We’ve talked a bit about this before (both in issue #6 of Style Sample magazine and in a follow-up post here), but we’ve always wondered:
How are fellow fashion bloggers responding to PR pitches?
If you’ve been blogging long enough, you’ve likely received a few eager emails from PR agencies or press reps asking you to cover a new line or informing you about a new online boutique. Some pitches are more professional than others, but the idea is the same: they want you to tell your readers about their stuff.
The Rules (sort of)
While there are no hard and fast rules about responding to PR pitches (relevant or not), basic manners apply. Here are seven guidelines that you should follow as a blogger when dealing with public relations pros (taken from a fantastic article called Blogging etiquette in the face of a PR pitch):
Rule #1: Act professionally.
Remember that professionalism is everything. This relates to courteousness too. Keep your tone polite.
Rule #2: Be humble.
By blogging, you’ll reap some nice rewards (and awards). Don’t let that fame get to your head. You might be great and receive a lot of accolades, but it doesn’t make you any better than the people you deal with. In most cases, you’re not as important as you think you are.
Rule #3: Remember who you are dealing with.
PR people aren’t in the ad sales industry. Their goal is to send press pitches, not to buy ads on your site. If a blogger outreach consultant or social media agency emails you a story pitch, read their signature. If it doesn’t say “media buyer” or if they haven’t explicitly asked for your media kit, chances are they can’t follow through with an ad buy.
Rule #4: This could be the start of something big.
The right PR person is just as connected with the rest of the world as they are with bloggers themselves. In fact, a relationship that starts on the right foot might actually translate to better things down the road, including special event invites and freebies that might as well be equivalent to a really good ad deal. Perhaps, real ad sales will follow. A bad first impression will never get you to that point. A great first impression can be very rewarding.
Rule #5: It’s a relationship, stupid!
Did I mention at all in this article that these are still interpersonal relationships? To quote The Happiness Project author Gretchen Rubin, act the way you want to feel.
Rule #6: Remember where you were when you started.
There’s more to blogging than just dollar signs. There’s relationship building (see rule #6), influence, branding, and more. Don’t have a narrow focus because the grass seems greener when the riches are easily attainable.
At the end of the day, blogs are a relationship-building tool. That’s probably how you got to where you are now, by sharing your voice and providing insights that helped build those relationships, like having your readers trust you. Think about what you did before to get you where you are today. Never stop doing that either. The options might be more plentiful nowadays but you should stay true to why you started blogging to begin with.
Rule #7: You need PR people as much as they need you.
Maybe not now, but your future could depend on them.
It’s a reciprocal relationship, for sure. Bloggers need content. Brands need coverage. So, if the product or service being pitched is a good fit for your blog, do you tell your readers about it? If you think the stuff they’re pitching is godawful, do you respond? If/when you do respond, what do you say?
Images: Polaroidki-02 by Marta Lamovšek, Papermag.com
Overheard