The church my wife and I attend is located inside a gated community.
At the gate is a security guard. To gain entrance, you have to show the guard your pass or, in our case, explain to her why she should grant you access.
“We’re going to church,” I told her for the first time many months ago.
“What church?” the security guard replied.
After a little more clarification, she let us inside. The next week, we did the same song and dance. The week after was more of the same.
Eventually, the song and dance stopped. Instead of asking me to give her more information, my “we’re going to church” proclamation was met with “alright.”
Soon, the response changed to “have a nice day.” Smiles began to be exchanged. Blessings and salutations were added to the dialogue.
Today, the security guard doesn’t even wait for the words “we’re going to church” to leave my mouth. As soon as she sees us, she raises the gate, smiles, and waves us inside.
Familiarity is a funny thing. Though some say it can breed contempt, familiarity can literally open doors for you.
It’s true with security guards, and it’s true with bloggers.
Want to make connections with popular bloggers? Editors? Cool people named Kevin? You need to become a familiar face.
Let them get used to seeing your gravatar image in their comments. Let them become accustomed to seeing your name and profile photo for Twitter/Facebook/G+ pop up after you’ve shared their latest content. Let them get used to seeing you in their webinars, workshops, and chats.
Once you’re familiar to someone, wonderful things can happen.
If you pitch them a guest post, you’ll stand out from the random strangers. If you ask them for an interview or quote, you’ll have a greater chance of receiving a “yes.”
And if you stand outside their exclusive club, one day they just might open the gate, smile, and wave you inside.
