the big-pool of blogger community, you will have to encounter many puzzling questions regarding the expansion of your blog. One of the major aspects regarding this, is the art of reviewing a product. Ever wondered how you can get product samples for review ?
Well, I am a toddler in blogging, and I find it most fascinating to share my thoughts with others. I was totally clueless when I started my blogging career. I was eagerly looking out for reliable guidelines which can easily carry me to the world of bloggers!
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Fortunately, I came across a website which provided me the crisp details of what exactly I was looking for. I found an article in techulator.com where a professional blogger Mr. Tony John has explained each and every detail of getting sample products for reviewing. Techulator is a leading product review blog, which works with all major brands and review a lot of devices, gadgets and apps.
And finally, I broke the shell and started learning the core of reviewing a product. In this article, I will furnish the minimalist approach on getting products for reviewing.
Where to start?
Right from upfront, you need to get into an established blogger community. To break the ice, I got registered in an Indian community of bloggers known as Indiblogger.in. I started posting messages in their forums. No wonder, the PR executives were constantly monitoring these messages. And finally after a period of awaiting responses, I started receiving offers to review products.
What exactly you should do?
To get the game rolling, you will have to first take the challenge by yourself. May be at first, you may not be assigned the task of reviewing a particular product. Don’t step back when you hit this situation. Start reviewing your own gadgets, and if possible either buy the product by yourself, else borrow it from your friends.
Start posting self-promotional messages in professional blogging communities. If your product reviews are worth noticeable and are of good standard, eventually you will start getting noticed by PR professionals. From there a huge way opens up for you.
How to do self-promotion?
You may wonder on how to promote your skills most effectively. Always project yourself in such a way that the PR executives just can’t ignore your blogging standards. Together with the self-promotion messages, add your personal contact details precisely. If you are to get noticed, it’s essential so that the PR executives can contact you directly. On this frame, you must have your visiting card embedded with your contact details.
When you get into the track, attend as many blogging events as possible. You are bound to add positive reviews of these events/products in your respective blog or website.
Last but very much not the least, start sending emails to all the PR agencies you know, thereby reflecting your professionalism in these emails. It is an evergreen method to let your talents in blogging to get noticed.
How to frame a promotional email?
First and foremost, you must send your email from your professional mail id, which can be your blog’s domain. Refrain from sending these emails from Gmail, Yahoo etc
To frame the content, introduce your blog as well as yourself in a catching, yet effective way. It’s preferable to include the statics of your blog or website, thereby providing the crisp details of the success you have achieved till date. Do include the links of your reviews, so that the company can be aware of what they can expect from you.
Explain your interest to review a particular product from that company, along with the targeted category of products you are looking for. This is to make the company aware politely, that if they don’t assign you this particular opportunity, you won’t be able to list their product along with their competitors. Likewise, you can get products for the hands-on-review strategy.
It is worthy to get noticed that, most of the review products which they hand-over to you, are supposed to be returned. Even if the company left out in getting it back from you, get them noticed and return it. Likewise, you can create a bridge of trust between you and that particular company.
Sample email to PR companies to get products for review
Here is a sample email format you can use to contact PR companies and other brands requesting for review units
Hello,
Warm regards from (mention your blog name),
I am Ann Richard from India, who is a professional blogger who blogs at <blog name>. My blog mainly focuses on reviewing products related to technology. I have written good number of hands-on-review of different gadgets and devices. I encountered with your (specify name of the product here), while reviewing the competitor products on the same segment. This prompts me to send this email, to request you to give me the opportunity to review this product.
I have done reviews for major branded products like (name the brands for which you have written review till date). If you are willing to let me try your product, I will be doing a week long intensive study to test the product features and publish in my blog.
It is to be kindly noticed that the sample product after reviewing will be returned back.
We don’t charge any price for reviewing and publishing the same.
I have included the links of my previous review articles, so that you can clearly know what you can expect from my blog. I have furnished the contact details along with this email. If this meet the company’s standards, I would request you to send me the sample product for review.
I am expecting a positive response on the same.
Regards,
Ann Richard
(Contact address and phone number)
This is the overall structure of a sample email which you can send to PR agencies. To conclude, getting sample units for reviewing is not a hard-nut to crack. Yet, this also demands high blogging standards, ability to write sensible reviews, and personal traits like patience to await the golden opportunities in your blogger-path. Good luck!
I support the point that explains how to start. Selecting a platform to start with is difficult and needs good research. Analyze the area of your expertise and search for the relevant forum or articles. The more you participate, better are the chances to get noticed. After receiving a few good responses, prepare a promising pitch and approach the owners.
Nice Article, I usually get approached by PR companies for review units but after reading your article I realized that PR people actually keeps track on your movements. Thanks 🙂
Hi Jim,
Glad to know you liked this post. And yeah, PR companies will always follow up your tracks. This strategy can always boost up your blog, as well as their quality in biz.
Good luck ! 🙂
Thanks for this awesome article Safala Fathima.. i have seen this many times various blogger’s getting products for reviewing on there blogs and wondered how they get these products.. Now i know the answer… keep sharing such informative content.. cheers..
Thanks for the feedback Rahul. It’s indeed pleasure to know the same. Will update the useful information articles for sure.