Pitching to Bloggers

Pitching to Bloggers

Blogging allows everybody to have a voice and an opinion. No longer must PR people rely solely on professional journalists to get their story covered. Blogging has allowed people with no experience in professional journalism to create extensive networks with large followings. The “average Joes” who are lucky enough to have created one of these popular blog sites become instantly famous. Their followers check the blog daily and become actively engaged in whatever the blogger is writing about that day. The site creator has complete control over the dialogue and discourse of the site.
Because the blogger controls the discourse, pitching ideas or stories to them can be an invaluable way of dispersing information. Although there is etiquette involved* anyone can pitch to a blogger and anyone can be a blogger. The rigid lines of communication from journalist to PR professional are no more.
Blogging has allowed the social discourse to expand and has created a vehicle for everyone to become involved in the discourse.
Pitching your story to a blogger is an effective method for spreading your message because it’s free, the audience is already established, the audience is loyal to that blogger and the Internet potentially allows for millions of people to view the site.


*Hat tip to Paul Stamatiou “How to Pitch Bloggers” http://paulstamatiou.com/2007/08/22/how-to-pitch-bloggers/

tech savvy

As I near graduation I can't help but get nervous about the propect of finding a "real job". Some of my friends have them, most of them don't. I'm pretty sure I want one. But, with so much competition how will I ever stand out?
I think that staying on top of indutry trends will allow me to stand out in interviews.
Although I struggle with pocasting, blogging and creating social media news releases, I have enjoyed learning how to do them. Technology can be incredibly frustrating but its rewards make it all worth it.
If I can introduce a company to the concept of a SMNR for the first time, that would be great. If I can offer the company my knowledge of and plans for creating a podcast that would be great too. By learning these new, modern ways to communicate and reach audiences we are becoming a new breed of PR professionals.
I think it's great that we are being taught information in college that is new and relevant. With some of my classes I feel as though what I learn may be obsolete in a few years, but with J452 I feel that I am gaining knowledge that will be relevant for many years to come.
Learning new technology is tough, but I'm glad that I will have that knowledge when I apply for jobs. I really do think it can distinguish job applicants significantly from the rest.
As students it's important that we make sure we are learning skills that are new and relevant, not old and outdated.

Blog #2

As blogging grows in popularity, it is important to remember that the basic rules of writing and formalities still exist in cyberworld. Blogging and podcasting may have started out with a cult following but have quickly become a mainstream form of communcation. PR professionals would do well to keep up with this trend.
When blogging, or pitching to a blog*, it is important to remember the basic rules of PR. Know your audience, know how to effectively reach them and always use proper grammar and formatting. Targeting the correct person within an organization is vital. Blogging is not an excuse to be lazy. If you do decide to blog as a PR professional be sure that you represent your peers well by delivering a professional and well-written blog. Blogging is a great way for professionals from different fields to communicate and share ideas and experiences.
Blogging should be taken seriously because it can have serious repercussions. If you upset the wrong people you may find yourself blacklisted. If you target the wrong people you may find your message ignored. And as always, proper grammar is paramount.
If you do decide that blogging is right for you as a PR professional, be sure to represent yourself and the rest of us well.

*Hat tip to Darren Rowse
http://www. blogger.net/archives/2007/10/30/how-to-pitch-to-bloggers-21-tips/

Blog #1

Facebook is part of my daily routine. I constantly check for messages, pictures and posts. It’s my “private” world where my friends and I can interact, search and discuss. I imagined that all over the country college students, like myself, were doing the same thing. It didn’t really matter if pictures depicted less-than-advisable activities because the only people that could see them were other college students. So imagine my surprise when I learned that only 12 percent of facebook users are college students. It became immediately apparent that facebook was not just a social networking site, but a site that was used for corporate networking as well.
Students be advised: Your facebook page could make or break your next job interview.
After reviewing the study conducted by Forrester I realized that facebook is almost like a personal profile attached to your resume. From reading someone’s profile or looking at their pictures you can find out their hobbies, past work experience, relationship status and sometime even phone number!
My advice to college students is to block your facebook page so that only a trusted few can see it. There is absolutely no way to tell who is looking at your page otherwise. It could be child molesters, parents, teachers, inmates or potential employers.
The broader issue here is the lack of certainty that comes with the Internet. Every Internet page can potentially serve as PR for a person or organization. Facebook pages are self-representations of people for others to interpret. As your own PR manager would you advise posting pictures of yourself partying for the world to see? Absolutely not.
Just as companies have pages specifically for the media so do individuals.

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