This summer, BlogHer was a completely different experience for me than in past years. It was the first time I wasn’t speaking, although I did end up volunteering at the Birds of a Feather sign-up, which was a great way to see everyone, if only for a few moments. It was also the first time I went as both a marketer and a mom. In previous years, including this past Spring at BlogHer Business, I went to the conference with pretty much with just my marketing hat on. Don’t get me wrong – I was a mom then too, but I didn’t have a personal blog.
I do now. Snapshot Chronicles is all about taking pictures of and with my seven-year old son. A major reason to attend BlogHer was to talk about SC and a photo contest for kids I am co-sponsoring this summer with a couple of other women bloggers, Tracey Clark and Sheri Reed.
But I also had my marketing hat on. I’ve developed a project for a client that I truly believe mom bloggers with a specific interest will want to participate in. I knew quite a few of the women on my "possibles" list would be at BlogHer, making the conference an ideal opportunity to quietly sound them out. How did I know they’d be there? Because I read and comment on their blogs. And for a lot longer than a week before BlogHer.
What does this have to do with the woodshed? Patience, grasshopper, I am getting there.
BlogHer itself was great, especially the unconference on Sunday (more on that in my next post), and I felt like I accomplished what I set out to do over the three days. However, I was a little disturbed by the anti-PR sentiment at the state of the momosphere panel on Friday, and my feelings of unease have only intensified over the past few days as the posts, and comments, have been flying fast and furious about taking PR people to the woodshed and how much we (marketing and PR folks) suck.
I’m not taking it personally, mind you. At least not too much. Helping companies do blogger relations right has become a large part of my professional work. I write and talk about it all the time,and work very hard to make sure that my clients’ programs are a win-win for everyone. In fact, I advise clients if they aren’t willing to do it right, don’t do blogger relations at all. Spend your money on advertising or trinkets & trash.
So even though I know it is not personal, it’s hard not to take offense at the blanket statement that "we know you don’t read our blogs." I do read the blogs. I read about 500 blogs on a regular basis — mom blogs, food blogs, military blogs, tech blogs, travel blogs, health blogs, film blogs, marketing blogs, PR blogs, education blogs, and more. Sure, I enjoy the mom, marketing, photo and PR blogs the most because that is where my personal interests lay, but you cannot do blogger outreach well if you don’t get to know the people behind the blogs. Because it isn’t about inanimate things called blogs. It’s about people.
And getting really personal here, I think the momosphere has forgotten that there are people, real people, on the other side, trying to do this right. And a lot of them are women. An awful lot in fact. PR as a profession is well known to be a female-dominant industry. And by that I mean there are a lot of women in it, most often at the lower and mid levels. No matter what anyone tells you, PR is still male-dominated; men run most of the big agencies. And we sort of kept that meme going at BlogHer, since Jory only had time to call on two people from PR, both men.
Today, I feel like you want me to apologize for my chosen profession. And I just don’t feel like apologizing. Not for what I do for a living. Not for corporate America. Not any more. Women do that way too much for things they didn’t do.
So, my friends, readers and fellow BlogHers, I ain’t going to the woodshed. Not today.
Many of us want to get this right. And for outreach to all bloggers that our companies and clients might want to talk with, not just moms. Because those of us that "get it," get that there are much better ways to reach out to our customers. Not mass, generic, white-bread messages designed to appeal to all, offend none, and end up doing nothing much for our companies or our customers.
Simple stories that speak directly to people, not at them. Programs that give the bloggers access to people (Gloria Steinem), places (backstage at Sci Fi Network) and things (umm "toys") that in turn provides fodder for posts and podcasts. Not to mention the possible other benefits 😉
Programs that donate both goods and dollars to charity, often chose by the bloggers themselves. Outreach that focuses on the bloggers and their needs/wants, not just the company’s. There are good blogger relations programs, and good PR/marketing folks. Really, we aren’t all assholes. At least not all the time.
So judge me, judge us, on what we do. Not on what others do. Or don’t do. As I said, I try hard to get it right. If I fuck up, tell me. If you have suggestions, tell me.
But don’t assume that every PR outreach will be lame and impersonal. Some will be, but some will be interesting opportunities that you’d want to do. But you won’t get the chance if you completely close your mind to the possibilities.
One last comment, and then I will step off my soapbox. There is a diversity issue, no question. Mainstream media is pretty white bread, white man, and much of that has crept into the blogosphere as well. It’s why BlogHer exists, my friends; remember guys don’t link?.
How do we change it? Talk about it. Educate. Maybe even reach out to companies with products we’d like to evaluate and see if they come through.
I have some other ideas, which I am noodling around as I contemplate, but refuse to enter, the woodshed. And I may just be calling on you for advice.
So please don’t delete my email before you read it.
Tags: BlogHer 07, public relations, blogger relations, gender
badgermama says
Some of the marketing and PR emails I get from my mommyblog are right on target and I actually want their stuff or want to hear from them. I don’t consider that stuff spam, but on the other hand I only get one or two a week. Someone with a very popular mommyblog might get asked a hundred times a week to review a book or a product.
Some of the mommyblogger marketing emails and comments I get DO make it clear that they haven’t looked at my blog at all, but that I must be on some list of women, or moms!
Any… “products” you want to send would be just fine! 8-P
Karen Rani says
Hi Susan!
It was great to meet you at BlogHer – and to hear your kind words about SC. Awesome.
As someone who gets pitched to nearly daily, with all kinds of emails that are impersonal and misguided (esp those that try to refer to something and are way off base – you know they’ve glanced at 2 pages), I have gotten into the habit of deleting nearly every email. I won’t talk about mayonnaise or cleaning products just to get them for free. My content simply isn’t for sale. That is my policy and I know that isn’t for everyone, but it works for me.
Having said that – I DO like the idea of promoting other women with new organizations (charity or otherwise – a recent example is sk*rt). I’m happy doing that.
That’s my 2 cents.
Karen Rani says
Also, to clarify – I DO read every email. I’m too curious not to.
Robert French says
Bummer, Susan.
What are the old sayings?
when they don’t think they need us, they forget about us
when they don’t think they need us, they don’t pay
when they don’t think they need us; they just throw us out like the trash
when they don’t think they need us, they often wind up in trouble … and come running
Interesting, reading the links you provide, the bloggers seem to rail against stereotypes being applied to them … yet, deliver a blanket PR stereotype themselves.
Still, all that said, I imagine there are a lot of lame pitches going around.
David Wescott’s posts, in a way, make good points if only by showing how many are grasping at straws to try and figure out how to properly develop relationships. Or, more to the point, realizing (just now) that they actually have to develop relationships – first.
I’m still reading you, Susan. Pitch me anytime. ;o)
Susan Getgood says
Thanks for the comments, my social media friends!!
I know most pitches stink. It is just hard to get lumped into the “pr people suck” group when you spend a large part of your professional life trying to change things.
I have been thinking about some ways to help the situation, and have come up with some ideas. Stay tuned!!
And Karen — you do AWESOME DESIGN!! Everybody should know this!
Mom101 says
Fair enough Susan – very good points. I hope you don’t think I’m railing against PR in general. I read every soliciation (for real) and once in a blue moon I think, “Wait, this is something good! I think I’ll put it in the maybe folder.”
I resent being undervalued. But a bad pitch alone is nothing to resent. It’s just annoying. Sometimes funny.
I’m hoping that I can somehow educate both the marketers and the bloggers so that they can come to terms that are mutually beneficial. With people like you and David at the helm I think it’s possible.
Christi says
Thanks for standing up for PR, Susan. I didn’t attend BlogHer, but have been following some of the reactions and commentary. I was actually mulling over a post of my own on the subject of PR’s bad rap, when I saw yours.
I know that there will always be haters, but what can the newest crop of PR strategists (and the old ones) do to give our beloved profession an image makeover?
Susan Getgood says
Mom101- absolutely, I know you aren’t railing at PR in general, and I think we pretty much agree on the broad issue of good versus bad pitch.
I just wanted to share some of my reactions to the discussion as a marketing/PR person, mom and blogger. Ad agencies, companies and PR firms often find it easier to address a stereotypical “one size fits all June Cleaver” mom that wants nothing more than a year’s supply of paper towels or pudding packs. Which we know is wrong.
Likewise, lumping all PR people in one big old bucket of bad, exceptions noted notwithstanding, is equally incorrect. There are a lot of marketing and PR people trying very hard to change things, to do things differently. Not just David and me.
But we won’t get anywhere if both sides are only seeing stereotypes. Which is why I posted.
Christi — I don’t think we can give PR an image makeover. All we can do is show through our work and our actions that we have a different approach.
And about those paper towels. I also breed dogs and we go through *a lot of paper towels.* I’m sure I could do something interesting and organic on Snapshot Chronicles with paper towels….
Marijean says
Amen, sister. Thank you for continuing this discussion as I think it’s very important for both side of the issue to understand.
Marriage-101 says
Here here! Yes, thank you for keeping this going. It’s so very crucial to the success of our industry and important to note that there are some of us who “get it”, but it’s the ones who don’t that get acknowledged. I don’t want PR to have a bad rep just because there are some who don’t approach people the right way. Thank you for taking a stand.
Mary Schmidt says
Susan,
While I appreciate that nobody (of either sex, any color or any culture) likes to be dissed – I also don’t appreciate it when people make blanket statements about “you marketing people” or “you PR people” They’re just as guilty of that which they accuse us. What’s that old saying about rocks and glass houses? Hmmm….
Kami Huyse says
While I couldn’t be at BlogHer, and you know why, I do think that most “blogger relations” efforts stink, not because all PR is bad, but because PR is often hawking a product instead of building relationships with people. This attitude extends well beyond the blogosphere, as you well know, to media relations and other parts of the field. I think Geoff did a service by letting the Moms at BlogHer see first-hand that there are good apples. Of course, I wasn’t there and you were.
As for the photo contest, what a great idea. I think I have a few shots my three year old has taken with Daddy’s camera. A camera case would be useless to him, but he might like to see his pictures online when he is “computering.” I love that he made it a verb.
Susan Getgood says
Thanks for all the comments!
Kami, you are absolutely right — a lot of blogger relations programs stink. And so do a lot of media relation efforts. It all tracks back to having a mass attitude to the task –let’s throw as much out there as we possibly can, and some reasonable percentage will stick. Who cares how many people we piss off in the process.
But numbers games don’t work very well in general and definitely not when it comes to bloggers.
David is definitely one of the “good guys.” He was part of one of the programs I consider a success, Greenstone Media’s Gloria Steinem interviews in Fall 06, and he takes an active part in the momosphere on a regular basis, not just once or twice a year at conferences. But there are a lot of talented men and women who are trying to make this work better. For example, you.
I just wanted everyone to step back and realize that there are a lot of people on the PR side who are trying to get it right, not just one or two. Yes, the profession has problems, but demonizing it won’t solve them.
Barbara Rozgonyi says
Susan:
Thanks for your post and your stance. Many good points and comments here. As a marketing/PR consultant and blogger, for me, it gets down to story versus pitch. If you have a compelling, relevant story the pitch isn’t necessary. That’s where the trouble seems to come in. Although I missed the BlogHer session you mentioned, I heard about it while I was there. And, I did post about several BlogHer ’07 sessions, including media training. Good to know about you and your blog.
Barbara
Christina says
You’re right – just as we don’t like to be lumped into one big group of mom bloggers, with the assumption that we only want cleaning products, we also shouldn’t lump all PR reps into one big group and assume they’re all not reading our blogs and sending out blanket e-mails.
I don’t get a lot of offers (maybe one every week or two), but many are interesting. The person who e-mails me on a semi-regular basis has taken the time to get to know my blog a little, and I respect that. And she’s a woman.
Carla Thompson says
I just signed on to BlogHer about a week ago. And I did not attend the event. I find the animosity towards PR and marketing people quite odd. I think that the attitude of the mommybloggers’ had an adverse affect on the converage that the convention received in comparison to that of YearlyKos. I don’t want to blog in the wilderness. I want to communicate with an audience and I am willing to use whatever means necessary (nothing illegal or immoral) to reach them. I am so disappointed. I starting to believe that signing on to BlogHer was a waste of my time.
Susan Getgood says
Carla — don’t give up on BlogHer. No one was personally hostile to anyone, even at the aforementioned momosphere panel.
One of the things I like most about the women, and men, who participate in BlogHer events and on the site is the diversity. And how, for the most part, everyone embraces that diversity in ways that I do not always see in other communities.
And in no way shape or form did this issue, which re-emerged at and after the conference, have anything to do with the lack of major media coverage of BlogHer as compared to YearlyKos. In fact, I wonder if a few spats, anathema though they are to the spirit of BlogHer, might have gotten us some attention. Why do I say that?
Because the media loves arguments and assholes and division, and you know, there is plenty of all three over on most political sites.
But 800 women coming together out of a mutual interest in using blogs to share their experiences, whether professional, personal or political, and agreeing to respect the diversity of the community, not proselytize?
Nah. That’s no fun.
Mike Driehorst says
Okay, I’m coming late to this (thanks for the pointer here, Susan. I’ve been laxed in my blog reading.)
Kami, as Susan noted, makes a great point: “PR is often hawking a product instead of building relationships with people.” We — professional marketers/communicators — tend to be short-sighted. Whether we dictate that or clients do, it doesn’t matter. We’re too focused on campaigns, programs, launches.
While that can be okay in some aspects, social media is so different. We’re not dealing with people in their professional roles (reporters) who expect contact from us; we’re dealing with every-day people who may not have their guard up. Therefore, they can be naive and vulnerable to PR pros who see bloggers as nothing more than a “hit.”
That’s why relationships are so key in social media. And, many in our profession will take so long to change.
For mommy- and other bloggers (and media, for that matter), let them rant and generalize. It’s easy to do, and often comes from frustration. It just makes it easier for the rest of us — who do it right.
— Mike