Why I stopped pitching bloggers

I've come to this late Christina, but I think I have some insight. As a hobbyist blogger (it's never earned any money other than covering my hosting costs - I have a day job that pays the bills) I took the decision a while back to stop working with PRs altogether, freeing me up to write about what I want whenever I want. Although the PRs that have I dealt with have always been unfailingly professional and friendly, a seasoned blogger understands that the moment they enter into an arrangement to cover 'this product' or 'that event', it puts them under an obligation to act professionally too. Thus the blog becomes another unpaid 'job', and starts to inexorably wear you down - in the end I think my blog was taking up almost as much of my time as my 9 to 5! Seriously researched and well-written blogposts take a lot of time and energy to compile believe me! I've paused my current blog for a while, and I know that the landscape has really changed over the last few years - the vast majority of 'London culture' blogs (my area of interest) have died, largely because people no longer see the benefit of toiling over their own site when they can push out a Facebook update with a few pictures, or a quick tweet. I don't envy the task of PRs these days, not least identifying genuine influencers amongst all the noise.

So much to chew on in this piece. I truly believe there is room for PR and bloggers to do some wonderful things together, but ... it's a new era and thus needs to be approached differently. The standard media pitch doesn't catch a creatives eye the same way a PR person could if they sent me some great photos and 1-3 ideas on how I might want to work their product into my editorial content ... as an editorial feature. The space is changing, and we all have to adapt with it. If you keep trying to jam a square peg into a round hole and it isn't working. Don't quit, zoom out -- broaden your perspective and try something new. Find the hole that works.

I think you're coming at this from the wrong angle. First note that the Today Show or the Rachael Ray Show can't exist without having stuff to cover. Many blogs can and do exist and do just fine without having your stuff to cover. Secondly, it's about the desirability of your product vs. the effort required. If you ask me (a math blogger) if I want to WRITE ABOUT your product, well, then you get a media kit. I get these requests everyday. If you ask me if I want to LOOK at your product, well, then I'll likely peek. Especially if it has a cool name. If I don't see value in it for me (not for my readers, but for ME), then I won't likely look past that - instead I'll send you a media kit. However, if I peek at your product and think I would enjoy it (for whatever reason), then I'll say "Yes - I'd love to look. Please send me one." After I have a chance to look more deeply (because you sent me one or I liked it so stinkin' much that I went and bought one), I may post a link on social media or use it for something else I'm writing about (and include a link to where to get the product). And every now and then I write about stuff because I just freaking love it. Thus you have EARNED the media with your PR pitch. My sending you a media kit is merely saying, "I'm not that into your product that I would investigate it independently. But if you REALLY want me - specifically ME - to investigate it, I will. But you gotta pay me for my time to do that." And if you don't choose to pay me, that's cool too. I'll move to the next email and you can move to the next blogger. We each have to keep reading and pitching to find the right level of PR/advertisement that works for us.

Things has truly changed over my 15 plus years. Bloggers are truly being recognized as influencers with brands and have a value service. I'm split on this but do recognized if they are being considered for a pitch they should be paid for their value services. From who, I say it should be from the budgets of the Brands. However, if a PR firms needs to deliver on publicity and the can get it from a blogge, well the may have to folk over some of their pay. IJS! I've been blessed to work directly with brands and PR firms and truly see major changes evolving exactly in concerns of this post and believe both bloggers and PR/Publicist should tread lightly.

First of all as a PR rep if you're pitching a blogger for your client it's because [I assume] you have already done your homework and that said blogger can add value to your client. I'm a blogger and content creator who like you, work to feed my family [but for myself]. You as a publicist is being paid nicely by your clients to get them BOTH earned and unearned media - and the SOW comes with a budget to make this happen. In essence you are being paid for your know how, experience and connections... just like brands pay me for my targeted and engaged community of readers and clients that I have built using MY know how, experience and connections. Yes while all platforms just like magazines have varying amount of followers/readership, it is not just how much followers that matter but my ability to get them to act. Isn't that what you are getting paid to do? To create exposure that will lead to your client's ROI - which is ultimately sales? So, if you feel it would be audacious of me to email you requesting your contacts so I can use them to achieve my own bottom line... then it is also audacious of you to think I would just let you use the assets that makes me valuable to you, to achieve your bottom line while you're getting paid and I'm not. So whether a blogger does so as a hobby or professionally, if you're pitching them in the first place, then it's because they have a handle on an audience that you need to tap into and can produce the desired results for your clients.