Getting a reply from an A-lister is certainly not most of us can get, although we can’t sue them for that because, even I at this stage gets around 15 emails a day so how much more for them? But of course, there’s always a solution for every problem.Adnan of Blogtreprenuer commented on the Best Blog Tip of Seth Godin that gave me an idea for this post. If you’re too lazy to click the link, here’s what he said:
Awesome quote – and I would expect nothing less from Seth, especially after reading Purple Cow. Really motivational – well done on getting that Carl.
Actually I didn’t expect a reply from Seth when I emailed him because I dropped it directly through his standard email where loads of people contact him (No contact forms, etc.). But after 20 minutes, there goes the tip. Quick reply much?
That made me think, I mean almost 70% of the emails I send to high profile bloggers get replies. I could be doing right things here… And yes, I did.
Here are some of them, take these as a guide and always apply them to every blogger you know:
Emailing Them At The Right Time
I emailed Seth around 10+ PM here and that’s currently around morning in the US (We’re at +8 GMT). If you email a high profile person in the evening, the times were most likely he won’t open his inbox, your message will go down and gets bumped by other people’s messages.
Try sending them in the mornings (in their time of course!) and hit the time where they get up and check their inbox. I’d suggest observe first what time they post on their blog. An hour or two before that time is the best moment to send your email because he probably checks his inbox before he posts. Like what most of us do!
Stand Out Like A Sore Purple Cow
Ok, the sore was just an exaggeration, be unique as possible. It would be better if you could find a way to send your email with a headline as you can play and experiment what works and what sucks.
Convert the “I have a question” subject to something more challenging in their part because people/experts like to be challenged i.e. “A Question You Can Never Answer” then just explain why you used the headline. Haha!
Use Other Contact Options
As I stated above, I emailed Seth directly in his main email address. That gives me a lesser chance to get a reply. That address I bet gets hoard of emails everyday.
Try other options, like their MySpace or Facebook profile that only few people can see, Less messages and higher chance for a reply.
Don’t Hit Them Right To The Point
I hate it when people ask me “Read this article and link to it, it’s very useful” It’s too hard for me to even click the link they gave me.
Hit them in a softer way. Introduce yourself, flatter them. Give something in return.
Be Personal, He’s Your Friend
One thing I’ve observed about the people who email me is that they treat me like I’m an A-lister, bigger & better than them.
There’s nothing wrong with that but why not make it more personal? Stop using Sir’s, use their name. Crack them up on something. Talk like he’s your friend, because they’re still ordinary people.
There’s Nothing Better Than A Live Example
You can’t learn basketball reading, neither Karate nor Baseball. That applies to almost everything too, so here’s one for your email:
Subject: From A Laughing Fan – You Nailed Me
Hey A-lister,
How’s life doing there, I found your post about the dog who ate the cat, and man was that funny! My dog once bit my leg but ate a cat?!
Great work on your blog, you’ve been my number one inspiration from the start. Keep the great
bites, err pots coming.And by the way, I have a cat here that needs to be fed, can you help me with this?
Thanks for the time,
Cheers,
Carl Ocab
Be Creative
For the last tip, and probably the best one. Be creative, that differentiates us humans from computers. We have the special ‘touch’ perse. Don’t limit yourself.
