Comments on: Hey PR, bloggers are not tools to be used

By: How NOT to invite a journalist to a VIP event

How NOT to invite a journalist to a VIP event — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:36:48 +0000

[...] offensive. I had a similar situation like this happen more than a year ago. Read the two-part tale Hey PR, bloggers are not tools to be used and UPDATE: Bad PR experience story. PR firm’s client is [...]

By: So You Want to Write a Media Release and Influence a Journalist? Part 2 | Spotlight on Marketing

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 06:36:00 +0000

[...] “Hey PR, bloggers are not tools to be used” by David Spark [...]

By: Blawgrealtor

Blawgrealtor — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:24:02 +0000

You're a blog, the cheapest form of self promotion. You think you're magically immune from bozo's contacting you for free promo's because you are perceived as prostituting yourself for any available publicity? You're not. And to prove the point you've even made a blog post out of it!!!

Get real. You want respect, ask people to pay for your rantings. Then you'll see how truly popular you are.

By: Blawgrealtor

Blawgrealtor — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:24:02 +0000

Get real. You want respect, ask people to pay for your rantings. Then you'll see how truly popular you are.

By: BlawgRealtor

BlawgRealtor — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:20:43 +0000

You're a blog. The cheapest form of self promotion. You think you're therefore magically immune from bozos thinking you'll do anything to prostitute yourself for some online publicity? Get real. The answer is “No”.

By: Fellow Communicators: I Am Not Your Tool « Silicon Hutong

Fellow Communicators: I Am Not Your Tool « Silicon Hutong — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:43:30 +0000

[...] Hey PR, bloggers are not tools to be used http://www.sparkminute.com/2009/01/28/hey-pr-bloggers-are-not-tools-to-be-used/ [...]

By: Becky

Becky — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:08:07 +0000

Interesting read. I imagine this will be a frequent PR faux pas for the forseeable future though. Social media is still new and there are no fixed rules yet. Refreshing to get read your thoughts though. Thanks.

By: John Yarbrough

John Yarbrough — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:22:36 +0000

Thanks for this insightful post. I think you fairly laid out the pressures, motivation and thought (or lack there of in this case) behind the event, which was very refreshing.

PR professionals and journalists CAN help one another. All too often, however, we forget to remind ourselves that the person at the other end of the e-mail or phone is a human being with unique interests and priorities. While e-mail provides unparalleled convenience, it does not mean mass mailing journalists and bloggers is ok. In fact, it’s not far from saying that you feel that they are all the same.

By: David Meerman Scott

David Meerman Scott — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 10:53:39 +0000

David,

I get dozens of these come-ons per week. I think what “PR pros” fail to realize is that we blog because we’re passionate. Not because we have to “cover stuff”.

So my advice to PR people is, why should we be passionate about your client’s stuff? (I have news for you, the product is not the answer. Nobody cares about your client’s product).

Interestingly, for me these days some of the worst offenders are authors and their PR people. “Hey, so-and-so just wrote a groundbreaking, sure-to-be-bestseller that you will want to review on your blog. Where shall I send your FREE copy?” Give me a freakin’ break. Tell me why I should care.

David

By: David Spark

David Spark — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:37:11 +0000

Thanks Andy. Yes, I’ve actually had a great relationship with your firm because we actually built a relationship.

It’s a lot easier to ask for input when you already have a relationship with someone. A journalist/blogger should want to speak about a company because it’s relevant to what they’re doing.

And I really appreciate what PR reps do for me. In fact, just yesterday I got a call from one pitching me a new site a client is launching. It just so happens to be perfect for my Spark Minute radio audience. Look for it next week.