As the blogosphere progresses and becomes increasingly influential, communicators will need to find ways to reach out to bloggers just as we do to traditional journalists. This will become an integral part of media relations.
However, bloggers are not traditional reporters. Sending them press releases via a blast email will not turn out well.
The Lorelle on Wordpress blog has an interesting post titled "Promoting Your Wares to Bloggers." Here's one of her points:
Don't Waste The Time of a Blogger
If you want a bloggers attention, don't waste their time. Do not put a blogger on a mailing list they never asked to be on. Know the blogger and the blog you are approaching. Read their blog and their policies. If they clearly state, like I do, that they will not accept any requests for commercial link exchanges, don't even ask.
If your subject matter it unrelated to their blogging topic, go elsewhere. If it is, and you expect them to take you seriously, ask first, and send them the product with no expectation of a response or publicity. I'm often asked to review photography products and services, as well as software and hardware. If it isn't in my hands to rip apart and put back together, don't waste my time.
Now, Lorelle is a blogger and she is clearly speaking from her own experience. Those of us who work as professional communicators may view this from a different angle, but understanding the audience is critical.
From my own experience, bloggers have always proven to be both thoughtful and helpful -- but you must understand and participate in their world. If not, let the flames begin...
Technorati Tags: blog, public relations, media
Don't waste blogger's time
As someone who has been working in the communications and media field for many years, when I wrote that, I spoke as a blogger and media experienced professional. Serious bloggers are very thoughtful and helpful, but you will not find a lot of "pussy footing" around subjects with most bloggers. They are into not wasting time and getting right to the point, a refreshing but blunt way of communicating.
It's really interesting to watch how communications are changing. In many respects, it's moving back to the "old days", pre radio and television with high social interaction. And yet, we are still so far apart from connecting with each other. The hype around Web 2.0 has created a wide variety of social interactivity products, but it's not quite crossed all the barriers. Translation technology will definitely help, but I see some very exciting communications technologies rising up in the future and bloggers are going to be a part of that cutting edge.
And you are right. If you want to talk to bloggers and get bloggers to talk about you and your company, it helps to understand how we work.
Just a thought, but it
Just a thought, but it strikes me that the best way to understand the blogosphere is to ... blog.
I'm wondering if it wouldn't be a good idea for every communications professional -- PR, IR, journalist -- to start a personal blog and just get out there. See how it works. Comment and be commented upon.
Since there's no cost to it, why not? There's everything to gain, and nothing to lose.
I believe that anyone who
I believe that anyone who wants to blog should blog. As for those who need to walk in the shoes of a blogger, that's an interesting concept, but I've found that those who blog do so from their own perspective.
I've worked with many people learning to blog and it takes about a year to get the "hang" of blogging. It's a very diverse hobby and business and it takes a long time to get the blogging style and voice. Even professional writers and journalists have had trouble making the switch from journalist to "blogger". For the majority of writing jobs and activities, a writer writes for a purpose. Bloggers write for their readers.
It's hard to explain so I'll have to think about it some more but I equate blogging to stand up comedy. Anyone can be funny at the dinner table with family and friends, but when you are up there in the spot light, funny is a very different concept.
I think they should blog to get a feel for it, but it takes 6 months to two years to become a "blogger" in the professional sense of the term. Just as "photographer" can mean everything from taking family pictures to selling 60 books on photography, blogger can mean everything from someone who shares cute kid stories to someone whose written and sold 60 books on the subject. For a journalist to get into the shoes of a blogger, it would take more than a few blog posts. ;-)
Agreed 100%. I just think
Agreed 100%. I just think understanding the mechanism of blogging, even things as simple as how to post and comment, would be useful.
Among many PR folks and other communicators, there' s a lot of unfounded fear about the blogosphere. Mostly because people don't really understand how it works. And as with most web apps, the only way to truly understand is to play with it.
Comment
IF...
"...bloggers are not traditional reporters. Sending them press releases via a blast email will not turn out well (...)
AND...
Do not put a blogger on a mailing list they never asked to be on. Know the blogger and the blog you are approaching. Read their blog and their policies. (...)you expect them to take you seriously, ask first, and send them the product with no expectation of a response or publicity
THEM, HOW LONG WOULD YOU TAKE TO SPREAD A SINGLE PRODUCT CAMPAIGN IN THE SHORT TERM WHEN YOUR BLOG LIST HAS (HOW MANY) HUNDREDS OF URLs AND WHY A BLOGGER CAN NOT ACCEPT A NEW RELEASE? IF HE/SHE DOES NOT AGREE HE/SHE WILL NOT PUBLISH IT, OR WOULD DO IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY, NOT LIKE JOURNALISTS...
I am Spanish, I am posting from Seville (South of Spain) and, I am sure, I have many mistakes. I beg your pardon, but I hope you understand my point.
Thanks
The problem here is that
The problem here is that bloggers generally don't respect the medium of the press release -- particularly from someone they do not already know. They seem to consider it akin to spam.
What they do respect is contact from other bloggers, links to posts, etc. I'd suggest having a conversation with them the way they converse with others.
If you really look at press releases, you'll note that they are written in a very similar format to news stories, which is no accident since they are intended for journalists -- who themselves write in that format.
Sure, you can send press releases to bloggers if you like. At best they'll ignore them. If they are really unhappy, they may well ridicule your announcement. I think there's a better way...
Comment
From the point of view of the communicator It is a matter of time. To dialogue take more time, much more, than sending press releases. I think you can do both, depends of cases. And, at the same time, you can write them in a different way/style, just for bloggers, why not? : there are social press releases o multimedia press releases and a part of them is the news itself, written.
And why bloggers are son different? I am blogging one and a half years. I have organized in Spain the first national bloggers meeting (more than 300 bloggers from around the country, last year) and always I see normal people.
There should be a way to
There should be a way to make this work. I agree, it takes much longer to set up a dialogue with a particular blogger than to send out a press release.
To date in the U.S., press releases haven't been terribly successful with bloggers. If you find better success, please pass on your experience.
That would be very helpful.
Comment
Thank you Farrell, It has been a pleasure.