Note to unknown,clueless PR hack: mentioned in Toby Bloomberg’s blog: you should be checking out Hallmark today and seeing if there are any appropriate cards thanking a blogger for not outing your unprofessional and rude behavior.

Toby– a blogger who is listed as one of the top 30 social media bloggers– has recently been writing about Blogger/PR relations.

It is not a love fest.

First, Toby wrote a post suggesting that PR people and bloggers should be  friends. 

Her next post shares a game of email ping pong between herself and a clueless PR type which shows why its going to take a long time before most bloggers and PR types are BFF.

PR Person: Hi. Blah blah blah .. company (turns out to be a client) has a new product. If you’d like to learn more about blah blah please let  me know and I’d be happy to  set you up with  an appropriate executive.

Toby/Diva Marketing: I asked a question about the campaign.

PR Person:  I can not personally  comment on these types of questions but I’m happy to put you in touch with one of the marketing executives who would be better able to answer that for you. Just let me know.

Toby/Diva Marketing: That would be great. Thanks.

PR Person:  Sure thing. Do you happen to have any readership or unique visitor numbers handy?

Toby/Diva Marketing: Why?

PR Person: We always like to present our executives with as much  information as possible when approaching them with an interview opportunity.

Toby/Diva Marketing: I am not a journalist. Diva Marketing is not a media outlet. It is a blog with some extent of influence. That is not a question that I would answer unless I was negotiating for sponsorships on Diva (which I choose not to do).

Also, you approached me .. I did not approach you. In your email you offered information to learn more about the campaign. I asked you questions about it and you offered to forward them to the right person for a response. I did not request an interview.

.

Toby’s posts have some great links on recommendations from other bloggers on how PR folks can succeed in the blogging world.

It shouldn’t be that hard. You would think  that if enough bloggers spoke out, blogged about, lectured on,cajoled cheerfully and sometimes nastily,and even had workshops on the topic —-that PR types would  eventually get it.

But evidently, not.

Bloggers are not journalists. They don’t want to be treated like journalists.

What does that mean? The majority of bloggers don’t want PR people to send them blanket news releases — the ones that are sent to hundreds of media outlets.

Instead, bloggers want PR folks to get to know them by reading their blogs.

That’s it. That’s all PR folks have to do. Become familiar with the blogger before you ask them to write about your company, product, program, service or book.

Oh and if you send out a news release inviting questions, don’t treat the blogger as if you are doing them a favor.

Clueless PR person who had that ridiculous and insulting conversation with Toby should be counting his/her lucky.stars today. Many bloggers would not have been as kind as Toby. She did not share who they are or what company they are representing.

Many bloggers would not think twice about outing such an unprofessional and rude action. Clueless PR person in case you haven’t figured this out bloggers can be quite snarky.

So clueless PR person,  you dodged a bullIet. In case you are not aware of it, Toby is one of the top 30 most influential social media bloggers and if she had wanted to she could have smushed you like an aggravating little bug.

A thank you note is definitely in order..