How To Successfully Get On Company PR Lists

Have you ever seen accounts post samples they received and wondered how you could get on company PR lists too?

Well, the answer might surprise you.

Many brands provide influencers and bloggers samples to increase brand awareness by having them present and advertise products.

This means you need to give the PR team a reason to include you. In this post, we’ll explain how to do just that.

1. Build your following

While the number of your followers isn’t the most important aspect, you still need to create a personality for your page.

To build a strong profile, you need to show your specialty and knowledge in your particular niche.

Ask yourself if you want your blog or account to focus on beauty or lifestyle, or maybe even fashion?

Whatever your expertise may be, focus on it.

One of your biggest mistakes would be to try to cover multiple areas rather than just one.

After you find the best way to tell your story, you want to begin working to increase your engagement.

2. Produce high-quality content

If the pictures you post on Instagram or Facebook are messy or blurry, chances are brands will quickly overlook any consideration to add you to their PR lists.

While it may seem harsh, brands have a specific image to uphold and they have to look for the perfect candidate to become an extension of them.

If you find that some of your pictures aren’t the best or that the overall look of your account could improve, you may want to spend time creating a new strategy.

But that doesn’t mean you should immediately go out and buy the newest technology to take better photos.

Equipment can only work as good as you do and having the newest or “best” doesn’t guarantee your quality will improve.

Learn how to work with the resources you have. It takes time to learn how to take and post quality pictures, but the effort will be worth it.

Also, in addition to photos and long text under them, it is better to make a video, because this format is now perceived easier. If you are doing some kind of tutorial, then it is better to add sound to video and add subtitles.

3. Find brands that interest you and do your research

You can’t be all-knowing, so it is essential to do research before taking any action.

Look at other influencers or accounts who tag the brand you are interested in. Note what they all have in common.

Do they have a specific photo style?
Do they post about the brand often even when they aren’t posting PR samples?
How do they tell their story?
How much engagement do they have?

It’s all useful information to be aware of so you can present your account in a similar way. This will make your page more enticing for brands to consider you for their PR lists.

4. Tag the brands you wear or use in the pictures you post

A great way to get a brand’s attention and to show them what you are capable of is to tag them in your posts.

Be sure the brand or its product is actually in the picture. Additionally, if there are multiple brands in the photo tag only three or four.

You could also interact with the brand’s social media. For instance, like their pictures or leave comments. This provides more opportunities for the brand to notice you.

However, be sure to not go overkill with how much you tag or comment to them. You don’t want to be annoying or come across as a spam account.

5. Approach the PR team

Once you’re ready to reach out, be respectable. Don’t come across too strong or assume that you are doing the brand a huge favor by building a connection with them.

If anything, it should be the complete opposite. You should convey what you can do for the brand.

Methods of Approach

There are a few options, but it’s important to know when and how to use them.

You can always wait to see if a brand will approach you. We know, we know, who has that kind of time?

Don’t worry, it’s only one of the options and can be a good match for those intimidated by the thought of pursuing a brand directly.

If you want to be proactive, you can reach out to a brand via DM. However, only use this method to find the right person to get in contact with.

Most brands have different departments responsible for various tasks and usually, the PR team doesn’t run the Instagram or other social media accounts.

You can also reach out through the brand’s email to ask if you could be directed to the contact information for someone on the PR team.

Once you find the right person to email, you want to pitch your story and what you do. You’re trying to sell why you would be a good fit to send PR to.

6. Don’t stress

Connecting with brands can be a challenging process and not everyone will be successful in doing so.

Don’t let this prevent you from taking action. It might sound cliched, but you never know what can happen if you don’t put yourself out there and try.

There are so many brands out there looking for the right person to represent them, and you may be just that.

That being said, if you don’t hear back from a brand it might be for a few reasons.

You may not be contacting the right department or person
Your pitch didn’t catch the PR team’s attention
You were too aggressive or off-putting with your pitch or overall approach
Your content or page just doesn’t match the brand’s values and image

The best thing you can do is learn from your failures. Try to find what may have gone wrong and adjust it for the next time you reach out to a brand.

However, remember that just because you are successfully put on the PR list doesn’t mean you will automatically receive PR.

Depending on the brand and products, samples may be limited and only sent to a select few.

Getting on company PR lists can be challenging, but if you build your following, do research, produce quality photos, and reach out you are on the right track.

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Katelyn Beery is a blogging intern at LadyBossBlogger.com. She majors in writing at Ithaca College and hopes to pursue a career in either technical or professional writing. She can usually be found cleaning, listening to music, or gazing at clouds.