The PR/blogger relationship
Blogging/Journalism — By Chris on December 16, 2009 at 9:13 am
My relationship with “PR people” has morphed throughout the years.
On newspaper city and suburban news desks, where I spent the first 14 years of my career, we called them “flacks,” derogatory meaning intended. To a news reporter on deadline, a PR person was, if not the enemy, then certainly not a friend. They were the gatekeepers standing between you and the mayor or the police chief or the school superintendent, the tricksters who parceled out glib soundbites to complex questions, the stonewallers who stalled your public records request.
When I moved into features, the give and take became less antagonistic. PR people scored my reporters crucial invites to Fashion Week, for example. They fed our gossip columnist celebrity sightings and engendered good will with chocolate. Yes, newspapers have swag policies but here’s a tip – if you’re hungry, walk by the features department. There’s bound to be some kind of product sample available for noshing – and if the PR person is smart, they’ve sent something sweet or caffeinated to fuel the deadline rush.
In travel writing, even at the pinnacle of USA TODAY, public relations people are even more involved. While we didn’t take press trips (most newspapers do not), the reporters and editors regularly gleaned story ideas through their in box, especially items on deals and promotions. For bloggers, who require a steady stream of copy, the relationship can be even more symbiotic.
While this may make news purists queasy, the shining light for travel writers is that, generally, PR people in the travel field are easy to like. They’re outgoing, as anyone who has been to an SATW conference knows. They generally enjoy their jobs, although perhaps not so much this past year during the travel downturn. And, as I’ve learned through participating occasionally on Bulldog Reporter panels, they are open to guidance from journalists and bloggers so everyone’s lives can be a little easier.
On the eve of my first press trip, I did an interview with Bulldog Reporter about what bloggers need from PR people. As I prepped, I put the question to Twitter and got some interesting feedback:
@theseboots: 1 Don’t spam me with unsolicited bumpf. 2. Connect with me BEFORE you start sending material. 3. Read my blog! 4. Don’t send me “pre-written” blog posts–that’s not how good blogs work. 5 Read my disclosure statement 6. Work together!
@rtwdave. I think it would go a long way to be familiar with/read the blog you want to work with
@EverywhereTrip I get angry because the only contact I have from most PR people is getting spam press releases
@AEEvans. Free, unlimited wi-fi, a long-haul ticket to somewhere nobody else has written about before, doughnuts
And, on the PR side:
@peoplesink I want to know, up front, how they’d like to work with PR folks as everyone’s different. I see alot of angry blogger posts.
@cfinjer For Pitching- feedback! ‘No’ can be a great response, I’d rather learn what works/doesn’t for next time.
@mpaynor Transparency on both ends.
What I told reporter Frank Zeccola was along the same lines of what I said on a panel when I was still USAT’s travel editor. Let me add the caveat that MOST good PR people do this stuff anyway:
- Know the outlet. Just as cookie-cutter pitches never worked at USAT, a pitch that ignores a blog’s primary focus and demographic will never fly.
- Connect in a way that doesn’t waste time. At USAT, I hated receiving phone calls, and much preferred email. Same holds true now. I think most writers and editors feel the same.
- Make your pitches memorable and let the writer know why it’s news, now.
- Treat bloggers the same that you’d treat a regular travel writer. Don’t assume that they are less experienced or less responsible to their readers – and to their bottom line. For me, it’s not enough to go on a trip, even if all expenses are paid. I need to figure out how to sell it. The blog is a business, not a hobby.
- Reach out on Twitter and other social networking tools and become part of the travel community. For me, Twitter has made a huge difference in my business relationships. I will never forget the support I received during my layoff – much of it from PR people.
As for bloggers, well, I haven’t been one long so I’m not as cognizant of how most conduct their business. Again, I’m sure most follow these guidelines anyway.
- Be professional. Goes without saying, of course.
- Think before hitting send. Yes, your readers want your impressions – but how does your experience fit into the larger picture? Is it typical or an aberration? Maybe making a phone call or doing an interview – journalism! – would clarify your post.
- Consider posting a disclosure statement, a code of conduct or demographic intent on your blog. This can help PR people understand what market you are reaching, what kind of material you are interested in and what you can or cannot accept.
- Don’t be defensive when PR folks ask for your blog’s analytics (I’m still working on this one). They need to know what kind of audience you reach so they know what kind of investment to make. It’s nothing personal.
- Realize that blogs – while a great way for PR people to reach niche markets – are still not the gold standard. Again, it’s nothing personal. I’m fully aware that most of the people who wanted to talk to me when I was USAT travel editor want nothing to do with my blog. There’s no point in getting angry about it, and I’d rather use my energy making my blog a great experience and resource for readers. If they come, the PR people will follow.
Would love to continue the discussion. Any PR tweeps want to chime in? Or bloggers?
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12 Comments
Hi Chris,
Thanks for including my feedback in this great post. Funny, I was thinking of writing something like this on my site, but now I think I’ll link to your comprehensive piece instead!
I especially appreciated your observation that PR people should not automatically assume that a blogger is somehow less responsible or professional than a “traditional” travel writer–I worked in newspapers and magazines for 20 years before launching my Canada travel blog.
I also agree that when you invest your energy into courting readers rather than PR people, the readers will come and the PR people will follow…at least that’s been my experience.
All best,
and thanks again
Julie
http://www.theseboots.travel
Thanks, Julie! How could i not use your points, as they were so well articulated? Nice to connect.
It is simply not true that if you get readers, PR people will follow.
The bloggers who seem to get the most from PR are the ones who establish personal contacts and network. They have to reach out to PR. PR doesn’t reach out very well to bloggers. I have one of the larger travel blogs on the internet and I can count the number of PR and marketing people who have reached out to me personally on one hand. (and I fully blame myself for not reaching out to more people in PR. I note it more as an observation than as a complaint.)
I don’t think that many PR people know how to work with bloggers yet. Few seem to have done much research to know what bloggers are good and which are bad, which blogs are big and which are small. “Blogs” seem to be treated as if they are a mass noun.
PR people need to do some research. They need to get their hands dirty and read blogs. Find out which ones are most relevant to their clients. Find out who the thought leaders are and develop personal relationships with them. They also need to realize that the sooner they do this, the bigger the benefits will be down the road.
I agree. Get to know your audience!!! As a long-time PR person for auto racing teams and drivers, I have always felt that my first duty was to GET TO KNOW the key people in the press-AP reporters, bloggers, radio and TV people. Then to keep them informed and connected to what we were doing, so that they could use it in their articles.
I’ve felt it is a symbiotic relationship; I provide some ideas and content obviously related to my focus and having it in front of them, makes their job easier, thus getting my clients into the forefront of the news more likely. If I can’t meet them in the press room, then I read their blog, am on Facebook, or Twitter following, or just “keeping up with what they’re doing now”.
I’ve always taken the “friends” approach to getting my message to the press. We all seem to work together but separately and many times from hotel rooms or separate or isolated offices- or from home offices as “free-lancing” has been forced onto many full-time writers. We in PR are generally people who enjoy interacting with others, but so are most press people. And for me, that means keeping up with regular emails, occasional phone msg, congratulatory notes for great articles or awards, as well as the news items.
There is a huge need for content for blogs/websites/new outlets. PR is about getting your message out to the right people, so getting to know the people you need is just good business and actually alot of fun too!
Gary, those are good points, and a great perspective, seeing as you built your blog up without having a media background first. I think both sides probably have to reach out a little bit better.
The best place to start would be at TBEX – I already know from Twitter that some PR peoople are planning to go. Those exchanges can be very valuable. I’ve met a lot of people at SATW over the past year.
I’ve heard from people inside agencies that they’ve compiled lists of influencial bloggers, and I’m sure you are on those lists. After all, Princess must have started somewhere for their Twitter cruise. Like everything else in life, it does require a bit of networking though!
One big problem I haven’t heard anyone address is the cost of managing relationships with bloggers.
There are just a lot of bloggers out there. One reason why you still see companies spending so much on TV is because it is easier and more efficient to spend $1,000,000 with one outlet than it is to spend $10,000 on 100 outlets, or $1,000 or 1,000 outlets.
I think there is a market for someone to start up a blogging middle-man business. They would serve as a ad agency/blogger agent. They would develop relations with 100-200 bloggers in their niche, then work with companies who want to work with bloggers but don’t want to have to learn a whole industry just for one project. They would match up blogs with companies for junkets and advertising.
Someone please steal this idea and make it a reality….
Hmm….I am unemployed!
That is an excellent business idea.
Chris, could you please edit my comment above to read:
“…that a blogger is somehow less responsible or professional than a…”
I was typing too fast and didn’t proofread–how unprofessional of me!
And I think Gary’s idea of a mini-agency to match advertisers–especially small advertisers–to niche blogs is an excellent idea! Go with it Chris!
As a person that straddles both sides of the fence – a PR professional and a blogger, who is targeted by PR professionals on occasion, it was great to read your perspective.
In response to Gary’s comment, I actually do think there are many PR professionals that get their hands dirty when it comes to breaking into the realm of blogger relations. However, to his point about budget/the amount of blogs out there, it can get overwhelming and for a PR person (at least one that works at an agency) time is money. Finding and then getting very familiar with a targeted niche of bloggers could eat up what is allotted to me in an entire month, for example – and that’s before my traditional PR activity.
Also, I totally agree there is an opportunity for an agency that closely manages blogger relations for brands. Brand About Town actually does that quite well- not sure how many others there are out there though.
Also, Chris- as for PR people caring more about a USAT article than your blog, I think that a good PR professional understands that in many cases, the INFLUENCER is the best target for a brand more so than the outlet. And you are an influencer no matter where you write, whether it’s on your blog or even on twitter.
Hi Chris,
Having been a PR “flack” and now working the print and travel blogger side of the fence, I appreciated this post.
Speaking from the PR side (I’m APR accredited, but no one cares a hoot about that)it is over-whelming to put together a travel blogger list if you don’t ‘follow’ the travel blogs.
As a travel blogger, the Twitter list feature is something that PR peeps need to utilize. In fact, the TBEX attendee list is posted on the website. Any PR person worth their salt would be going over this ‘media list’ with a fine tooth comb.
Follow me on Twitter @Nancydbrown
Horse lovers @Ridinghorseback
Hey Chris –
I’m late to this, but just wanted to thank you for this post.
You were such a great resource to me back on one of those Bulldog calls when you were at USAT and I appreciate you sharing more via this blog. It’s one I’ll definitely send around to the rest of the folks in our office.
I’d also whole-heartedly agree with Susan, I know at our office you’re still an A-list target! Not sure if that’s good or bad for you!
I see a lot of bloggers say that they’d like us to pitch them if they’re going to be in certain places already . . . might be nice to have some sort of modified editorial calendar? We search them for print pubs and it makes it so much easier to tailor and not spam people. It’s tough to read every travel blog every day, it’d be nice if there was a way to know up front if the blogger would be visiting or interested in visiting our destinations . . . Maybe a link to a list of preferred/interesting destinations? Just a thought . . .
Thanks again, Chris!
Cheers!
Kate