It's Not a Lecture, written by David Wescott, is a PR and Marketing blog that I have recently started following. David caught my attention again last week as he live Twittered from the BlogHer07 conference. I would have loved to attend, but seeing how I am in the throes of some real hands-on Mommying this month, there was no way I could go.
He followed up with a post to Mommy bloggers that gave them some advice on how to handle off-topic public relations pitchers. One tip included the advice to call the client and let them know that their PR agency is spamming them. Hard stuff, but one of the bloggers, âStefania Pomponi Butler, who was at the conference says it better than I can:
I listened as not one, but two PR guys smugly stood up to tell us mothers how proud they were of their strategy to “hook” moms into trying their products by pretending to read our blogs (so we'll trust them) before offering up whatever it is that they'd like us to blog for free.”
One of the comments on David's open letter, and apology, to Mommy bloggers hits the nail on the head when she admits that clients are not often willing to pay for the hours it takes to appropriately read and build relationships with bloggers.
And, that is why public relations outreach to bloggers is more often worthy of the Bad Pitch Blog than as a worthy relationship-building exercise between a company and its customers.
Thanks David for calling it like it is!
tags: PR, Public+Relations, Blogger, Blogger+Outreach, BlorHer, BlogHer07
