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10.18.07
Building a Bridge Between Your Story, Bloggers & People
 By Brian Solis
Blogger relations is a popular topic of discussion these days, not just on the blogosphere, but within the HR departments of PR agencies and businesses alike. It's something new and perceived to require a very different skill set than most PR and communications professionals possess.
Therefore new job positions are opening up in an attempt to hire people who understand the art of blogger relations and, if that doesn't work, hire anyone who blogs - regardless of industry and communications experience. After all, if you blog, then you must understand company value propositions, marketing, customer relations, and ultimately why all of this matters to the people you're trying to reach right?
Well, not exactly.
Several companies that I work with, advise, or simply know of, have hired bloggers to handle blogger relations, even if they haven't engaged in the process before. Their thinking? Bloggers know the game, so they must understand how to get posts written on their behalf.
I can tell you from personal experience, that anyone half decent in media or blogger relations will tell you that it has less to do with the mechanics of publishing media and more to do with story telling, an understanding of what you represent, why it matters to those you're trying to reach, and a genuine intent for cultivating relationships.
I'd love to simply say that Blogger Relations is about common sense, but we all know how uncommon common sense really is.
In order to genuinely approach blogger relations, or media relations for that matter, we must first deconstruct the process of the media ecosystem and reprogram ourselves to tap into the basic building blocks of what makes good content and sparks conversations, which in turn helps define why people should make the effort to talk with us.
Like the press release, the PR industry has been stuck in a rut for so long that the industry is content with the existing manufacturing line of building news, writing reports, schmoozing, and simply broadcasting messages to anyone with an inbox.
PR is experiencing some of the greatest innovations and advancements in quite some time due in large part to all things Social Media. But instead of embracing a new and improved commitment for creating and sharing news with people, we're using the same old marketing ethics and tactics to spam our recipients.
Well like good media and analyst relationships, blogger relations is about people.
First and foremost, blogger relations is about respect. It all starts with understanding what you stand for. Seriously, how many PR people actually take the time to really "get" what it is they represent and why it matters to the rest of us. And, more importantly, how will it help me?
Here's a test.
Quickly, the timer's running.
Tell me in one sentence why I should write about you and why my readers will care.
I'm listening.
It's amazing at how many "PR Pros" can't pass this test. Trust me. I am pitched every day, and it blows me away at how few people take the time to read what I write and match their products/ services to the most important part of this blog, you.
Continue reading this article.
About the Author:
Brian Solis is principal at FutureWorks PR, an award-winning PR and Social Media agency founded in 1999. FW PR bridges the communications gap between companies and their customers, and between products and their specific benefits for their target markets. Solis blogs at PR2.0, http://www.briansolis.com, and regularly contributes to many industry trades. He is also frequently quoted in articles relating to technology trends and Marketing/PR strategies.
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