Blogworld: PR Do's and Don't's

Lead by Sue Bohle - a few friends on the panel, including Brian Solis and John Earnhardt of Cisco. Eastman Kodak, SAP, PRWeb and BlogAds were also part of the panel.

::Don't like the format - it's about open media, new media so have it free flowing. The beginning started with a 'hold your questions' type admonition, which is not the way it shoulda been.::

PR people do need to reach out to the bloggers in their space - a unanimous decision - because bloggers are looking for various and different stories than traditional journalists. And, some can be more interested and be more passionate about the subject rather than the trade journalist.

If a blogger follows journalistic standards, then you can deal with them the same way. But, it's about knowing the people, the relationships. Treat them with respect - it's a golden rule.

There are distinctions on bloggers - from professionals to semi-pros to amateurs. And, it's a difference in outreach also. There's IM versus email versus Facebook walls versus Twitter versus commenting on blogs (I view that as comment SPAM, though).

About sharing the stories, the good, bad and the indifferent. Cross-pollinating the stories, to the point of online and offline engagement.

Should there be a new PR person, or can the traditional PR people learn. Do there need to be specialized teams, or can the traditional teams need to be trained.

PR is everyone at the company's responsibility - if you are an employee, you are in PR for the company whenever you are engaged in the public. There is a team for media relations, but we all have responsibilities in the public perception of the company.

Rachel Luxemburg also wrote on the panel.
Comments
7 comments
  1. hahaha! I linked to your report too. :)

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  2. If you can make the blanket judgment that "doing outreach" via comments on a blog post is "comment spam," why isn't outreach via Twitter or Facebook considered Twitter or Facebook spam?

    (Of course, it's not necessarily "spam" we're talking about, either. More accurately, it's "junk e-mail.")

    Isn't the "junk or not" judgment really about the content of the message, not the way in which it's delivered? You might have preferences about how to receive "outreach," but if you're really interest the subject of the outreach, does it matter much where you learned about it?

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  3. @fiat lux
    :), well, I knew you were writing...

    @mike keliher
    It's different because on Twitter and Facebook, those people have friended you and are open to accepting your comments, etc. If they don't want to anymore, they unfriend.

    On a blog, if a PR firm just comes to comment about another product, that's comment SPAM. Go look at the Long Tail / PR post at the people that pitched their companies. It's unseemly, and doesn't send the right message most of the time.

    I'd rather get an email than have someone post a comment, because then it's for me to blog about if I'm really interested.

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  4. Touche.

    I still believe the content of the message can overcome all obstacles, though. Part of the problem with those comments on the Long Tail post is that I honestly can't think of any idea that's truly appropriate to "pitch" there, other than perhaps the idea of firing all PR practitioners. :)

    But on a blog post and comment thread about, say, new business models for journalism enterprises, it would make sense for MinnPost.com or ProPublica's people to politely raise their hands and say, "Hi, we're in that game. Do you think we're on to something?"

    It's not even a pitch. It's little more than simply pointing out a fact.

    However, your point about the "friend" status on Twitter, Facebook and the like is very well taken. I hadn't thought of the pitching or outreach issue in that context.

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  5. The more I get approached by PR companies looking to get product reviews on my blog, or product mentions, the more I realize how important it is that they approach me somewhat personally.

    I mean, they don't have to have read my entire blog (God help them if they try!), but they know why they're there and why they're approaching me, so let me know your angle and what you need. I'm not stupid... I'll let you know if I can give you what you want.

    Generic emails are just as bad as product comment spam.

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  6. I think that good copywriting skills are going to be crucial for the PR person.

    Eamon
    www.spotlightideas.co.uk

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  7. I used some of your tips on my SMU Communications blog. Check it out!

    Brooke Baker
    http://prandj.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

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