Although I have been publicly blogging for nearly three years, I am often considered a novice in many blogging circles.  There are women out there that have had their sites up for 10 years or more and have seen the blogosphere fade and grow like the stock market. That being said, the past three years I have learned a lot. A lot…a lot.  From taking my blog from hobby to business, the ins and outs of being a prime “ambassador” for corporations and the art of selling advertorial content- and that’s just the start.

If I had more (or possibly less) drive, I would write a book…. but then again, what would I blog about?

Regardless of your status online, whether you have a large audience or small one, or have been blogging as a newbie or a professional, chances are at some point you will receive emails that request information about a company or its products and services be placed on your site.

The benefits are many for companies that are immersed in social sites.

They secure those oh-so-valuable one way text links, in most cases attached to a personal opinion and personal photo of the product in question, and they also gain your readerships eyes; the very thing that makes “mommy blogging” so mainstream.

Now I haven’t complained about PR in a long time.

Not because I haven’t received weird requests or odd pitches, but because my contacts are generally other working professionals like I am and deserve the same respect they put out to me and most are extremely excellent about that. Even if the pitch or company isn’t relevant to my audience, I’m not going to get my panties in a wad about PR doing it’s best to make it front and center on my site.

But there is a percentage, however small, of PR firms that really need to get a clue and start to understand the space.  In fact, it needs an absolute Scooby Doo type clue. How very mom blogger of me.

The one thing I cannot stand when it comes to Public Relations and the art of understanding a relationship with an individual blogger is flat out respect for the work that goes behind running a website.

Example #1: This week I was pitched by a MAJOR company in regards to a $50 gift card giveaway. They have a new product out and wanted an article to  tell everyone about it.  In most pitches like this, I would flat out charge a post fee, however I was willing to barter a gift card payment in this case. I emailed back and asked if I would be receiving a gift card for the same amount provided for the giveaway FOR hosting the giveaway and advertorial for said product.

That is a distinction that bloggers need to remember.

When you run campaign information for a company, its an ad. I don’t care how you slice it, how much you love it, how much the PR rep is your BFF for life… its an advertorial and its worthy of payment, barter, CPM or some other form of exchange that isn’t empty on your side. Bloggers are not traditional media but rather new media. In my case, I am not a niche blogger, therefore not every product or release is 100% relevant in that I want to post it just as a share with my audience. That only works in small traditional cases.

The response I got back was as follows (I have removed the name of the PR firm and company represented):

[box type="info"]Unfortunately, we would be unable to provide you with a gift card. We really respect the opinion of bloggers and do not want it to appear as though we’ve paid for their opinions. However, we are more than delighted to provide your readers with a gift card through a giveaway.[/box]

Now in all fairness this rep was very nice.

I believe she handled it quite well.

But what struck me were two things.

One, I didn’t ask to review her product. I was clarifying payment for running the giveaway/advertorial on behalf of them and requested a barter over a check. I am not a free entity, and you shouldn’t be either. And two, inferring that anyone would let a $50 gift card to any brand (in this case a brand that everyone reading has no doubt visited and has an opinion of already) influence them is just …well….insulting.

My response back, for the record, was:

[box type="info"]I know you meant well but its insulting that any brand, or PR firm, would believe they were “paying” for an opinion by offering a review or at-least compensation for the blogger hosting the giveaway. I consider myself a media personnel. My space and influence is valuable to brands, which is why some of the largest PR firms in the country pitch me every day. I also am not influenced by such payment as my reviews are honest and not always positive in nature.

That being said, I do not offer free brand advertising for any major or minor cooperation, ****** included, without compensation on some level. On occasion I work with bartering, as I offered in this case with you, but if your clients are in the habit of asking me to endorse a brand by featuring it on my site, it has to be treated like what it is – an advertorial to my audience.

I would like to be removed from your pitches that ask for free advertising.[/box]

I cant imagine why a brand would be in a space at all if it didn’t trust or have a relationship with the places it was wanting to showcase its products.

But that’s it isn’t it…

Years ago when I became a blogger, “reviews and giveaways” were exploding onto the market. Exploding with a wicked vengeance. You could get your hands on any product from a pencil to a trip with as simple as a text link and a little feedback. Because of that the market got majorly flooded with bloggers of all kinds that didn’t follow through with their obligations or took so many products and “opportunities” that it watered down the authenticity of the articles in question.

This is also why the FTC stood up and took notice.

Since then I like to think that bloggers have come a long way by being more choosy and work with companies that they can truly represent with honesty and purpose.

Advertising and public relations that reach out to bloggers for their needs have also come a long way.  Instead of being showered with a “free” trips, I am being offered paid positions and marketing opportunities that far surpass the “post for product” attitude that has enveloped the agreement between bloggers and public relations for so long.

That being said, also in a lot of ways, many companies and their public relations firms spent  way too long afraid to dip their toe in this massive pool of advertising and have yet to understand the growth and changes that the blogosphere has self imposed since its induction into mainstream marketing.

Take Colleen from Shibley Smiles for example.

Recently she was pitched by a company whom requested her address for product marketing purposes. Colleen, like any blogger that respects her time and audience, didn’t want blind product sent to her home without her explicit permission. It happens every day. I know just 2 weeks ago I received a gift card in the mail and directions on a post that I had never agreed to write, nor had discussed with this firm. Unsolicited reviews and giveaways with the assumption that I would bend over to advertise is a very bad assumption that could ultimately cost a company thousands of dollar.

Colleen, however, was interested in this company but wanted some clarification and so after a few exchanges with very little information offered on the behalf of the company that demanded her address she said:

[box type="info"]Before I provide any information I wanted to be sure that we were on the same page. I was wanting one sent to me for review purposes. Then I would post the review on my blog and run a giveaway for the game and then you would send one to my winner directly when they are selected.

Will that work for you?[/box]

To her surprise, the email received back was as follows:

[box type="info"]Colleen,

Do a good job and make people happy with what you do. Be the best you can be. That’s what we are all here for. We help the people we help the most.

I’m just the publicist. I pass your request to the company who hired me to do an outreach to media. You are now a media person to them and they will decide whether to take the risk and invest in you.

If you carefully read the release, your address is needed. Without the address, you can’t receive a product for review. If you want to do a review then provide your address.  It’s really a given to proceeding any further and I can’t make it any simpler than that.

It’s not necessary to ask the questions you are asking.

We made the offer.  Just make a decision and don’t make it into a big deal over what you do as a blogger. We totally understand what bloggers do and you then get to do what you feel like doing. You don’t have to clear your proposed plan of action at all.[/box]

Holy Rude.

Stupid question? No. Stupid answer, absolutely.

If this is the type of PR firm companies are spending money on to take its product to market, its not exactly a shocker that there is no room left in the budget to supply bloggers with a barter or advertisement fee. What I find most insulting personally is this statement here:

Just make a decision and don’t make it into a big deal over what you do as a blogger.

Colleen responded:

[box type="info"]

I am respectfully declining this review.

You reached out to me regarding reviewing your clients product. My accepting or wanting to review the product was condition on an additional game to giveaway on my blog. There is no need for my address if this can not be agreed upon. I can’t make it any simpler than that.

As a blogger I know I am not REQUIRED to post about your clients product. I mean we do what we feel like doing anyway. However it is my intention as a blogger to review a product and post my honest opinion, and hopefully it is positive promotion for your client. I’m sure that was your intentions, or why else would your client hire you to reach out to the media.

In regards to this particular product  I was asking for a second product for giveaway purposes. Though you may THINK I do not need to clear my proposed action plan with you, it wouldn’t look good on my part if I offered up  your clients game for a giveaway and your client not follow through with the prize, because you and I could not discuss a proposed action plan.

Thank you for your kind words regarding my ethics and happiness.I will continue to be the best that I can be and make people happy. I will start by making myself happy and removing myself from your mailing list.[/box]

At the end of the day its all we can do. We have to stand up for this type of negative PR to blogger relationship and together create something of value that will have a ROI that we can prove valuable in the end to both parties. I do not need to blog to win. I do not need to compete to advertise you. I do not need your “free product”, which for the record is far from free if I do my job correctly, to make my ends meet.

The disrespect is getting old.

The assumption that we are frumpy housewives with little skills begging for a free coupon and waiting to be taken advantage of…is getting old.

The truth is there are quite a few mini empires and communities online that women have created or atleast participate in that influence purchasing decisions every day. We want to help  the companies we buy from…we really do.

But not at the expense of….what did Colleen say? Happiness? Exactly.

Respect? Yes, Please.

~Trisha