There’s much debate about communicating directly with bloggers, caused by the Vocus controversy. What is right, what is wrong. Where to begin….
What’s wrong is treating bloggers like traditional media outlets. New media content creators do not have any obligation to “report� or field inquiries. They don’t have to write up a kind review of your product (even if you comp them something), and a great majority distrust traditional public relations tactics. Consider the most successful tactic to date involves literally bribing bloggers with free stuff. This practice has been dubbed by the Wall Street Journal as giving blogola.
Specific tactics will continue to evolve in this realm as bloggers and social networks determine how they want to be communicated to… But the major issue with pitching towards bloggers is that when this occurs, a company’s community participation tactics are not strong enough to command respect without having to push. When strong social network relationships are not in play, news that may be of interest to a community cannot be communicated naturally and virally. This puts an organization or company in a position of weakness as it forces marketing to promote initiatives rather than to attract attention. Social media is not conducive towards this kind of promotion.
When there is a strong social network strategy in play, members of the community feel tied to the organizations efforts, and if they believe in the organization, are often willing to help promote it. The Splashcast team’s intelligent dialogue with the blogging community before the company’s launch is a great example of engaging a community before an initiative hits the market.
That being said if an organization must promote in an outbound fashion, our experience demonstrates that a very simple pitch must be drawn up for new media outlets that’s very customized to each particular blog or content creator. Any pitch must be about the new media outlet’s interests/content direction, and must provide value to them by providing some sort of facts, service/product or information that’s of interest. That can include early trials of products or services, but be wary, as this does not guarantee positive write-ups, and if the information/product/service is poor, you better expect a negative write up (see Vocus issue).
Use of only one URL should be included in the pitch, pointing the outlet back to more information in one central location (such as a social media release). No pitch should overtly demand or request pick up, instead providing an “FYI� only. The pitch is usually submitted as a tip via a web form on the site, or emailed to the blogger IF their site invites tips.
Then once you send your pitch, let it go. Period. That means do not follow up or harass the blogger/content creator. At all. If there’s no pick-up or interest, take it as a sign that your company just engaged in shameless promotion instead of creating value for your community, and start your new media strategy over. And be happy you didn’t get slammed by one of the bloggers. Begin again by building value for the community instead of trying to exploit its members by pitching them.
:) Another $.02 delivered.
The long and short of it is if the first contact you make with a blogger is pitching them your product, you’re not doing it right.
Agreed. It should never get to the point with a social media community that this is the only way.