How to Connect with Designers and Bloggers (Part Two) | Podcast Episode #74

Episode Transcript

Brittany:
Hey there, and welcome to episode number 74 of the Be Hooked podcast. Thank you so much for joining me today in our second part of our little mini-series we started last week about connecting with other designers, bloggers, and influencers.

Now, in last week’s episode, we learned why that’s so important and how that really moved the needle for me and how it can definitely move the needle for you. But we also looked at the how, and I challenged you last week to reach out to at least three people and connect with them individually either via email or social or on Ravelry. And right here at the start, I just want to say you guys are amazing. I know that you are taking action on that. You’re telling me about it and I’m so excited that you’re already seeing results from that first episode.

Now, you need to know what to do with those brand new relationships, and that’s what today’s episode is designed to do. We’re going to look at eight different ways that you can potentially work with these new people, ways that you can help them, and even ways that they can potentially help you so that you both can achieve your goals.

So we’ve talked a lot about subscription services here on the podcast in the last few months, and that’s really because, well, they are sponsoring the show, but I have been really, really fond of subscription services here in the last several months, and that’s because it really solved a big problem for me in that I could just enjoy my craft. I didn’t have to worry about planning and buying yarn or searching for the right yarn. It just, it’s all right there, ready to go, so I can just enjoy my craft.

Well, one of the things that I’ve been struggling with is not having enough time to finish the project. As you know, I work on several projects here for the website and for my other sponsors. And so that means that I don’t always get to work on projects that are just for me.

So this Block of the Month Club takes a different approach. You still get something in the mail every single month. You get your yarn, you get your pattern. But instead of giving you a single pattern, like for a whole project every single month, you’re actually getting a part of that pattern every single month.

And for me, this has been a game changer because now I don’t have to feel guilty that I can’t finish all of my projects and that I have some of these sitting in the corner just waiting for me to have the time to work on them. I can get my block pattern and just work on that throughout the whole month. And I don’t have to worry about why I need to invest or I need to find 40 hours to be able to finish a project. No, I don’t have to worry about that. I can just work on a little snippet of the pattern. And at the end of all that, I’ll have this beautiful afghan to show for it.

So to become a member of Annie’s Block of the Month Club, head over to annieskitclubs.com slash bhpodcast, all lowercase b-h-p-o-d-c-a-s-t. You can sign up for a brand new membership there. You’ll save 50% on your first kit, and we can make this gorgeous afghan together.

Also, to have a glimpse of the resources and the links that we mentioned here in the show, head over to BHookedCrochet.com/session 074. It’s also a really great place for you to ask your questions and leave your comments. Another great way to connect with one another, right? So BeHookedCrochet.com slash session 074.

All right, so you have made three new connections as a result of my challenge last week, and you want to know what you can do with those new relationships. Well, the first thing I would challenge you to think about is not what that person can do for you, but rather what you can do for them. That’s always a great way to start off a relationship, right? You don’t just walk up to somebody and ask, right? and expect that they’re going to give you things, right? A relationship is a give and take thing. You help them, they help you.

Well, the way I like to position myself is that I’m here to serve. My relationships are no different. That’s sort of my mantra on my website, serve my audience in the best way that I can. Well, I take that very seriously and I extend that to my relationships as well. It’s not what they can do for me, it’s what I can do for them. And in return, that person will be more likely to be able to help you when you’re in need. It’s that give and take relationship. So as we go through each of these eight things, be thinking about what you can do for them, not necessarily what they can do for you.

All right, so our first potential collaborations to pitch with one of these brand new relationships is the roundup.

So roundup posts are incredibly popular for one really great reason. They save people so much time. We’re thinking about the user here and the reader. Think about their struggle. Let’s say they want to crochet a hat, but they know that much. They know that they’re a beginner crocheter and that they want to make a hat. Well, they could either spend hours and hours trying to find the right pattern somewhere online and probably get a little discouraged and maybe not even take action on that anymore.

Well, a roundup post’s purpose is to take all of that research and all of that time out for the user so that they don’t have to spend that time. They can just find what they need and work on their craft.

So let’s say a blogger has created a post that says these are the 10 best crochet hats for beginners. That solves a huge problem for them because now they don’t have an infinite number of possibilities, something that would be pretty crippling if you think about it. Now they only have 10 different choices that an expert has said, these are great for beginners. So these are the 10 that you should consider.

Well, that post should go through all of those 10 things and then that user can figure out which one fits their style. So it’s a win-win. That person, that reader has found a pattern in a decent amount of time. And it’s something that they can feel confident they can make. But then that blogger as well was able to help somebody in the community. So it’s a win-win situation.

Roundup posts are great. They’re a wonderful way to connect.

So how can you use a roundup post to work these new relationships? Well, think of it twofold. Let’s say in the instance that you have a blog of your own. Well, you could potentially offer to add their pattern to a roundup post. That’s a really great way to say, hey, I love what you do and I wanna help you out. I may offer a hand. I wanna share what you have done with my audience because I think it’s so great. That’s really gonna flatter that person.

And I would say nine times out of 10, if not 10 times out of 10, that person is gonna agree to have their pattern featured on your roundup post. And that’s because they want some eyes on that pattern. They created that thing for people to use and they want people to use it. So this is a mutual relationship here. They have a pattern. You have an audience and you can come together and help each other.

So the first thing I would do if you have a blog and you want to have a roundup post and include one of your new relationships, their pattern in your post, tell them just that. Send them an email and say, hey, I really love this post. XYZ pattern that you just came out with. I would love to feature it in my roundup post. What would you like me to include?

And the reason why I would add that is because you want to make sure that you’re sharing and not stealing. Of course, we’re not going to take their pattern and post it on our own website. We’re going to say, hey, I love this pattern. Can I use one of your photos? and include a link in my roundup post. And I would say nine times out of 10, that person is going to say yes, absolutely. But I would just make sure what their requirements are. Every designer is a little bit different. I know that’s enough for me. I don’t mind sharing a photo as long as that photo has not been altered in any way. And I love when people link to my patterns because again, that helps me to spread my knowledge, my work with the world. So it’s definitely a win-win.

Well, let’s say on the flip side, you have a pattern and you want eyes on that pattern, right? You spent some time on creating that and you want to share it with the world.

So let’s say one of these new relationships that you made is another blogger who does a lot of roundups in their regular publishing schedule. Well, the need that that person has as a content creator is content. That is the biggest struggle when you have a website is knowing what you’re going to post every week. And a lot of times that’s a struggle. That’s a pain point for those people.

So when you are pitching your pattern to another blogger, frame it in that way because you’re helping them by offering some content to them, you know, solving that problem for them.

Now, I wouldn’t send them an email and say, hey, I just made this really great pattern. How about you put it on your website? Unless you’re pretty good friends, that might come off the wrong way.

But the way I would position it is, hey, I’ve noticed that you typically do roundup posts on your website. Maybe even that person has a theme or they typically, they’re predictable. Maybe they’ll do a fall roundup every single fall. And you say, hey, I’ve got this new fall pattern. I didn’t know if you were in need of some content, but I just wanted to throw this out there in case you were. And then maybe you’ll share a link to the pattern so that they can check it out.

Of course, they’ll want to go through a little bit of a vetting process to make sure that that pattern is right for their audience. But that’s a great way to start that conversation in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re just asking, right? You’re just saying, hey, this is great. You should put it out there.

So that is roundup post. If you have a blog, you could potentially share that designer or blogger’s pattern. If you have a pattern, you can help that person by giving them content.

All right, so the number two way that you could potentially pitch an idea to one of your new relationships is through a CAL, a crochet along or a knit along.

This is a really great way to get the community involved. People love to participate in group events, group patterns, and crochet alongs or knit alongs. So it’s a really great way to not only get your audience involved, but also your Get somebody else’s audience involved. There can be some new relationships, new friendships that form amongst them. You can expose your audience to somebody else’s and vice versa. So it’s a win-win win for everybody, for the user and both you and this new relationship that you formed.

So when you’re thinking about your pitch for a crochet along, again, I would probably reach out to them via email with a potential idea. I would always make sure that you have an idea in mind because most likely that person is busy or perhaps they don’t work on their blog or their designs full time and just their time is limited.

So if you’re going to pitch something to them, I would recommend that you sort of take the reins on that and you figure out what it is that you want to accomplish and you pitch that to them so they can either say yes or no, not, okay, let me think about it and I’ll get back to you with some ideas. So you’re creating work for them in that sense.

And again, I try to take it from a place of service. How can you help them? So perhaps your designing style is very similar to theirs and maybe your audiences would benefit from knowing each other.

Well, perhaps you could take one big project and you could each design a little section of it. So this would be great for an Afghan, for example. You could crochet and design a few of the blocks and they can design and crochet a few of the blocks. You can host your patterns on your website. They can host their patterns on their website. And in the process, those communities are coming together to work on this one project together.

Just keep in mind that this is a really big ask. Crochet alongs and knit alongs take an incredible amount of time to plan and orchestrate. And just be aware of that. Perhaps this isn’t your first ask or your first pitch to this new relationship because there is so much work involved. But just remember what you can add to their life, what value you bring to the table and position your pitch in that sort of way.

Figure out the best way that you can come together and do a crochet along together and then pitch that in your email and just see what happens. If they say no, It’s not a big deal. You asked, you tried. Maybe when the time is right for them, they’ll come back to you on that and say that they’re ready. But either way, you got the idea out of your head, into their inbox, and that’s a win. Doesn’t matter if the answer is yes or no.

If the answer is no, it’s probably just because it’s a lot of time and a lot of energy that they just don’t have time for at that particular moment. But if you can get involved in a crochet along or a knit along with another designer, I know it’s a really great win for, like I said, not only the community, but yourself and this designer.

All right, so moving on to number three, I want to focus a lot on charities. There’s one thing I’ve learned. It’s that this community, the fiber arts community, is so incredibly giving. There are so many people giving who do nothing but knit and crochet and donate to different organizations.

So let’s say that you know somebody works for an organization or one of these new relationships that you made works for some kind of organization. Again, position yourself in the way that you can help them and perhaps you send them an email and you ask them what you can do or what you can make to help.

So if you’re a hobby crocheter or knitter, this is going to be a great thing for you because you’re not trying to build an audience. You’re not trying to design patterns. You just want to do what you love. It’s a great idea to be connected with people who speak your language, who enjoy the things that you enjoy.

So I would send an email to that person and say, hey, I know that you have this organization. I know that you’re always looking for hats or scarves or whatever it may be. How can I help? And then just wait and see what their response is. I would almost guarantee that they will send you some kind of idea or pattern or something that you can make to donate.

Now, let’s say you are the person with the blog. Well, you can share that charity on your channels. So whether that be your social media, you could do a blog post about it on your website. If you have a YouTube channel, perhaps you could even feature it on your YouTube channel.

I would try to find an organization that you feel very passionate about yourself so that it can be an organic type of situation. So you’re sharing something not just because you’re trying to build a relationship with that person, but because you really do care about that community and how your audience could potentially help it.

Another idea, and you have definitely seen this on my website if you follow me, is to organize a crochet along for the charity. If you’ve ever heard of the Warm Up America Challenge that I do every single year, this is a great example of that.

I found a charity that I felt very passionate about. I reached out to the person who was in charge of that organization and I said, hey, I would love to design a pattern that my audience can follow along with, and that we can all send our blankets in like a group effort to your organization.

That very first email has now started, gosh, we’ve had three crochet challenges for Warm Up America. We do them every single year, and every single year, the number of items that we send to Warm Up America, it grows. This keeps me really happy as a creator because I feel like I’m doing something for the greater good. I’m designing something that I know will help somebody.

And my audience, they’re putting all of that time and effort into something that is going to brighten someone’s day. And then that organization, they have an abundance of afghans or blankets or whatever the project is to share that with that particular community. So again, it’s a win-win-win situation.

All right, moving on now to number four, a blog or podcast interview. Well, if you find someone interesting, perhaps you could ask them to do an interview. This works for both blog and podcast.

Let’s say, for example, you have your blog because more than you probably have a blog than a podcast. So you found somebody interesting and you want to share that person with your community. So ask them to do an interview and say, hey, I have admired you for a while now. I would love to share your story with my audience. Do you have time to do an interview?

Again, I would keep it short and sweet just like that, and they’ll let you know if they have the time for that or not. In some cases, it might be better for them to do an email interview. Sometimes they may actually be able to jump on Skype with you and sort of do like an audio type of interview where you can listen, take some notes, and then you can write a post about it later.

Now, the same goes for people who have a podcast. So I do that all the time. I randomly reach out to people who I think are very interesting and who I think has something valuable to add to your life. And I say, hey, I love what you’re doing. I would love to have you on the show to share some of your wisdom with my audience. Do you have about an hour that you can share your story and share your wisdom with us?

Most times they agree. And I would say that’ll be the case most of the time. A lot of people are very interested in sharing their story. You know, we love to talk about ourselves. We love to talk about what we’ve done and what we’ve accomplished. And an interview is a great way to do that.

But you will get the occasional person who doesn’t have time or maybe they’re just too shy or they don’t want to do it. And that’s fine. Again, you took action. You just asked. And if the answer’s no, it’s totally okay.

The one really good benefit to you as a result of doing an interview, whether it be on your blog or on your podcast, is that they will potentially share that with their audience too. And as a result, of course, your audience has something great to either read or listen to. Win, win, win.

All right, so moving on now to number five. This is something I did back in 2016. Coordinate an informative post that pulls tips from many different people, many designers and bloggers.

So the post that I wanted to create was tips for beginners. But I wanted those tips not to come from me. I wanted it to come from many people. So I reached out to some of my favorite designers, some of the people who I learned how to crochet from, people that I admired.

And I said, hey, I’m doing this post today. If you could spare just a couple minutes to share what your number one tip is to beginners, I would be so grateful and I’ll include it in my post.

I’ll say every single person that I reached out to was more than happy to participate. So they sent me a really quick email back that said, hey, this is my number one tip. And then behind the scenes, I did all of the work. So I compiled all of those answers and I put them in a post so that it was transparent easy to read and something that I knew my audience would get some value from.

The one really good takeaway from this particular strategy is that every single one of those people shared their tip with their own audience. So not only was I exposed to one person’s audience, I was exposed to 10 because I was featuring 10 different designers. And that was a pretty big game changer for me.

I was able to help the community in a way that shared some of these best tips from these guys. But, you know, in return, I was able to get some exposure to those audiences and that was a big win.

So if this is the strategy that you want to go with, what I would recommend is, of course, sending out that first email. And perhaps you do it to all three of your new contacts. Maybe find something that they have in common or find a theme.

Figure out what your theme is. Send them an email and say, hey, I just need a couple minutes of your time. I would love to know X, Y, Z, whatever their favorite hook is or their favorite yarn. It doesn’t matter what it is. The main objective is that you figure out that theme first. And you position it so that it only takes a couple minutes of their time.

That is one really super easy way to get them involved.

Okay, so we’re moving right along now to number six. You can offer services for social media.

So let’s say one of these new people, these new relationships that you have formed last week is a Facebook admin. They have a big crochet group or they have a big knitting group.

Well, perhaps you can offer services some help with that community. I know it’s a big struggle to have a Facebook community. There’s a lot that goes into that, especially for some of the bigger ones, as far as moderation goes and just helping the community in general ask or answering questions and just being there, being present in that community.

Well, perhaps you could offer some your service. You could get in with somebody by offering to help them with that community. Maybe you could be a moderator. Maybe you could go in and say, you know, every Tuesday between five and six, I can answer any questions that come through.

Even if that person doesn’t need help at that time, they’ll always remember that. And perhaps they’ll come back to you in the future when they do have a need for something like that.

The main thing I would keep in mind is just to offer help and don’t ask. Again, we want to try to come from a place of service here first as we’re building these new relationships and come from the genuine place of wanting to help that community.

So if you’re a part of a group and you already know and like them, and let’s say you reached out to one of the admins for that group, you can just tell them that. Say, hey, I’ve been an active part of this community for so long and I have really grown to love it and I would just love to offer any help.

You could even put the ball in their court at that point. They can tell you if they have a need, what that need is, and then you can see if there’s a way you can make that happen for them. So offering your services for social media is a great way that you can help foster that new relationship and you can also help that community as well.

We are almost to the end of our list here. We’re moving on to number seven, offer to pattern test. So let’s say one of the new people that you reached out to is a designer. Well, one of the most important people in a designer’s life is a pattern tester.

And that’s because, well, we don’t always communicate exactly what’s in our head the way that we should, right? We’re human. We make mistakes. Sometimes we make mistakes that we wouldn’t even realize that we would have made. And a pattern tester’s job is to find this.

So I would start out with an email to that person and say, hey, I really love what you do. I don’t know if you’re accepting new pattern testers right now, but I would love to put my name in the running if you ever need a pattern tester in the future. That’ll put it in their mind that you are offering this service to them.

And when the time is right, then they’ll accept you as a pattern tester. Perhaps they are accepting pattern testers at that point. And they’ll say, yes, I need a tester. Thank you so much. And then that relationship can grow from there.

Now, the cool thing about being a pattern tester is that a lot of times a designer will share your photos with their community. And that’s also a way that you can expand your network.

So offer to pattern test. You can send an email. Sometimes reaching out to people on social will help too. Just remember that our inboxes in Instagram and Facebook are typically more full than the inbox maybe in our email.

So I always, as a rule of thumb, really just reach out via email because I know that that will be seen and that it won’t get filtered through the social media shuffle with all of the notifications that flow through the platform.

All right, now our last example of ways that you can foster these new relationships that you built last week and possible collaborations to pitch is offer to share their stuff.

Maybe you notice that somebody has a new book or a new product and then you just offer to share it on social or maybe even write up a review about it. I see people doing this all the time and it’s really important to think about your audience if you are a blogger yourself.

You want to share things that are first and foremost going to help them. But if one of the people that you reached out to last week, let’s say they just released a brand new book, that would be a really great way for you to say, hey, I love what you do. I love this book. I want to share it with my audience.

In some cases, that person will send you one for free. And I mean, I wouldn’t position that as saying, hey, send me a free thing. But a lot of times that is the case. They want and they need exposure for these new books, these new products.

Maybe they have a new Craftsy class or whatever it may be. You could offer to share that with your audience if that product or service resonates with your audience. And in a lot of cases, they’ll say, yeah, I would love to send you one. What’s your address?

So you can make that connection. You can strengthen that relationship and you can help your community.

I know we covered so much there. I want to recap just so you can wrap your brain around all the different possibilities here. And there are so many more. These are just the top eight that I have used personally and that I’ve seen other people use successfully.

So possible collaborations to pitch:
Number one, roundups. If you have a blog or if you have a pattern, there’s a potential that you guys could come together and make something great for both of your communities.

Number two, crochet alongs and knit alongs. Again, this is a great way to help the community and help each other.

Number three, charities. If you know somebody who has an organization, then figure out how you can help them. This is going to be particularly helpful for those of us who are hobby crocheters and hobby knitters.

Number four, do a blog or podcast interview. Either offer to be on their blog or their podcast and vice versa. Offer to share their story on your blog or your podcast.

Number five, coordinate an informative post that pulls tips from many people. This is a great way to foster all of the relationships that you’ve started last week and maybe even some existing ones.

Number six, offer your services for a social media admin or somebody who manages a group somewhere online, be it Facebook, Instagram, wherever. Offer your service to them and then see where that relationship goes.

Number seven, offer to pattern test. Pattern testers are a very important person in the designer’s life. And if you are a hobby crocheter and knitter and you just want to have projects to work on, offering to pattern test is a great way to go.

And number eight, just offer to share their stuff, be it a new product, a new book, a new pattern, whatever it is. If you love it and you think your audience will love it, then just offer to share it.

Now, my little bonus to these eight tips is this. Never underestimate the power of just introducing yourself. Maybe you don’t have anything to offer them or an idea to collaborate. Just introducing yourself can open doors.

So keep that in mind when you’re reaching out to new people. If you don’t have a goal in mind, just extend a hand and say hello. You would be surprised at how that relationship can continue to grow as a true friendship. And then when you find a way that you can collaborate with one another, well, maybe then you start those conversations.

So if you’re overwhelmed by this list or you say, I don’t really have an idea for any of these eight things, this is your action step. Just reach out to somebody, introduce yourself and say hello.

Now, as we wrap up our two-part mini series here on collaborating and connecting with designers, bloggers and other influencers, I have a few things I really want you to remember as you’re making these new connections.

So important thing number one, remember that some of the bigger bloggers out there, they have tons of requests and emails. So be sure to keep it short to respect their time. That was a tip that we heard back in last week’s episode. Keep it short and sweet and to the point.

Now, important thing to remember number two, be different by offering something and not asking for something.

And the last important thing to remember is just be you. You will find your people. You will surround yourself by people who are just like you.

I want to share a quote from Jim Rohn that says, you are the average of the five people you spend most of your time with. So surround yourself by people you love, who are just like you, who have the same interests, the same goals.

Those people will be your driving force, whether it be through your hobby or through your business. Find your people and just be you.

Well, this has been so much fun. I love being able to share these eight tips with you and the how and the why of why connecting with people is so important for you and why it’s something that you should consider in your hobby and in your business.

So just like last week, I challenged you to reach out to three people. Well, this week, I’m going to challenge you to send a follow-up to that person. And maybe you pitch one of these eight things to them and then see where it goes.

They might say yes. They might say no. Either way, you tried. You took action. And that is the most important thing.

Well, don’t worry if you’re like, Brittany, I can’t remember these eight things that you just talked about. You can find all of them over on the show notes page.

So head over to BeHookedCrochet.com slash session 074. You’ll have an overview of these eight things and everything that we talked about today.

Be sure to please take action on one of these eight things. Send a pitch, a soft pitch to one or all preferably all, of the three people that you connected with in last week’s episode and start to foster and grow that relationship.

All right, so that’s what you’re going to do for me today.

The other thing I would ask for you to do is to check out Annie’sKitClubs.com slash BHookedPodcast, again, all lowercase, so that you can see if this service is right for you.

If you love the subscription model, but you’re a little bit discouraged by the fact that you can’t finish an entire project before you get your new one in the mail, this is really going to be your jam because you get a segment of the project instead of the full thing.

The other really cool thing about it is that it’s a great way to learn new stitches. Every single block is a different stitch and it starts out with easier stitches and then they progress and get harder as you get through the pattern.

So once again, if you sign up for a membership at annieskitclubs.com slash be hooked podcast, you’ll get 50% off your first kit. And that is a huge deal.

I’m always about saving money, right? And I know you are too. So head over to annieskitclubs.com slash be hooked podcast to let Annie’s know that you found that service through the show. And I am super grateful for that. So thank you.

All right, that’ll wrap it up for this week, guys.

I am so excited about next week’s episode because it’s going to be you and me once again. And I want to share some of my tips and thoughts from the keynote presentation.

Next week marks a brand new month and a brand new theme. We’ll talk a little bit about that at the beginning of next week’s episode. We’ll get into some serious action plans. I can’t wait to share that with you.

If you listen to the keynote at the Our Maker Life event, well, you’ll be in for an even more special treat because although that presentation was about 30 minutes in length there, I whittled that down from about 45 to 50 minutes worth of content.

So I want to share that, even more than I was able to share in that keynote. You’ll get that right here next week.

And if you didn’t get to see it, well, man, you’re in for a real treat. I know that people are already taking action on the things that I taught in that presentation, and I know that it can help you too.

So stay tuned next week for a brand new month, a brand new theme, and a brand new episode here on the Be Hooked podcast.

Thank you so much for being here. I just love sharing with you each and every week. I’m so grateful to have you here and I will see you next week. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I’ll see you then.

Bye for now.