Big Business Blogging

Big business caught up with the Internet over the last ten years. While they all have web sites, the idea of having a blog is still getting ramped up. This is good news for the savvy freelance writer. There is hardly a business without some kind of Internet presence. They are also figuring out the social media thing. I know this because Twitter suggests I follow Kotex. Really, Twitter? Kotex? Yikes.

Landing a big business gig is not impossible. Like any other kind of freelance writing job, it takes a bit of perseverance. The first step is to do some research. If there is a particular brand that blows your skirt up, check out their web site. See if they have a blog. If they do, spend some time in the archives. See if you can get a sense of the article authorship. Are the articles always attributed to the same person or are several or numerous authors mentioned? This makes a difference because if there are a lot of different folks, chances are they are using freelance writers.

Don’t go into this process thinking that there is no way a big business would want little ol’ you. Push for a single guest article and see what happens. Sometimes that much of a foot in the door is all it takes to work your way into something bigger and better. If you’ve researched the site as you should, you will come across the correct department or individual to contact. Jump in with a short and sweet pitch. Tell them why you love the business and what you think you have to offer. Don’t flood them with samples and links to all the stuff you’ve done. Remember that short and sweet is best.

What if you find a business that doesn’t have a blog? Win! Time to put on your sales hat and dive in. Work to find the right contact within the business. This requires a bit of finesse on your part. Don’t just send an arbitrary email and hope for the best. If you are really passionate about the business then you need to be passionate about them starting a blog. My best advice is to pick up the phone. You would be amazed at what can be accomplished through a personal phone call. These days, folks just aren’t used to it. Finding the correct department may be the toughest part of this gig. Try for the marketing or communications department. Human Resources may also be a good first step. Be persistent but not pesky. Keep a smile on your face as you speak. There’s a good chance that you’ll end up where you need to be.

If you don’t end up being the WalMart blogger, why not shoot for something closer to home? Most communities will have businesses large enough to support a blog. Time for a personal visit it seems. Cutting your teeth on a mid sized local business builds your portfolio and ultimately leads to other work.

It’s not impossible to land a big business blogging gig. It just takes a lot of work. If you are willing and able to do the leg work, the rewards could be tremendous.