We’ve all seen sponsored posts on blogs, but where do you start if you want to build a relationship with a blogger and promote your online store with bloggers? Andy Hayes, owner and founder of PlumDeluxe.com joins us to share how to do so and his firsthand account of the success a relationship like that can bring.

Plum Deluxe is an organic, fair-trade tea subscription company with an emphasis on mindfulness. Andy promotes Plum Deluxe by reaching out to bloggers whose values align with his brand.  Andy has found that by building intentional relationships, he is able to drive more traffic to his website and improve his sales.

On this episode of Launch Grow Joy, we cover Andy’s method for reaching out to bloggers, the importance of a comprehensive template, and why making intentional connections can help you get ahead.

In this episode, you’ll also hear about:

• How can you research bloggers that will mesh well with your brand?
• What happened when Andy started listening to what people asked for?
• Andy shares why he doesn’t like giveaways!
• The metrics triangle Andy uses to choose which bloggers to work with.
• How many times should you follow up with a prospective client?
• And so much more!

Although today Andy is a successful online entrepreneur, he spent over a decade working in the software industry. He eventually became disheartened from too many corporate merger acquisitions, uninspiring supervisors, and sacrificing benefits and pay.

Andy knew he needed to make a change, but wasn’t sure where to start. He combined his technology skills with his connections, and started doing IT freelance work.

All of that changed however when Andy's mother died. The loss was devastating for him personally, but he experienced a professional wake up call. He realized the job he had built for himself wasn’t working, and began to think about what would make him happy. He created Plum Deluxe, where he was able to create his own product, and get paid to do work he enjoyed.

He knew he needed to market Plum Deluxe, but like most small businesses, he didn’t have a large marketing budget. He saw an opportunity to begin working with bloggers, so he reached out to build relationships with them. By telling his story, asking interested bloggers to try his product and bonding with them he organically marketed his company.

This approach has worked for Plum Deluxe and it can work for you! Tune into this episode of Launch Grow Joy to learn Andy’s tips for getting started working with bloggers and much more.

Resources:

• Plum Deluxe website
• Andy Hayes on Twitter
• Asana
• Your free template for making a pitch!
• Subscribe to Launch Grow Joy Show on iTunes

Question: How can you apply Andy’s approach for researching bloggers to your own business? What keywords would you use?

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