{"id":498,"date":"2008-05-09T23:58:40","date_gmt":"2008-05-10T03:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/?p=498"},"modified":"2008-05-09T23:58:40","modified_gmt":"2008-05-10T03:58:40","slug":"black-lists-dont-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/2008\/05\/09\/black-lists-dont-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Black lists don’t work"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week, the idea of a black list <\/a>to stop PR agencies from spamming bloggers<\/a> and journalists reared its not terribly attractive head, this time from Gina Trapani of Lifehacker who published a list of domains<\/a> that had sent unsolicited email to her personal email address.  In the not distant past, we had the same invocation from Chris Anderson<\/a>, editor in chief of Wired. <\/p>\n

They have a point, and I don’t dismiss the concern at all. More and more, PR pitches are poorly targeted, poorly written spam. Bad when sent to journalists. Inexcusable sent to bloggers.<\/p>\n

But black lists don’t work. Not really. They didn’t work for Joseph McCarthy in the 50s<\/a> and they aren’t going to stop bad blog pitching now. <\/p>\n

Why? Because they trap the innocent, the naive, the well-intentioned as much as they trap the disingenuous, the guilty, the spammers. And since the truly guilty are playing a numbers game, a block here or there matters little to them. <\/p>\n

Our collective attitude about PR is no different than our attitude toward advertising. It’s not that we don’t like ads. What we don’t like is bad advertising, poor direct mail and fundraising calls during dinner. <\/p>\n

For the most part, we don’t want to block ALL email from PR and marketing agencies. Just that which is untargeted, irrelevant, impersonal. <\/p>\n

So companies, and their agencies, need to get with the program and figure out how to reach out to their customers online in positive ways. Reactive and proactive. <\/p>\n

How? It starts with understanding what interests your customer. Perhaps your product, but generally, campaigns built around products fall flat. You need to think beyond YOUR product and into your customer’s interests. Needs. Desires. Hopes. Aspirations. <\/p>\n

That’s not so easy for your average cereal or soap marketer. And why so many campaigns end up in the bad pitch column. Even when they aren’t necessarily that bad.<\/em> <\/p>\n

And unfortunately, there is no magic formula. Anyone who tells you there is? Liar. <\/p>\n

It’s a process. It starts with preparation, research and active participation with the bloggers that matter to you. And for whom you matter.<\/p>\n

Then when you go to engage — to pitch — it means developing a program that is as much, or more, about them than it is about you.  A press release about your latest announcement does not qualify. Sorry. <\/p>\n

Watch this space over the next few months for some examples of companies that seem to understand what this means and have done outreach programs that resonated with bloggers.<\/p>\n

And, please, stop looking for the bogeyman.<\/strong><\/em> There isn’t one — not even at the stupidest, spammiest PR Agency . Focusing our energies on looking for one obscures the real issue. <\/p>\n

How do we want to engage with our customers online? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Want some help? I don’t often promote my consulting business here on the Roadmap. I figure if you want to call, you will. But please don’t forget that helping companies meet their customers online is my business. If I can be of service to you, nothing would make me happier. <\/p>\n

Especially if it reduced the number of bad pitches landing in our inboxes. <\/p>\n

Tags: blogger relations<\/a>, black list<\/a>, pr<\/a>, public relations<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This week, the idea of a black list to stop PR agencies from spamming bloggers and journalists reared its not terribly attractive head, this time from Gina Trapani of Lifehacker who published a list of domains that had sent unsolicited email to her personal email address.  In the not distant past, we had the same […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[36,8],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t