For about a year, blogging PR didn’t even cross my mind. I had a family blog with a different name, actually, and posted to connect with family and friends. In my naiveté, I didn’t realize everyday folks such as myself utilized their blogs for reviews and giveaways, found sponsors to support their efforts, or used blogs to market themselves or a product. This wasn’t really on my radar. Then I started researching cloth diapers and a whole new world of blogging and public relations opened up for me.
I began simply as many bloggers do. I reviewed cloth diapers I’d tried and purchased, hoping that the novelty of my experience might interest someone I knew. Then readers from the blogosphere began commenting and I realized that maybe there was some potential that my blog could reach a bigger audience. Maybe a handful of people would be interested in my reviews.
Navigating the world of PR has proved an adventure since then. I’ve made some missteps and, I hope, created reviews of real value. I’ve gone through periods where I obsessed over my followers list, counting every new addition (and every loss) for my ego. Over time, I learned to enjoy my followers, build relationships, and not worry so much about how many, but on who. I’ve sent out masses of emails requesting reviews and learned from experience to personalize them, not simply pitch them. I love doing reviews and giveaways and wish I had more, but I’ve also discovered that I only want them to be a part of my blog, not take it over.
Thanks to other bloggers, I learned about copyright, disclosure policies, PR welcomes, and privacy policies (for more information, follow links at the top or bottom of my blog). I discovered that I wanted to only do reviews and giveaways in exchange for product to review, not for payment. But I respect bloggers who make other PR choices because there is more than one way to go.
And I’ve felt dubious about the times I accepted product to review in exchange for adding links to blog posts. But justified this because that is essentially what I do for retailers through internal links throughout my blog. It is a bit different, though, and I am still on the fence about it. I prefer to work with a retailer in more personal way, knowing they value the review I write and not just getting links out there.
I recently had an experience that reminded me that I’m no PR expert. While in the midst of a busy vacation, I received an invitation to preview a children’s album and share a review with my readers. I didn’t think much of it and agreed. Later, I discovered that I received a temporary link and was basically doing free PR without any real value to me or my readers. A quality review takes time and should include music I can return to or, more importantly, a value or incentive for readers to find our more about a product. When the same company sent me an email recently assuming I’d be thrilled to get a temporary link to a band I liked and use my blog to give them some free PR, I quickly sent them a note requesting a giveaway of the same album for my readers. No response. But I felt good about it because I set the standard for my blog.
Do you do PR on your blog? What is the top tip you would give to bloggers looking to begin PR? I have another post I started with some of my tips, but I’d love to incorporate yours as well!
Wow, I’m impressed w/ all the effort that goes into doing all that. I guess I never really thought about what hard work it could be!
The only giveaways I’ve done have been my own – as part of someone else’s fundraising efforts – or just to celebrate my readers.
Like Lisa, the only giveaways I’ve done have been my own—stuff I love and want to share with others in the hopes that they’ll love it too. It sounds way above me and far more complicated than I could handle. But it sounds like you’ve learned a lot and that’s always a good thing!