One Question That’s Got PR Pros Dizzy

After reading Chris Brogan’s “Trust Agents” this winter (also found on my Required Holiday Reading List for the Inspired Hustler) I’ve been making a daily visit to his blog and reading his and his readers’ comments, and finally jumped into the conversation on a topic that has some PR folks in constant wonder: How do I reach out Bloggers?

Here’s Brogan’s post that got a lot of responses, please read if you haven’t already:

You can find my response in the comment thread below the post, but here is my exchange with Chris Brogan who responded to my initial comment. What are your thoughts?

My Initial Post:

I’m so very glad you attacked this topic, Chris. I do have to add however that a lot of the guidelines you listed are applicable when approaching even traditional media. I’m in PR myself, and a lot of journalists I meet complain the most about the “pushing” and the endless emails from PR pros, so being the 3 C’s – concise, clear, and courteous should remain as a guiding rule, so thank you for pointing it out.

But with that said, there are some differences with reaching out to traditional media and with bloggers that I would love discussed. For instance – Is the Social Media Release relevant? SMR’s are usually a webpage of a release wherein social media associated with the announcement (such as youtube videos, flickr albums, or podcasts assisting the campaign/news) are included all in one page. SMR’s are supposedly geared towards bloggers, but i’m wondering, do they really catch your attention? Would they help distinguish the announcement from any other plain old press release?

Last question – and this is a little personal to me. I have this long-held ideal that social media could be very beneficial for not only PR clients but PR agencies and pros themselves. PR isn’t the most glamorous job, as I’ve said: we’re notorious for certain practices, primarily those you listed above. I think social media could be helpful for PR agencies and professionals to get to know THEIR audience more – journalist and bloggers. Like you said – to make that connection before we need it. I think the best connections and friendships I’ve made with journalists were very organic, grown because we talked beyond the client, beyond the work – usually about common interests, their favorite online games, or music. I would then begin getting requests from journalists for my clients’ news. I also began sending those reporters news or facts that had nothing to do with my client but everything to do with their beat, and they would sometimes write about it, thanking me for the tip.

So the question — Would you be more attentive to pr pros you meet who engage in your blog, who may have a genuine blog or podcast of their own? Do you think this ideal that I speak of can exist? Is social media a good way to humanize even the PR biz?

Thanks in advance for your feedback, and for anyone who jumps into the discussion. Really appreciate it.

Tallulah

Chris Brogan Responded:

Everything I do has more than one audience. : )

I think SMR’s are useful. Not sure if they’re a requirement. I prefer them myself, but that might just be because I’m a blogger turd. They don’t catch my attention, though (to your second point). PEOPLE catch my attention.

PR people need to live their stories. See also @tdefren, @missusp, @briansolis, and several amazing examples of PR people who live as people between the stories.

I’m thinking if more PR pros were already in our space (One of Us in Trust Agents), then yes.

My Response: