Emails Bloggers Get

Here's a bit of behind the scenes blog stuff.

"Hi Steve,
I came across your site while looking for resources for our next blog and I knew I had to reach out immediately, kudos on a fantastic blog. My name is Vincent, and I'm reaching out on behalf a leading construction industry supplier who operates in the same marketplace as Travis Perkins.
This month, we're looking to secure sponsorship placements with five prominent blogs and your site jumped straight to the top of our list. Would you also be willing to accept link placements on pre-existing content on your site?
Please let me know if this is something you're interested in discussing further.
Kind regards,
Vincent"

I get stuff like this now and again.  Despite the personal touches and "five prominent blogs" I know these go out to hundreds or thousands of blogs.  This one at least takes the step of finding out and using my name.

The fact that I don't have  ads - perhaps that is attractive to someone that just wants links.  Notice there is no offer of payment, but they do offer to put links to my site.

Rest assured, readers, my only interest in stuff like this is as a reporter.  I'm always curious about who does this, what they expect to get, whether they get what they expect, and the mechanics of how they identify blogs to contact.

Should I get an offer for something that I think would be of interest to my readers, I would make it very clear to the readers why it was posted, where it came from, and what, if anything, I was offered in exchange.

Here's another one from this week:

"Good Morning,
I have been sober for 2 years and I am passionate about sharing my story, as a mom in recovery, through writing and reaching out to other websites looking to do the same. I have become super passionate about spreading awareness on addiction by collaborating with new organizations/blog publications, sharing my experience, strength, and hope. I also have an archive of informative/interactive guides and resources that would educate and interest your audience.
I would love the opportunity to contribute to your site with a personal story or any topic relating to addiction/recovery. If possible I'd like to post your link on my site as well. Feel free to message me with any questions, I look forward to hearing from you!
Have a great day!
Tricia Moceo"

You'll note that this is a completely generic email.  She hasn't even taken the time to get my name.  Nevertheless, I did google her and found a few posts.

One phrase struck me:  "I’d indulge in books."  Wow, I never thought of reading as indulging.  I guess there are some genres where reading could be seen as indulging.  I emailed her on Dec. 14 to ask her to explain what she meant.  And she did.  Quickly.

"Thanks for taking the time to read over some of my work. I didn't particularly intend to convey a negative connotation with that statement. The context was more of an example of the progression and how my addictive nature was present long before I ever picked up a drink or drug. For as long as I can remember, oblivion was my solution. To escape reality, I would read book after book. I got lost in the plot, completely disassociating from the world I was living in. Furthermore, the same desired effect that I got from reading and escaping... I also got from drugs and alcohol."

And yet another - this one has sent me three messages now:

12/18/2018 11:18PM 

Hi Steve,
I reached out last week but haven't heard back so I wanted to try one last time. Is there an opportunity to sponsor a post on your site?
Please see my initial email below.
Best wishes,
Vincent 

On Thu, Dec 13, 2018 at 8:20 AM, Vincent Greene <xxxxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Steve,
I reached out last week but haven't heard back. I wanted to see if there was an opportunity to sponsor a post on your site.
Please see my initial email below.
Best wishes,
Vincent 

On Fri, Dec 7, 2018 at 8:22 AM, Vincent Greene <xxxxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:
I came across your site while looking for resources for our next blog and I knew I had to reach out immediately, kudos on a fantastic blog. My name is Vincent, and I'm reaching out on behalf a leading construction industry supplier who operates in the same marketplace as Travis Perkins.
This month, we're looking to secure sponsorship placements with five prominent blogs and your site jumped straight to the top of our list. Would you also be willing to accept link placements on pre-existing content on your site?
Please let me know if this is something you're interested in discussing further.
Kind regards,
Vincent

Don't want emails from us anymore? Reply to this email with the word "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject line.

And then there are helpful emails, like this one:

Hello,
I was reading your page and found a broken link referring to the 'Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt' Supreme Court's decision.
Your Page: http://whatdoino-steve.blogspot.com/2016/06/
Dead link title: 'click here'
Dead link: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/15pdf/15-274_p8k0.pdf
image.png
It looks like the document no longer exists, and after browsing for a while, I was able to find the same document in PDF format here:
Working link: http://templatelab.com/whole-womans-health-v-hellerstedt/
Maybe you could update the link on your page to help other users.
Have a great day,
Anna

I quickly made the updates.