Pitching Bloggers: PR Malpractice v. PR Best Practice

Posted by Laura Bergells

March 31, 2008

Note to PR firms: Let’s say you’re being paid to garner niched blog publicity for your client.

Here’s something you should know about bloggers:

We’re not robots. We’re real human beings!

Let me share something personal with you:

Sometimes, I step away from the computer. I wander about in nature, unfettered by email, IM, and cell phone.

Take this weekend, for example. A fine example of a March spring in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I went for a long and pleasant walk through an old forest.

Twice.

I went shopping for a birthday present for my dad. I visited with family. Enjoyed some laughs over cocktails.

And a friend and I ventured north of town to Frederick Meijer Gardens, to see the Butterflies are Blooming exhibit. Lovely!

Meijer Gardens Butterfly

I tell you this to demonstrate the humanity behind the bits and scripts that make up this blog.

Now, let’s contrast my weekend with my Monday morning. This morning, I sip my coffee and open up my blog dashboard for the first time in two days. I scan the comments. I approve some, but am chagrined to see 6 identical comments from a PR firm that represents a very promising software company with an interesting new product.

Now, had I seen the first comment on Saturday afternoon, I might have approved it. But six times in two days — with the same trying-too-hard message? Good thing I stepped away from my blog for a few days! I might have let the first comment slide by out of pity!

I had to tell Askimet that the comments were all spam. And, of course, I won’t review the software.

I suspect that a number of other bloggers received the same shoddy treatment from this PR firm. Instead of garnering positive publicity by developing a relationship with a blogger, the PR firm chose to comment spam me. This firm did their client a great disservice.

In fact, comment spamming is PR malpractice. It destroys relationships. And it seriously damages the potential for developing powerful third-party testimonials.

Contrast this PR approach with another software firm that approached me last week. Their marketing guy sent me a short email, telling me that he reads my blog and that his software might be of interest to my readers. He tells me (briefly!) what his software does, points me to his firm’s site, and gives me his complete contact information, including email and phone number.

Now, this sounds like a real human being! And he seems to appreciate that I, too, am a human! Because his email is courteous and professional, I visit his site. Intrigued by his product and his pitch, I write to tell him I am interested in reviewing his product. He responds that he will send me the software via FedEx.

As promised, his software arrived via FedEx this Monday morning — just as I was informing Askimet of the other PR firm’s blog spam. Ah, sweet juxtaposition!

I’m a blogger who likes celebrating butterflies and birthdays. I appreciate conversations. I nurture my human relationships. I want to see good people with good products succeed.

PR firms – please realize that blogs are more than bits and bots.

Blogs are opportunities for starting the conversations that can build valuable, human relationships.

Please respect my humanity, as I respect yours!