What's "social" about product pitches?

Someone recently pointed me to Canadian blogger Tamera Kremer's blog, where she asked "When did social media become all about online pr?"   She complains that there's too much focus on blogger relations, which she equates to product pitches from PR people.  There's been too much discussion, she says, on how to best reach out to bloggers to get them to write about a product or service, and too much talk about "social media press releases."

Tamera sees it as a disservice to the potential of the space we call Web 2.0.

I'm not sure how we keep product pitches out of the blogosphere, other than somehow trying to regulate the space, which I'd say is both impractical and a bad idea.

I do think the space will eventually regulate itself.  Marketers or their PR people who participate in social media to blatantly push a product, a service or a point of view without providing useful and honest content will get ignored over time.  They may grab some people at first, but I think if they are continuously and blatantly self-serving, many people will tire of them.  They'll eventually slide into a black hole where they'll still be there, but no one will be paying them any heed

Marketers (and the public relations people working for them) who participate in social media in a courteous and thoughtful manner, providing useful and authentic information do, I believe, have a chance of being accepted and welcomed into the social media realm.  I don't think there's any magic formula for what's the proper social media press release.  We're learning as we go along, and it's mostly about simple common sense -- treat others online the way you'd want to be treated.

I don't mind getting pitched by PR people who hope to have me write about their product or service or book.  If it's done properly, in a respectful way without hype and exaggeration, I might respond in a way that'll make them happy -- writing about what they've told me about.  But that's only if I feel it's worth putting in my space -- if it might be of interest to my readers and if it seems genuine.

In the world of traditional media, if you pitch properly, you might score.  If you blanket every editor in the book and fill your pitch with bull, you'll probably fail.  It's pretty much the same with so-called blogger relations.  And remember that when you put something out there, you've ceded control.  That's how the game works, if you want to be in it.

I think there's room in all media -- including social media -- for public relations... when it's public relations properly done.

Note:  I'm using the term Public Relations here to refer to what's really media relations or publicity, which is one small part of the overall public relations profession.

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Comments

[David Reich]

David Brazeal, who writes at JournaMarketing ( http://www.journamarketing.com/2008/08/pr-and-social-m.html )
comments on our post in his space today. Here's what he says:

"When you think of online social media, do you think of it simply as a way to reach people with your organization's message more efficiently? If so, I think you're missing the point of the power of new media. David Reich writes today about PR in the social-media space...

Too many PR people concentrate on the "public" and forget about the "relations." Social media turns traditional PR on its head precisely because it's less about public communications, and more about one-on-one relationships. Those small relationships can coalesce around common interests, and lead to a group dynamic. But they are not the starting point. Instead of thinking of social-media as a new way to reach people, think of social media as a new way for people to reach you. Use online tools as a way to put yourself and your organization out there, and be patient enough for people to find you."

Good advice, David.
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