There’s a great post up on the Big Method blog regarding the fact that PR companies regularly struggle with (and fail miserably) at communicating effectively with music bloggers. It’s something I’ve experienced first hand on both sides of the equation, and I can really see both arguments to why PR companies need to get their message out there as much as music bloggers do ultimately need PR companies to feed us with information that allows us to publish exclusive, new, and relevant content to our respective sites. In order to help them come up with some touchstones that they can call up at any time to help drive their process and ultimately their entire industry, Big Method reached out to a ton of music bloggers that you know and love and asked them their thoughts on how the entire process could be better.
Here’s what they came up with:
1. Don’t send PR blasts. Actually take the time to sit down and write a personal email to the specific blogger that you’re reaching out to.
2. Do some homework. Take a second and do your research so that you know who you are talking to. This way, you will correctly provide bloggers with relevant information that’s in line with their taste – considering taste is obviously the overarching incentive for people to even post your content.
3. Respect people. Don’t think of bloggers as an abstract concept, bloggers and the blogosphere are not synonymous; bloggers are individual people with unique interests that they portray on their own personal sites. MP3 music blogs are not just a filterless receptacle for all digital music.
I thought this was a really great way to engage and continue to create a symbiotic relationship that continues to bring tons of great new music to the masses. If we work together and allow fans to get the info that they need, isn’t that the goal of this whole thing anyway?
One final excerpt:
Ultimately the music industry (like most industries) is undergoing considerable changes due to the exponential progression of digital communication/exploration/recording/distribution. We’re living in an age where online media is situating itself over print media as the paramount portal for new information. In response, PR agencies are finding ways of reinventing themselves and their strategies. So, with all the criticism offered to the music industry on progressing in tandem with digital culture, we need to take a step back and acknowledge that the PR agencies probably need to start changing too. As David from Largehearted Boy expresses, bloggers and journalists are different; the PR approach cannot be universal for all types of media.
Give it a read, especially if you’re just starting out as someone in marketing or PR.
The Golden Rules of Blog PR: 12 Music Bloggers Set It Straight [bigMETHOD]