Day 147: Add Me To The List
Add me to the list of those talking about how that PR lady responded to Diana’s post. I know I’m Tardy to the Party, but better late than never…right? I mean I’ve got to stand up for my neighbor on the topic of PR.
What’s super funny is that right around the time she posted on PR solicitations for mentions on our blogs, I got an email from someone named “Baby.” It said something to the nature of, “I love your blog. Please post this on your site (insert long html code that linked to Baby’s site).” Seriously? Not even a “I think your readers might be interested” or a “Are you interested in reviewing this?” And really b/c I’m so busy these days, I didn’t take the time to respond to it. DELETE!
I mean, since I’ve been on the PR radar, I get emails all week asking me to check a site out, or to review products. I even get requests to simply mention a company/organization. And I have to admit that when I first started blogging and started to get on people’s radar maps, I was excitedly saying yes to just about all of them. It made me all warm and fuzzy inside. But then once I said yes, I would take a closer look at what they were asking me to do/review/offer as a giveaway, and I would shirk b/c I didn’t think it was a good product or that my readers would be interested. And I have even backed out of a couple I did say yes for, explaining to them honestly that I was getting trigger happy and hope that they were not offended. For the most part, they understood.
But then I started getting solicitations that said things like, “I really enjoy reading your blog and think you might like to give this a try,” but based on what they wanted me to check out, it was obvious they had no clue what I was about. The best was for a computer application that monitored a kid’s activity online. This one I decided to write back to saying, “Well, I have a 6 month old and don’t feel this product is something for me to take a look at.” I don’t really think they read my blog…do you? The response was something about well perhaps my readers might be into it, but they would understand if I chose to decline. DELETE! And I could go on and on about products that do not pertain to me or my readers, but I think you get the picture.
Let me say, though, that I have been able to find out about really killer products based upon PR solicitations. And I’ve found that these products are usually tied to people who take the time to really look at my blog upon determining if they should pitch to me.
Something I have learned, though, is to ask how many other mommy bloggers they have approached. This is b/c there was one giveaway that I did and I saw all over the mommy blogging world. Mine ran after many of them b/c of the backlog of “yes’s” I had said to various other companies. Lesson learned there. There was the Justice Juels one, though that I decided to go ahead with even though I knew several other mommy bloggers were doing it b/c I did feel that it was a great cause behind her product and the more of us that mentioned it, the more the word would get out. And I also made a decision about a review/giveaway coming up next week to go ahead with the company, but we mutually agreed that it would be good to pick a different product of theirs b/c I really liked what they had, but also wanted to offer something unique and different from what other mommy bloggers were doing as giveaways.
And if you are wondering why I do reviews/giveaways, it’s because I seriously love it when I find something that I think other mommies might be into. I want to spread the word. It’s not like I have friends who are mommies close by that I get to chat with. You all have become the ones I share baby information with as well as ask for advice on things pertaining to being a new mom. And you are all there to listen to me vent too. I heart that so much that I want to repay it with killer products. It’s a win win situation really, and if you don’t heart free stuff or finding out about new things, than I don’t know man…but I digress.
So my point is that not all PR people are like the meany bully that came down on Diana. But there are a bunch that just have no clue and seem to want to take advantage of us mommy bloggers. Sometimes I wonder if they think we are brainless based upon the pitches I get. Diana’s vent was warranted, and really I think she spoke up for those of us chickens, in which she didn’t censor her utter and honest truth. And for that I admire her.
So there you have it…my Tardy to the Party 2 cents.
5 Comments to “Day 147: Add Me To The List”
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I agree! I felt so bad for the rataliation against Diana. It’s her blog, her space…and she can say what she wants there!
I think I got that same “baby” e-mail you are referring too. I always delete the ones that obviously don’t read my blog or are just asking to mention a product. It’s tacky and disrespectful of my time, and frankly, my readers.
Really interesting topic. Thanks!
I have all but stopped getting PR notices. I think I said “no” too many times! LOL
<3 This post makes me happy to know I'm not the only loony one out there who hates stupid PR emails.
You know what? After that post, I don’t get ANY now. LOL. Seriously. And I don’t miss them one bit.
I get a lot of PR emails, but unless it is clear to me that they have actually read my blog? I don’t worry about responding.
Guess how many times it has been clear to me that they have read my blog? ZERO.
I do occasionally email back to let them know that if they DID read my blog? They would discover that I don’t do giveaways or promotions or reviews. I also like to direct them to one of my more curse-filled posts just to see if, “This is the sort of blog on which they would like to advertise their baby bibs.”
But I do that just to amuse myself.
Mostly? I delete. Like the rest of my spam mail.
kris@prettyalltrue.com