Blogger relations and bad pitches...what do you think of this one?
I received a pitch from a PR firm today via Facebook. The opening paragraph started with the following statement:
"I have read through some articles of your blog, Converational Media Marketing. Upon hearing your valuable opinions and expertise about marketing..."
While I in nowise care to "out" or embarrass the PR person that sent this, I can't help but make a couple remarks.
First, the PR person misspelled the name of my blog. If nothing else, get that right.
Second, simply stating "I have read through some articles of your blog..." is not enough to convince me that she actually did. Had the person cited at least a couple of the posts she read in particular or, better yet, taken time to leave a couple of salient comments on those posts, her statement would be more believable.
In short, this seems rather boilerplate to me. What do you think?
This goes back to my rant of yesterday, get to know me before you pitch me. Before ever making the first pitch, contact me to say that you're following my blog, subscribing to my RSS feed, getting to know me by virtue of my writing and leave it at that!
PR folks, take some time to source blogs in the niche markets you serve and do as I suggest. Subscribe to their RSS feeds and begin reading them, then contact the blogger to let him/her know you're doing so. You are welcome to be honest and say that, perhaps, in the future you may pitch them. Forewarned is forearmed after all. You can even ask them if they'd be open to such.
I know that doesn't synch with today's fast track mentality, but it's the price of success if you ask me.
Time for education, not just dialog
I really think it's time someone step up to the plate and begin teaching agencies how to pitch bloggers -- those that would be receptive anyway. If, as some suggest, the industry has a whole doesn't get it, then like I said in response to Mack Collier's post at MarketingProfs, someone is missing a great business opportunity.
In an email conversation with my BFF Toby Bloomberg, she indicated that some are beginning to address the issue from an educational standpoint. Specifically, she cited a FIR podcast Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz are doing on PR spam. She's even thinking about coming up with something herself.
Also, let me recommend Brian Solis' treatise on the topic, a 53 page eBook he wrote entitled The Art and Science of Blogger Relations. (Links to his blog post on the topic. You can download the eBook from there.) It's one of the best and most comprehensive resources I've seen to date.
Save the world from bad pitches, that's my motto.
Ning: Paul Chaney
StumbleUpon: pchaney
There was a big to-do about this a few weeks ago in the blogosphere, I remember.
I get around it by offering a How to Pitch Me page. So far, it seems to help.
Enjoy,
Barbara
Posted by: Barbara Ling | June 03, 2008 at 08:34 AM
Thinking of starting a bad blogger pitch wiki .. what do you think ;-) maybe not it .. would over load the server in a day! seriously, I think it comes down to 2 issues: the people who have not a clue that bloggers are not media and play by different rules and the people who have no respect for bloggers but see us as "easy free publicity."
Elana Centor wrote a great post in reaction to a post on Diva Marketing that should be mandatory reading for all people who pitch bloggers. Although she highlights the post it is not really about "me" but the bigger picture of what can happen if your pitch goes wide. http://tinyurl.com/6bud9v
Posted by: Toby | June 03, 2008 at 09:14 AM
@Barbara - I like the idea of a "how to pitch me" page. However, I wonder whether those who don't take time to get to know the blogger to begin with would take the time to read such a page.
@Toby - I think you've hit the nail on the head. Ignorance of the blogosphere etiquette and lack of respect. Good points.
Posted by: Paul Chaney | June 03, 2008 at 03:28 PM
Paul,
I've been doing a series on my blog for the past month on this very topic. It flowed out of a panel that I was on at BlogHer called Improve this Pitch.
Posted by: Susan Getgood | June 04, 2008 at 08:22 AM
The quote:
"I have read through some articles of your blog,"
...is also highly suspect.
He didn't read your posts.
He read "through" them. Yuch!
Posted by: Laura | June 09, 2008 at 05:24 PM
Paul, this is HUGE in my book and I sometimes find the pitch offensive. I can be understanding and know how new comers do make the mistake....but soften up the approach!!
I had a Cuban tile flooring company contact me about an Cuban Tile Roofing article I wrote.....they totally got that one wrong! I was embarrassed on their behalf.
Posted by: ines | June 17, 2008 at 12:46 AM