Last week I started a diatribe about the state of PR from my little corner of the media world and listened to prominent bloggers try to school PR folk in the best way to work with them in their environment. As those that read part one know, it was eye opening to say the least. What resonated with me the most is that all the bloggers I listened to reiterated over and over that PR pros need to do their homework. It sounded like they wanted those in the trenches to BE creative, not just PUSH creative through the usual channels. Do the legwork!

Unfortunately, doing your homework these days seems to be mostly focused on getting the generic word out and tracking down where the spaghetti stuck to the internet and traditional media wall. The later being a daunting task, granted. Of course, if you work on the media team for a major corporate brand, you can probably focus on more than those basics, but if you are tied to an agency, you’re hard pressed. Unfortunately, if you want to do business with bloggers, they make it clear going the extra mile to reach them is mandatory.

What’s that entail? Well first off, knowing how blogs work. What kind of blog is it? Spend time there and find out. If it’s a news source don’t send them white papers for Christ sakes. Conversely, if it’s a razor’s edge, niche oriented, issue-based blog, don’t send them your damn corporate press releases. (Sorry about the crusty grumble.) Find out if they post outside contributed content. If they don’t, does the blogger(s) interview appropriate thought leaders. All of these, and many more seemingly simple components contribute to doing the legwork to be a valuable resource to a blogger. I can almost hear any PR folks reading this chime in with ‘screw that I wont mess with bloggers if they’re that much trouble.’ Well as the panel I listened to underscored, that train has left the station. Where do you think traditional journalists are going as conventional media shrinks, transforms and evolves? Yes, that’s right, and no, they’re not going away.

To give you an idea of what I am talking about, they offered some perspective on the traditional vehicles that are in the PR repertoire. Press releases, when mentioned generated considerable disdain and unless its earth-shaking and discussion worthy in the topicsphere for that particular blog, make sure to only bother news bloggers with the really important stuff. Know what needs to go out en-masse to traditional spaghetti media and what is issue worthy to generate blog perspective. Another pet peeve, if you do send press release to a blog, make sure you give them all the parts they need to cover it. Don’t make them hunt you down to get components such as art. Best of all, as far as they were concerned, is the PR pro that could write and submit a release that read like a blog post.

For commentaries and guest columns most agree that PR folk still try to slip them content that is to rah rah and much to advertorial. Don’t forget the golden rules of editorial in conventional media and make sure that your clients are thought leaders and have thought leading things to say. Also, stay away from the rambling op-ed that strays into the bloggers domain. If you want to blog, start your own. Better yet, don’t just drop articles into the inbox drop ideas, start dialogues about issues, make sure the canned stories are solid and based on those issues and once again offer collateral.

Editorial practices was another thing many of the panel chimed in about. Timeliness was a big deal to many of the bloggers on the panel. They couldn’t stress enough how important quick response was and that they be accorded equally responsive access to the senior people they need to talk to. If news is breaking, don’t deal them the kind of embargos you would for print or even broadcast since being competitive for them can run on a near real-time basis. All one has to do is witness the past year at CES and all the exclusivity hijinks between Engadget and Boing Boing. As enlightening as all this is, the he last point the panel makes is I think the most important. Many even used these exact words; create relationships. Now I can just imagine all the old boys pumping their fists in the air and yes you’re tenets are relevant again. But is it all the same tactics the traditional media moved away from? Not by any means. Sure you can approach bloggers with long-term relationships in mind but once you get beyond that foundation, is where the similarities to old school, end. My apologies for rambling enough to warrant a part three but I promise to wrap it up into a pretty little package next week.