B.L. Ochman, asks a very timely and important question.. Why do clueless publicists still have jobs?
For those who haven’t read it, B.L. gets a PR pitch with a one MB file attached and screams for the publicists head. Or short of that, her job.
I’m going to agree with her sentiment, but disagree with how she handled it. I haven’t been a PR blogger long enough to get any PR pitches but even in the past two years I’ve seen enough all around bad habits from PR folk, even those working in tech. Things like HTML email and attachments are still SOP in most agencies and even when the bosses know it’s wrong they still do it because they think they can stun reporters with flashy photos and neat graphics.
Fortunate me, as a freelancer I can choose to work with agencies and individuals who understand RSS from a hole in the ground and know that creating a list of 300 reporters with ‘tech’ in their beats from Bacons, MediaMap or Vocus and sending them each the identical pitch just might not be the best way to get coverage.
On the other hand, there are plenty of people I know in agencies who think there must be a better way. What those of us on the side of good have to do is educate and preach the gospel of good PR practices so the message gets through.
For those who are dying to know… Shel has the story and it’s far more articulate than anything I could say about it.
Read, enjoy, discuss, and buy a suit.
For those wondering… Thomas is safely back in Cumbria. Back in Hugh’s care… if that constitutes safe…
This past weekend was a true testament to the power of blogging - a blow-out weekend filled with new customers - customers who never would have even considered bespoke - and interest from media who found a great story through a great blog.
I’ll be wrapping this all up in a longer entry as soon as I have the time… but for now I can safely announce that Thomas will be back to the States sooner rather than later and before long we’ll be adding some new destinations to the itinerary.
Chicago?
Los Angeles?
San Francisco, are you ready for bespoke?
Seattle? I think Robert Scoble needs a new wardrobe.
I’m doing some work with a (very smart and very savvy) local PR agency to get one of their clients some coverage in Blogistan. And I was asked by the VP in charge of this account (who really does ‘get it’) what she should tell the client. This client is very hot for print and electronic media but is only vaguely aware of online media at all, let alone blogs.
It’s something that did give me pause - when we all stop drinking the Kool-Aid every now and then we do need to think about that question. What makes blogs so special that we should be burning billable hours of our client’s time to pitch them?
So I’ve come up with a list, and I invite anyone to add to it.
1. Fanaticism - Bloggers are fanatics and evangelists. If they like your product, they aren’t shy about saying so and will continue to talk about your product beyond the bounds of their blog. Many bloggers have out outlets they participate in and will likely mention your product if relevant.
2. Readers - A blog’s readership might be small compared to print or electronic media but the readers tend to be a much more focused and targeted group. If you want to reach the 2,000 people in the whole world who are obsessive about one particular subject or product, you are much more likely to reach them through a targeted blog than through general print or electronic media.
3. Google juice - The permalink structure of most blogs means the entry will stay put and still be around and available for a long time. Unlike the online versions of most print media, who move their content to paid archives after a month or two, blog entries are permanent. And the longer they stay, the higher they rank on Google. Which means that in six or seven months, when someone is Googling your product, they aren’t going to find the review in the New York Times or Wall Street Journal, they are going to find the entry in Gizmodo.
4. RSS - Content syndication through RSS means that the content of a blog has a reach far beyond the web site. Content is distributed and redistributed through different formats and seen by more people than whomever goes to the original web site.
OK folks… feel free to add more in the comments section.
Now here’s a fake blog I can get behind…