It's true, as a blogger, I will often tweet about the misguided and often (very) ridiculous pitches I receive from PR firms on a regular basis. I've been pitched everything from electronic cigarettes to wood fireplaces for my...beauty blog. And, typically, you'd see me write about how PR firms need to get over the see where it sticks mentality and understand quality over quantity. However, today I turn my focus to bloggers, because honestly? Their pitches to us here at Pierce Mattie PR, and I'm sure to most PR firms in general, are getting out of hand.
Do I mean the frequency of pitches requesting product has increased? It has, however what I want to focus on is the sheer out amazement I feel over the unprofessionalism that seems to wreak havoc in how they approach us. I'll post the most recent, and one I feel takes the grand prize of all pitches EVER, first (and exactly as we received it):
From: <Name of blogger>
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 7:35 PM
To: Pierce Mattie
Subject: please
Hi I was wondering if there is any way for me to review any of your products ( I would totally love to try all your products), I have a blog and would do a long review of every item that you send me. Please think about it. I would post a link to the review on facebook and on twitter. God bless. I am an un-employed college student, who\'s mom died when I was 15 and who\'s father has never really been in my life (he does not even think I am his). Please allow me to do this review it would be helping me out as I am just starting to do product reviews. I have been doing book reviews for a while now but am wanting to review other items.Thank you in advance. I am really looking forward to hearing from you.
God bless and take care.
<Name of blogger>
P.S here is a link to my blog: xxxx
I honestly have no words...and where do I begin? So is she trying to build the credibility of her blog based on the fact that her mom died and her dad doesn't think she is his...or because she is an unemployed college student looking for free products to write about? I'm not entirely sure...
Next:
From: <Name of blogger>
Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2011 4:21 PM
To: Pierce Mattie
Subject: Urgent!
Hi :) I am a YouTube beauty guru named <screen name> and I would love to test and review/feature some of your <names of brand's that are not even our clients> products on my channel. Here's a little more information about my channel :
I have : 1,180 subscribers over 26,000 channel views & over 16,000 videos views
Here's a link :<You Tube link>
Sent from my iPod
Now, this blogger emailed us TEN times. And this was her final one, marked Urgent!, no less. Although, I'm not sure where I see the urgency in the body of the email...maybe because it was sent from her iPod instead of a real computer or even iPhone? I personally had to see for myself all about this self-deemed YouTube beauty guru...only to find at the time of the pitch, her channel was only about 9 months old with a lot of LOLZ and cutesy computer graphics that remind me way too much of MySpace. Also, this guru only has 7, count them SEVEN, video reviews. Wow, sign me up to be a guru too!
Now, neither of these bloggers sound entitled of course, however, that doesn't mean these pitches rank any lower on the totem pole. If a print editor would send us an email that was a duplicate of the above, we would gasp in horror, so why should we accept this from bloggers (or any online media for that matter)? We shouldn't, plain and simple.
So we are begging and pleading...PLEASE, do NOT hit send on your email to us to consider your blog for our client's products without first sounding intelligent, professional (with a capital P), with merit (and the stats to back it up), and that you take your blog as seriously as we take our client's image and PR budget. I'm pretty sure we'll get a resounding AMEN across the interwebs from other firms, as well. Speak up and demand better (while being an example yourself.)
Tweet us your thoughts @PierceMattiePR and commenting here.
Other great posts (If I do say so myself):
Taking a Stand on Entitled Bloggers
10 Ways Not to Pitch Bloggers
5 Ways NOT to Pitch a Partnership to a Blogger
The Brand Discounting Mentality: Why Partnering with Just *Any* Blogger Does More Harm Than Good
How You Can Avoid Becoming a Discount Brand in a Recession
Posted by Shannon Nelson on November 21, 2011 10:04 AM
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Comments (5)
I really enjoyed reading this blog, especially since I could heavily relate to one of them for a letter I wrote while applying to schools. The way you treated these pitches might be harsh, but its the truth and the sooner they notice the better, which was the case with me at least. When you are trying to convince someone that you are worthy of a certain position, vying for their sympathy shouldn't be an option. It only makes you look weak, and instead you should focus on your strengths and only your strengths.
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Salama |
November 21, 2011 4:32 PM
Posted on November 21, 2011 16:32
Oh dear. I feel sorry for those bloggers, they are probably very young and have a lot to learn. Hopefully new bloggers will take your advice.
Anyway, came here to say great post, Shannon, I really enjoyed reading it!
xx Renee
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Renee | beauty Fool |
November 22, 2011 5:47 AM
Posted on November 22, 2011 05:47
It should always be about what you can do for them - not what they can do for you. This is common sense and should be taught in high school. :p
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Jen Mathews |
November 23, 2011 8:24 PM
Posted on November 23, 2011 20:24
Ugh... These letters strike me as very unprofessional and just... whining? For free product?
For me, beauty blogging is not about free product. I started nearly 5 years ago and just wanted to have a creative outlet combined with something that I love, beauty products. I wasn't contacted by a PR firm until 6 months later, and then I was shocked. They really wanted to send me something? Really?
Now I'm contacted all the time by bloggers that have just started. They haven't found their voice yet. They've written 7 posts. Their mom and a few high school friends have read their site. They want to know all of my PR contacts so they can write to get free stuff. Blogging isn't about free stuff. I do get free stuff, but very little of it actually sticks around my house after testing, it all gets given away. A lot of things I still buy on my own, purely so I can write about them. I spend countless hours researching skin care and makeup applications. Trying out a new hairstyle on myself.
Now that I've rambled for a bit, Shannon, I'm not terribly surprised that Pierce Mattie gets emails like this. I'm dismayed, but not surprised. Personally, I would have been embarrassed to be the writer of an email like that.
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Christine |
November 23, 2011 8:40 PM
Posted on November 23, 2011 20:40
Every time I read something like this part of me laughs wryly while another part cringes. The sense of entitlement is absolutely staggering. I can't figure out how one assumes they are owed something, especially with little to no experience or relevance to the company in question.
Will definitely be sharing this.
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Tamara |
November 24, 2011 1:11 AM
Posted on November 24, 2011 01:11