Shel Israel, co-author of the blockbuster Naked Conversations, has helpful advice for PR people who are tempted to contact a journalist or blogger and launch into a pitch about their client:
“I think you need to stop pitching and start becoming part of the conversation relevant to your market and your client. The blogosphere is becoming more relevant to your clients and the traditional media less so. If you wait until your client has an announcement then try to come barging in here shouting for attention, I, and other bloggers, will simply ignore you.”
I commented at his blog and suggested several ways PR people can join the conversation. The best way to do that is to let them know you read their work, then tell them what you liked or didn’t like, or suggest another angle they might want to pursue.
Nine out of 10 PR people fail to do this. I’m a blogger and a freelancer. If the first sentence in your email to me, or the first words out of your mouth when you call, lets me know that you know who I am and that you’ve read my stuff, I’m more inclined to listen to what you’re going to say next.
Hi Joan, I couldn’t agree with you more about joining in other blogs first showing that you are an expert in the field and giving good comments about their posts or articles before trying to “sell” yourself.
As an example of doing this, we are a home page article at http://networkworld.com We are a featured “Today’s Top Stories” being story # 4 called “Work Naked Clothing Optional resort Caters to Telecommuters.”
Whereas I bet if I wrote to network world and said we are the most popular nudist resort in the US please write a story about us, it would have gotten no where.