Interacting with Bloggers: You’re Doing It Wrong

**Reblogged from daveclarke.co**
First of all, I am not a blogger.  I’m a guy who blogs.  It’s not my day job.  I don’t make a dime off it.  However, I do spend a lot of time interacting with people who actually are real bloggers - people that rely on blogging as a revenue stream, for better or for worse.  And as anyone who participates in such activity knows, it is a unique blend of art and science.  Bloggers are wildly passionate about whatever they focus on.  (There’s a reason why they’re doing what they’re doing.)  Sometimes they’re former journalists or freelancers.  Sometimes they’re experts in their field.  What they most certainly are not are regurgitation mills on a massive “PR spreadsheet” (*shudders*) that are aching to write about whatever people send them.  They are not idiots.

Yet people treat them as such.  And it’s mind boggling.  Let me share a little story.

I recently got a book in the mail.  My initial thought: “Hmmm… this is pretty cool.  Wonder how this got to me.”  With said book were two pieces of paper.  The first was a cover letter that began with…

Dear Dave,

You’re a blogger.  What does being a blogger say about you?  You are socially connected, extraordinarily perceptive, and have your feet deeply planted in the real world.  You possess a unique talent for seeing, decoding, and sharing life with others.  But I doubt any of that is news to you.  You don’t know it yet, but being a blogger also means that you have a considerable advantage over those on Wall Street.

Wow. Uh… Just wow.  First off, I really shouldn’t be on whatever list this is.  Like I said, I’m not even a blogger.  Secondly, the over-the-top flattery is beyond patronizing (and I’m not even a cranky blogger who loathes patronizing… in fact, I have a true appreciation for effective patronizing… let’s use the word “patronizing” once more, for good measure). 

If I were a blogger, this whole intro would probably land this letter in the trash and the book in my “gifts for ‘acquaintances’” pile.  This is a form letter posing as something personal and cheeky, but because it poses so grossly, it becomes obvious. (Oh, and it’s nine paragraphs long. Guh.  But then again, here I am writing about it, so who am I to judge.)

Look, I know the book promoter has to send out a billion of these, but ultimately, this is the wrong way to connect with bloggers. Actually, it’s the wrong way to connect with anybody.  If my name was on some list, every name on that list should be have been vetted.  Yes it takes time, but it is so easy to know so much about anybody, that a quick search might have led this promoter to delete my row in Excel.  And that would’ve been just fine.  For every “me” they scratch off, there are 10 others that might be a better fit.  At the very least, it would’ve saved them the cost of the book and shipping. 

This “cast the biggest net approach” doesn’t work anymore. 

But wait.  It gets worse.  The second piece of paper included….

… Instruction (for bloggers, mind you) on “How to Write an Attention Grabbing Book Review.”  Seriously.  I’ll share a few of these “tips” that I’m sure real bloggers have been lost without…

  • Identify the book by author and title.  (Wait, I was just going to call it “book.”  Insufficient?)
  • Remember that online reviews are often archived permanently.  (But doesn’t the internet reset when I close Internet Explorer?)
  • Enrich your book review with links that serve as springboards, allowing your readers who are passionate about a certain genre, topic or author to learn more. (Subtle, book promoter. Real subtle.)
  • When you mention the author be sure to include the link to the author’s website so your readers can go directly there and learn more. 
  • It’s important to remain honest. (Oh. It is?)
  • Don’t lead your readers astray. (EUREKA! You’ve solved my blogging woes!)
  • Keep in mind that the author and publisher will most likely be reading your review.  (Is that a threat? Seriously, you know my address, so that is a valid question.)

Those were just a few gems.  The whole tutorial is, naturally, an entire page.

And in that every rant needs a reason, to all you promoters out there (myself included), do your research (it’s not hard); treat everyone in your Excel spreadsheet like a human being (again, pretty easy if you’re not psycho); and pitch with genuine authenticity.  If you do all that, things are going to be alright and you’ll build momentum with people who actually do care about what you’re doing instead of those jerks who dissect your blogger communication skills.

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  1. authenticmatters posted this