How to Pitch Great Blog Ideas to Any Client
Pitching is a good opportunity to develop and present your ideas. Pitching puts you in control of a blog post's narrative and lets you build and enhance your relationship with clients. But how do you do it? You just need a game plan in place, regardless of where you're submitting your blog ideas. Here are some tips for pitching great blog ideas to any client:
1. Understand Your Client's Needs
Before you pitch any topic, it's important to understand what your client is looking for in a blog post. Sometimes clients won't know what they want but will have a problem that they are trying to solve for their customers or audience. Put yourself in your client's shoes, and think about the pain points they need to solve. Get an understanding of their audience by taking a look at their social platforms or website to see what their customers are saying or asking. This will help you get a sense of what they need to know, and it can help you decide what topic to pitch.
2. Check Out Existing Content
If your client already has a blog, familiarize yourself with its content. Take a look at some of the topics previously discussed so you can avoid pitching irrelevant topics. You can use existing content to get a sense of your client's tone and preferred writing style, too. You can also take an idea from the topic and expand on it. For example, if your client published a blog post on saving money for college, you can expand the idea and pitch on the different banking options college students can use to build their savings.
3. Keep It Simple
While there are no hard rules for your pitching format, it's essential to keep it brief and easy to understand. Scripted suggests outlining your idea in two or three sentences to give your client an idea of what to expect from your blog post. You can also share three points you plan to make so your client gets a sense of what you'll use to support your topic. Reread your pitch. Also, double-check and edit your pitch for grammatical or technical errors.
4. Work on Your Headline
You want your headline to be strong and powerful enough to catch your client's attention. For instance, if you're creating a listicle-style blog post, then include numbers in your headline, such as "11 Data-Driven Reasons Why Content Marketing Works." Also, keep SEO in mind when you're creating a title for the blog post. Try to include one or two relevant keywords that your client's audience may use to search for the topic.
5. Keep an Idea Log
When it comes to pitching, practice makes perfect. Keeping an idea log is an efficient way to stay ahead of the game and to prepare for pitching a great blog post to any client. You can become an "idea machine" by keeping a list of ideas on hand. Start by writing down 10 ideas a day. You can even expand on these ideas or grow your list to include between 15 and 20 ideas.
Final Thoughts
Pitching is a skill you can develop and master when you put your game plan into action. Always be trying to answer questions or solve problems with your pitches. Don't be afraid to explore new terrain. By focusing on your audience and applying these tips, you'll be well on your way to becoming "pitch-perfect."
Published by Kevin O'Connor on Wednesday, October 18, 2017 in Seo, Scripted University, Seo, Writing.