A quick photo of Matt Reinbold, the ringleader of the Blogging for
Business (B4B) Conference. I’ve had such a busy week that is finishing
up tomorrow speaking at the conference. Why is there always a huge
intersection with work and family?
As much as I’d like to think that my blog is the same as a newspaper (or any other type of medium), it’s not. Blogging is young and still developing. That’s not to say that blogs aren’t as effective as the other media, it’s just that they are very different.
Unlike newspapers, radio and television, there are no deadlines for blogs. There is no editor out there telling me to post a certain number of times a day. There are some blogs that DO impose posting requirements on their bloggers, but for most of them out there, the only deadlines are self-imposed.
That’s bad for you because bloggers aren’t desperate. They don’t have to put something up in a frantic attempt to fill time or keep the paper thick. If there is nothing good to write about, I don’t have to write today.
That means that if you want me to write about your product, it better be good.
There is no way that I’d be able to write the things that I write in a newspaper, for a television news station or even on a radio show. My blogs might talk about typical subjects like Health and Fitness or Gadgets, but they are always approached from the personal level. I write about how I liked a product or service. How they treated me personally.
That’s good for you because you will get a personal review from a blogger, which is FAR more powerful than the impersonal reviews from magazines and newspapers. When your customers read a review from a blogger, they will be able to relate to it more. Of course, this is also bad for you because if your product is inferior, a blogger will have no compunction to tell the world about it. Whatever you’re pitching better be something worth talking about.
Bloggers write without a safety net. There’s no one else out there catching our spelling or grammar errors. There’s not even anyone to prevent us from writing about your product with profane language.
If you want to have a blogger review your product, make sure that you choose a writer that meets your standards. Read a few of their posts to make sure that they are going to present the image that you require for your product.
I can’t really speak for anyone else, but here is how I would like to be pitched to:
Because newspapers, magazines, television and radio are all on deadlines, press releases work really well for them. When they are pressed for time, they can take your press release and regurgitate it verbatim. It helps them meet their ever-looming deadlines with little effort on their part since you took all the effort writing them in the first place.
For a blogger, however, press releases are useless. I don’t have a deadline looming over my head, so I’m not desperate. I don’t need to cut and paste your press release into my blog because there is no one forcing me to write.
Additionally, spewing press releases actually HURTS my blog. The search engines (like Google), notice if I am posting unoriginal material, such as press releases, and I am penalized for it. Posting a press release verbatim is search engine suicide for me.
If Google and their search engine practices are a disadvantage to you, they can also be your secret weapon. The Chinese military strategist, Sun-tzu, said, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” This is a highly effective method for pitching to bloggers.
Using Google, find your “friends.” These are bloggers who love your product. Without pitching to them at all, they have been out there talking up a storm about how great your product is. They are an incredible asset to you and they really deserve to be thanked.
For example, if you were asked to pitch the newest Nike+ gadget, type the phrase, “I love Nike+” into a Google search. If you do this, you will find a number of articulate bloggers who just rave about the product. Go to their site, thank them for the coverage and ask if they want to review the newest product in the same line.
The second half of that famous quote is even more important. If you can find the bloggers who are talking smack about your product line and turn them around, then you have a RABID fan, who will gladly give you good reviews for years.
You use Google to find your enemies the same way as you find your friends. Search using the phrase, “I hate [your product or brand]” and your sworn enemies will rise to the top. How you treat them is a little different, however.
In that previous example for Nike+, if you type the phrase, “I hate Nike+” into Google, the first blog entry complains about the fact that the battery in the Nike+ is not replaceable.
If you know the official spin from Nike regarding this issue and can address it, then you might be able to turn this enemy into a rabid fan. If you don’t, however, you will make things worse.
Only try to turn angry bloggers with issues that you can control. Nike’s slow and cumbersome website is not an issue that you can solve, but if you could get a replacement sensor for the blogger whose battery went dead, then you’ve got a friend for life.
Bloggers write on their own dime. Most of the time they review products that they have paid for with their own hard-earned money. If you can provide a review copy of your product, that almost guarantees that you’ll get a review.
I can’t speak for all bloggers, but I prefer a review copy with a time deadline. I prefer a company to say that I will have the product for two weeks and a UPS sticker to send it back to them when it’s all done. Bloggers might have a reputation for wanting free stuff, but you’ll get faster and more honest reviews if you don’t give them the item for free. You can even put your favorite bloggers on a schedule and pass the review copy around to them in sequence.
The scariest aspect of dealing with bloggers is that they are shockingly willing to tell the truth. If your product is sub-par, difficult to use, or a problem in any way, they are perfectly willing to tell the world about it. That’s why readers trust them.
If you are going to pitch to bloggers, you MUST be prepared for the truth. It is very easy to botch this and several companies have done just that. After a particularly bad email pitch to a prominent blogger, Biro, MWW Group’s director of new media strategies, sent out this to the firm:
For me, the most important on their list is “Make sure you’re not asking for coverage you’ve already gotten.” There are so many times when I’ve received a press release for a product I’ve already reviewed. Whether I gave them a good review or a bad review, it makes me mad because they didn’t notice. That’s why I highly recommend using Google to your advantage and finding your friends and enemies before you approach them.
Here are some links to other bloggers who have talked about this subject:
Update 06-09-08: Tom Pick had a couple of good PR pitches that he received:
For the last week, Kristen has been staying with us. Today, in
addition to taking care of her, we are watching Matt’s daughters. He
and Melanie are leaving for China tonight to finally pick up the boy
that they have been trying to adopt for the last year. We thought the
trip was going to be cancelled because of the earthquakes, but at the
last minute, they were given permission to come and get him. Mike and
I usually lead a quiet existence, so the addition if three humans into
our house is a shocking change. I’m ready for naptime for the girls
and I’ve only had them for a couple of hours. How did I already get
full to the gills?
Hot Weather Scene, N.Y. from the Library of Congress on Flickr
It looks so idyllic, doesn’t it? Playing in the water on a hot summer’s day in New York. Between 83 and 98 years ago, those children played.
Dead.
They’re all dead now.
Does it matter that she got her dress all wet and ruined it for the day?
I miss Sid. We had to take him to the kennel because of all the
company.
When I saw this photo, a flood of memories came back to me.
My mom bought this Supermax hairdryer when I was in junior high. I remember looking at the lady on that box, wishing the hairdryer would make my hair as smooth as that lady’s hair. It would take me six more years before I learned how to straighten curly hair.
Mike’s parents just came back from their trip to Great Britain. While they were in Scotland, they visited Moncur Castle.
Moncur Castle by Gary Moncur from Flickr
Decrepit, tiny and roofless, it stands in a cow pasture. Still, it feels good to be able to trace our family lineage back to a castle in Europe, even if it’s a decrepit one.
Staples versus tacks by Spyderella from Flickr
Note to self: Re-fabulous my sandals.
I would have never thought of using upholstery tacks and ribbon. Good idea!
I have been obsessing over Sex And The City. It started as just a one season experiment and many iTunes downloads later, I have consumed the entire series in a three week period.
CHOMP!
I gathered a bunch of quotes while I watched, so I can kind of call my obsession “work.” You can see the quotes I found here:
I took this quiz and it says I’m a Carrie Bradshaw, but I really think I’m much more like Miranda. I never do stupid quizzes like this, but it was something fun to do. I kind of wish I had gotten into that show when it was on television because I have no one to talk to about it.
Anyone out there like Sex And The City?
Thanks to Sparkle Power for this homemade bubbles recipe. I need to remember to pick up some glycerin and the pharmacy so I can have the secret magic bubble ingredient on hand when I need it.
Homemade Bubble Recipe:
Make it the night before so the ingredients can get mixed together without shaking the bottle.
Via: MotherLoad: The MomAdvice.com Blog
and
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