Comments on: Not Short, Not Sweet, but to the Point… http://geekmommy.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/not-short-not-sweet-but-to-the-point/ I'm a geek. I'm past 40. I'm mom to a preschooler. It's always an adventure. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:18:52 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Meryl.net » 77+ PR and Blogging Wars Articles and Resources http://geekmommy.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/not-short-not-sweet-but-to-the-point/#comment-707 Meryl.net » 77+ PR and Blogging Wars Articles and Resources Wed, 14 May 2008 20:20:09 +0000 http://geekmommy.wordpress.com/?p=72#comment-707 [...] Not Short, Not Sweet, but to the Point… [...] [...] Not Short, Not Sweet, but to the Point… [...]

]]> By: Meryl K. Evans http://geekmommy.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/not-short-not-sweet-but-to-the-point/#comment-695 Meryl K. Evans Tue, 13 May 2008 22:41:11 +0000 http://geekmommy.wordpress.com/?p=72#comment-695 I've been on both sides of the coin. Editor receiving PRs and PR person sending PRs. Sometimes PR people are at the mercy of their clients who don't want to invest the time to customize pitches. BUT that does not excuse a PR person or me from sending a pitch about dolphins to a tech blogger. Well, unless it's a mouse shaped as a dolphin or USB drive with a cute little dolphin on it. I keep receiving pitches for a newsletter that retired a few years ago! So obviously these folks aren't even checking the content to see if their article matches or can be modified to better match. Those are the worst offenders. I’ve been on both sides of the coin. Editor receiving PRs and PR person sending PRs. Sometimes PR people are at the mercy of their clients who don’t want to invest the time to customize pitches.

BUT that does not excuse a PR person or me from sending a pitch about dolphins to a tech blogger. Well, unless it’s a mouse shaped as a dolphin or USB drive with a cute little dolphin on it.

I keep receiving pitches for a newsletter that retired a few years ago! So obviously these folks aren’t even checking the content to see if their article matches or can be modified to better match. Those are the worst offenders.

]]> By: Marisa http://geekmommy.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/not-short-not-sweet-but-to-the-point/#comment-694 Marisa Tue, 13 May 2008 21:24:51 +0000 http://geekmommy.wordpress.com/?p=72#comment-694 I agree with Kami ~ thank you for this really helpful, thoughtful post on the issue of PR spam. I'm not a PR person, or even that knowledgeable in Web 2.0 ~ I'm just a personal blogger who occasionally discusses books, music, current affairs, food, wine, etc. I am increasingly mobbed by spam requests to review products, books, etc., or I have been added to marketing lists for events that I "may be interested in." Generally, I simply delete but have not yet banned any IP addresses or domain names ~ but they keep spamming me. I like your idea of sending a warning letter ~ thanks! I agree with Kami ~ thank you for this really helpful, thoughtful post on the issue of PR spam. I’m not a PR person, or even that knowledgeable in Web 2.0 ~ I’m just a personal blogger who occasionally discusses books, music, current affairs, food, wine, etc. I am increasingly mobbed by spam requests to review products, books, etc., or I have been added to marketing lists for events that I “may be interested in.” Generally, I simply delete but have not yet banned any IP addresses or domain names ~ but they keep spamming me. I like your idea of sending a warning letter ~ thanks!

]]> By: Kami Huyse http://geekmommy.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/not-short-not-sweet-but-to-the-point/#comment-690 Kami Huyse Tue, 13 May 2008 02:31:59 +0000 http://geekmommy.wordpress.com/?p=72#comment-690 Great, great post and really one of the best that I have read so far on this issue. One thing that hasn't been hit upon yet is the abysmal quality of those lists. They are generally no better than a starting point and some use them as an ending point. I happen to know because I see these lists all the time as a PR person and dispair of them. Clients aren't necessarily willing to pay what it takes to develop a really good one, and that means the PR side has to get creative - which in most cases means they just spam out their "message" with no thougt to fact checking the list. My, my, I feel a post coming on.... Great, great post and really one of the best that I have read so far on this issue.

One thing that hasn’t been hit upon yet is the abysmal quality of those lists. They are generally no better than a starting point and some use them as an ending point.

I happen to know because I see these lists all the time as a PR person and dispair of them. Clients aren’t necessarily willing to pay what it takes to develop a really good one, and that means the PR side has to get creative – which in most cases means they just spam out their “message” with no thougt to fact checking the list.

My, my, I feel a post coming on….

]]> By: crunchycarpets http://geekmommy.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/not-short-not-sweet-but-to-the-point/#comment-689 crunchycarpets Tue, 13 May 2008 01:40:16 +0000 http://geekmommy.wordpress.com/?p=72#comment-689 I think it boils down to changing how IT is all done. Pre Web 2.0...pre BLOGs..websites could sign on as affiliates for BIGGER companies who RAN advertising for them and their umbrella companies. Sites were paid a monthly rate based usually on page views or unique visitors...not clicking on sites OR reviewing products..instead companies got CHEAP advertising for their products to a broad spectrum of people. Sites got advertising no matter how small they were just depending on if the site fit. Perhaps a co-op or something of sites needs to be built...one that divides up the blogs into one's that WILL review products and others that won't AND have policies lined up explaining that free stuff does not mean GOOD reviews. We have small groups like that ..Parent Bloggers, Review Blogs... But it would be nice maybe if there was one directory of sorts that PR people and advertisers could go to and see all the info and people to hit up or not. It would be nice to give all blogs whatever the topics a chance at some small income regardless of stuff or not. Does that make sense? I think it boils down to changing how IT is all done.

Pre Web 2.0…pre BLOGs..websites could sign on as affiliates for BIGGER companies who RAN advertising for them and their umbrella companies.

Sites were paid a monthly rate based usually on page views or unique visitors…not clicking on sites OR reviewing products..instead companies got CHEAP advertising for their products to a broad spectrum of people.

Sites got advertising no matter how small they were just depending on if the site fit.

Perhaps a co-op or something of sites needs to be built…one that divides up the blogs into one’s that WILL review products and others that won’t AND have policies lined up explaining that free stuff does not mean GOOD reviews.

We have small groups like that ..Parent Bloggers, Review Blogs…

But it would be nice maybe if there was one directory of sorts that PR people and advertisers could go to and see all the info and people to hit up or not.

It would be nice to give all blogs whatever the topics a chance at some small income regardless of stuff or not.

Does that make sense?

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