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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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….