While I wrap up my ruminations on the recent glimpse top bloggers gave PR people into their world today, I am struck more by the implications of trends and practices they propose for the future of relations with the blog world and the media at large. As all of the members of the panel highlighted, personal attention to detail is now mandatory with
this medium. Not only does that encompass knowing the blog intimately, it also includes knowing how to contact bloggers to get their attention. Yes! The pitch is back! Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean you ‘get to’ (or in the case of the pitching challenged ‘have to’) pick up the phone as in days of yore. And, be forewarned, with those that did prefer a phone pitch, they quickly made it clear that they weren’t interested in the stale, the scripted or the boring. Even the ones that chided those listening to get away from the voice mentality didn’t negate the pitch and quickly pointed out all kinds of alternative vehicles are used to show up on a bloggers radar.

The Epitch

The entire panel quickly confirmed that the pitch needs to make the transition to email with same attention to quality, creativity and brevity the industry once put into the phone pitch. As with all the suggestions for the future the panel kept reiterating that the pro’s in the trenches had to start thinking outside the box. Some underscored that point by mentioning how the people who took the time to text message, IM and twitter them per their stated preference were obviously the people that got their attention first! Some even indicated they were ONLY open to a pitch via this alternative contact
method. Just like the traditional media in the past, do the leg work, find out what their preferences are and make sure to know ‘when’ its best to contact them.

Content

Leave the conventional press releases and article vehicles to the media that want them. When PR professionals think blogging, they need to think post proposals. Pitch interviews, have something original to say that steps beyond the ‘if its new to you, its news to you’ syndrome. The entire panel quickly reminded those listening that Blogsphere thought leadership is quickly leaving traditional PR and media behind. So keep this in mind when you step up with your industry expert client. Make sure they bring their A game. They also stressed that the quickest way to alienate bloggers was to treat them as a lesser media.

The panel also discussed the convenience of the one stop Webshop for collateral information. It is pretty amazing with all old school PR going on and all the attempts to be way out there and tap the viral juggernaut, few corporate PR pro’s try to make media’s job easier by hosting a one stop site for everything pertaining to a particular release or campaign. The panel speculated that perhaps the PR world doesn’t see the benefits of the web presence because they are so conditioned to set-up the “follow-up” process with bloggers like they do traditional media.

What they are missing however, is a next-step opportunity to not only provide a venue for media to get the information they need, but to create a whole information environment that supports, sells, and expands the brand of the product or service that they PR vehicle is trying promote. Just like in the old days when you painstakingly built hardcopy media kits because they were important to the story, ‘Webkits’, per se, can offer the same kind of slick support that their predecessors did and make your campaign stand out with important one click access.

Future Trends

As I wind this down and squint at the crystal ball, trying to glimpse through the muck, there are a few things I can see and a few I can surmise. As mentioned above the webkit will catch hold and the smart PR folk will start utilizing tools of the blogging trade such as RSS feeds and more effective push techniques with email. Particularly in the case of ongoing brand processes and multi-vehicle campaigns. Smart PR folk will also increasingly plot and pursue their social network prescence. Just like LinkedIn has helped the individual business network prosper for all professionals, so to, will the smart pro carve and nurture either their corporate brand or personal brand as it relates to what they do. Bloggers of course have built their whole process on this premise and it will be up to the rest of media relations industry to get onboard. Done well and often it allows for a blending of lines between blog and promotion that will serve both sides equally well and establish such things as thought leader tracking and commentary clout for the savvy PR Pro. Branding will move from a reasonable objective to the attainment of the holy grail as the media evolution continues. This is where the water muddys worst of all. As lines delineating media types blur, the requirements to maintain or achieve branding in popular media will increase in complexity and throw equal parts customer service and crisis management into the ‘relations’ mix. As marketing and PR combine in new ways, understanding the role media realtions holds in the bigger scheme of things is where the smart PR pro will thrive instead of just survive.