Just two days after I wrote a blog post about how NOT to pitch a link or business partnership via email two interesting things happened. The first was that yet another email arrived in my inbox making a significant request of my time and my energy while being addressed while failing to call me by the proper name. The second, was a link I stumbled across on Wendy Piersall's eMoms at Home blog that shared a PR Execs suggestion of how to deal with clueless pitches.

While David Wescott's letter is aimed at public relations firms that pitch women bloggers, the sentiments apply to anyone who has ever wanted to pitch any blogger.

Wescott starts by pointing out the biggest reason that PR firms suck at pitching bloggers. The reality is they simply don't understand that bloggers are not paid journalists.

We're accustomed to pitching mainstream media - it's their job to consider what PR flacks have to say, and it's not personal. We apparently haven't figured out yet that you're not mainstream media - you're a mom with a million things to do, and your blog is your outlet, your means of self-expression, and your connection to a larger community. To you we're essentially a cross between telemarketers and spammers. To us we're just fishing for a placement, and your blog is more relevant to us than we are to you.

Wescott goes on to explain that while some PR firms are actively working to learn how to make pitches in this new environment, the impetus for change still falls strongly on the backs of bloggers. He claims that if bloggers wish to see change, they must force the change. He even offers up a few suggestions:

One that may spark change the fastest?

...the standards of the PR profession essentially tell us that anything we send to you can be printed verbatim on the front page of any newspaper in the country. So why not your blog? If you get a bad pitch and it really makes you angry, say so on your blog. Call the person out. Seriously - use their name, firm, and contact information. Don't tolerate this disrespectful behavior. Exert your power as a consumer, as a parent, and as a blogger.

Of course if bloggers REALLY want these pitches to end, they need to take the time to go straight to the source. The company being represented by the PR firm.

Finally, if none of this is working, there's always the "nuclear option." PR firms pitch you on behalf of their clients. If you get something that really crosses a line, contact the director of communications of the COMPANY and tell them that their PR firm is spamming you on their behalf, and you're planning to write about it. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, will stop this faster than a call from the client saying, "What the heck are you doing? We pay you to improve our image with parents, not piss them off."

PR firms beware. The rules of the game have changed. If you want to build links, garner reviews and make friends with the key influencers of the Internet, you need to learn the new rules.

Five simple rules to get you started:

1.) Use the right name

This one is so simple, I shouldn't even have to mention it. Yet, PR firms fail in this regard time and time again. If you can't take the time to figure out who you are pitching, why would you expect them to take the time to write about you?

2.) Don't lie about reading a blog

There's nothing more annoying than a pitch from someone trying to sound like they read your blog but making enough mistakes to make it crystal clear they don't. If you read the blog, give an example to show it. (i.e. "I really enjoyed your post about X last week. I thought your point about Y was spot on.") If you don't read the blog, simply explain why you are targeting it. (i.e. "We know that your blog is one of the most respected resources on Y.")

3.) Check to see if a blogger accepts pitches

While few bloggers have policies on accepting pitches posted to their site, enough of them do to warrant taking a moment to check. Sending a bad pitch to a blogger who has taken the time to outline their pitch policies is a good way to end up on the receiving end of an angry call from your client.

4.) Don't pitch irrelevant products

Good search marketers don't target phrases that aren't relevant to a client site because they know that untargeted traffic has very little value. This holds true for blogs as well. That said, pitching an irrelevant product to the wrong blogger can be a good way to get a link...a negative link from an angry blogger. (And there's that phone call from the client again....)

5.) Don't make assumptions

While many PR execs are used to oozing confidence when it comes to relating to traditional media, the same level of hubris can turn bloggers off instantly. Bloggers value their time just like everyone else does. While you may think that phrases like "when can we schedule a conversation" instead of "would you be interested in speaking with us" are more likely to result in coverage, there's also a good chance that they'll cause the blogger to write you off as an arrogant PR exec. I know that I'm far more likely to have a conversation when the pitch makes it clear that my time is valued. Most bloggers tend to react the same way.

Pitches to bloggers can be an excellent way to get your product in front of the right audiences. After all, some bloggers have more traffic than some major news publications. Even smaller blogs often have loyal, highly engaged audiences. However just as PR execs have spent decades learning the best ways to approach traditional media, they'll also need to devote some serious effort to learning the best way to pitch a new legion of thought leaders and opinion shapers.

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