I receive emails sometimes with PR requests and offers, and opportunities. Always lots and lots of opportunities. I consider my blog to be a PR friendly blog; I respond to emails that have a call to action or request, love to attend events and will do so if I can. And I am genuinely interested in content that would be of use to me. So, I welcome emails and correspondence, and ideas from my PR friends.
However, sometimes it’s a bit much.
I feel like a pawn in a tug a war. My inbox is littered with random announcements for brands I’ve never been associated with. Peppered with offers to do giveaways. And I’m grateful to be acknowledged in this way, really I am. But it feels rather generic. I get that PR’s are just like any of us who have measures to meet and time to do it in. But for me, it’s just a reminder in my inbox over and over again that I’m not special enough to warrant a one on one email.
Then sometimes, I accept an offer, and there’s a post or social media coverage. I send off the post link and hear back crickets. Nothing. Zip, zero, zilch. And I’m not going to lie; it would be nice to get a thank you sometimes. A thumbs up. Thanks for the mention/attending. We appreciate the post—that sort of thing. And yes, some contacts will do that every single time. They take the time to read the link, and I sent and respond. I love those; those have my heart.
This is a first-world type problem, a problem that only some bloggers have. I get that.
I don’t mean to be a jerk about it. On the contrary, I am genuinely grateful for the opportunities I get that fit the blog and the type of content we make. For example, OVO in Brisbane totally worked. We loved that event and have offered ourselves up to the PR in the future, trusting her judgement to select stuff that will be of interest to me and, therefore, you guys. ECCO’s event was the same thing. I was treated really well; great event and something I could report back on without feeling like I was going through the motions. Which, we all know, I’m just not very good at doing. There are others, oh my yes, sorry to not mention them; these were fresh. Recent.
So, how do we, as bloggers, find a balance?
How do we remain available with becoming, errr, TOO available and compromising our blog?
When it comes to working together, how do we make it work for everyone?
Within the blanket pitches, I search for the tiny call to action in there somewhere, and I pounce. I read the article and either respond quickly, thank you, keep them coming but not this one. Or it’s the starting point of a beautiful friendship. And by friendship, I mean that they offer me what I need, and I offer them what they need with varying methods of delivery and compensation.
I love tailored ideas delivered with my blog in mind, and I want to be pitched. Wow’ed and wooed even. This isn’t always possible, but just once, I would love for an email to drop into my inbox that I thought WOW. Yes, that! And maybe it’s a scale thing. My blog is where my blog is. It’s nowhere near the king of the castle. Perhaps those pitches are saved for the top of the tree? If I ever get one, I’ll ask and let you know.
That said, I think bloggers need to remember their manners.
Or, as I like to call it, professionalism. Rule one, I never ask for products/samples that I have no intention of reviewing. Two, I don’t attend events I don’t intend to cover. And, three, I don’t misrepresent my blog by fluffing the facts or fudging the stats. From there, it’s about delivering posts on time, working hard to promote them and doing everything I can to make them a success. That’s my side of the bargain, and for all the demands out there by bloggers, it’s important to remember our side of the deal.
Very funny Mel!!
I think we can get too sensitive over the personal email thing. PRs have always operated on a number of levels and the blanket send out is one of them. Believe me this used to happen even in the days before email – snail mail can be impersonal too! I look at each email from a “newsworthy” perspective … is there info here that my readers might want to know about? That determines my next step. Sure a smart pitch is more noticable but it doesn’t necessarily contain anything worthwhile.
And re events, I took something away from Nicole Avery’s Blogopolis talk this year … like her, I now really consider whether an event is worth my time for what the brand will get in return for me even showing up and taking one Instagram photo. Will it be fun AND provide worthwhile content?
Damn. I’d typed a whole thing and I lost it. On my own blog. Gosh. Fail.
Short version: Thank you, this is such a valuable addition to the post.
Melissa, I’m only just starting to get some queries and suspect I will struggle for a while. I’m excited that someone approaches me and don’t want to keep saying no – hoping that the right fit comes along (in case it never does) – but I also don’t want to ‘sell-out’ my readers (if that makes sense!).
Deb
I have been starting to get more emails and pitches from PR companies and brands in the last couple of months, which has been great to be recognised in that way. I haven’t accepted many as they haven’t been right for me or my readers. Which has actually be harder to do than I thought, once you start getting brand’s attention you kinda want to say yes to everything, but I haven’t. It frustrates me sometimes when I am approached the person has obviously not even read my blog, but I was almost sent over the edge the other day when I received an email that was so impersonal and generic, I could tell it had just been copied and pasted a number of times and then sent to me. I was intrigued by the offer though, so I responded and also politely mentioned that bloggers are more likely to respond favourably if they feel like the brand has emailed them specifically, not just sent out a generic email. I had checked out the company’s website, but still didn’t understand what the offer was about so I asked for more information than what was on the site. The person emailed me back and rudely stated “I don’t have time personalise emails” [among other things] and simply gave me the link to the website for more information. I felt like responding in a rude manner also saying something along the lines of “well then I don’t have time for you” However, I just politely said I wasn’t interested in the offer. I just couldn’t believe the company would shoot themselves in the foot like that!
Oh heck, that is rude. Ruuude. Not a great advertisement for the brand, unfortunately they may never know if it’s being done through a representative.
Yeah that should have said google searches!
Got it. 😉
I wish I knew! haha
Great post though, now sit and wait for the strange good searches! haha
xx
Thanks Zoe. Welcome back! I missed your gorgeous self.
Strange searches are a given when you say slutty in a post, right? Haha.
PREACH
Haha. xo