Excellent post, Toby. You hit on a lot of the things that most determine whether I write about something sent to me by someone else:
- whether I have a pre-existing relationship or knowledge of that person/organization
- whether the item falls within the scope of the issues I cover on my blog
- whether the item is truly new and different, versus being similar to something I or others have already covered
- whether there is a benefit in it for my readers, such as learning something new and useful, getting a special giveaway or discount, or being entertained
- whether I have time to write about it (so making it as easy as possible for me, by providing all the key info I need).

Someone who meets most of these criteria has a pretty good chance of being covered on my blog. I wonder whether others have additional/different criteria?

"Bloggers do not want to be ‘pitched’ … they want to be part of an on-going collaboration or partnership."

Great quotes, Toby. And good comments, Nedra.

I endorse Nedra's criteria, but I'd add another: I write about stuff I find personally interesting, on the assumption that my post are a filter for, well, me...(!) and my take on stuff.

I absolutely agree, Ann. I guess that personal interest filter process is something that is so integral that I didn't even think of it.

I relate to the 'ying/yang' suggestion - I hope it's true.
Best wishes

I think the sheer likeability of the person approaching you makes a difference. Everyone can tell if they're being approached by a media machine with a boilerplate query letter or a real human being who's assessed the blogger's content and audience before composing an email.

I've been on both ends, and I can say with certainty that being appreciated and appreciating others makes a huge difference in whether the relationship will become a productive one.

I have been approached over and over by a media company that wants me to review DVDs, TV shows and video games. They obviously tucked me into a database, but don't bother to mark down whether I've run stories for them before. I therefore get no followup emails. Every query letter is the same, as if I'm a total stranger. And every time, I'm "clearly an influencer". That's earned them a giant eye roll from me every time. And the eye roll shows in the blog posts that I write.

Likability, personal interest, Nedra's excellent list .. this is great. Reinforces that to engage bloggers you have to, at the minimum, know their passions and be "real" yourself .. unless you are into eye ball rolls. And building relations with bloggers is a long-term strategy that builds over time.

"building relations with bloggers is a long-term strategy that builds over time."

YES! That is the key there, in many situations. It takes time. Time to get to know them, time to develop the relationship before asking for their help and time for the results to materialize. Getting the relationship and the great input still is just the beginning. There has to be follow-up and continued contact... and patience. The results are not instantaneous is almost every case. It takes time for that momentum to grow to something tangible and measurable.

Great Post Diva!

As always Toby, your ideas are fresh and welcome additions to any discussion of blogs and the blogosphere in general; and to business and corporate, marketing, promotional, and public relations blogs in particular. Bloggers are different from the traditional mainstream media and definitely require a new and fresh approach. The old ways of doing business not only will fail when applied to bloggers, but are likely to backfire entirely. Keep advising the world Toby. Your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions are an important part of the conversation. :-)

I've been thinking about alot of this stuff, too, Toby (esp. after coming home from WOMMA)...

I would though caution about counting links and subscriptions to blogs. While this is valuable in some ways, as the long tail continues to grow, and more niches are created, measuring influence in this manner might be a bit difficult.

A suggestion was made at a WOMMA panel to only hand out p/r info to bloggers with more than 1,000 relavent links--but, quite frankly, if one looks at the Technorati stats, the only bloggers at that level are the "A-list."

If p/r and marketing efforts are only targeted to the A-list, then it's kind of perpetuation of the status-quo, don't you think?

I would suggest looking more at the content--what the blogger is writing, if they give any indication why they write it. Transparency (which helps evaluate credibility) is also important--do you know who the blogger is?

And you are absolutely spot on about the labor-intense aspect of blogger relations. IRL it takes time to get to know a person--we have to listen to what they say, but also evaluate subtleties of body language and such. With blogging, we have voice, but we're missing other things that, IRL, would make evaluation a quicker proces.

Fascinating, though, how all this is evolving :-)

welcome 2 maybe biggest free ad archive - www.adverland.co.uk!

Hi Toby,

We met about a month ago here in the blogosphere when you made a comment on one of my posts about your blog. I teach Internet Communications, a required course in the Public Relations and Advertising program, at Chapman University in Orange County. We're part of the presitgious film school that just opened a $41 million facility, with more development on the way. (A working back lot, a mixed use retail/student housing complex) Orange County loves us, and so does Governor Schwarzenegger.

This semester I revamped Internet Communications, focussing on blogging. Every student created a blog that confronted an issue, company, or public personality. They posted thrice weekly over a course of two months. Also, I made Naked Conversations required reading. This is how I discovered Diva Marketing.

I love your blog! Over break I am going to incorporate it as a case study into my curriculum for next semester. Seventy per cent of my students are women; your blog is perfect for them.

Next time you are in southern California, please accept this invitation to speak on campus. We might be a small, private liberal arts school, but last year we took fifth in the nation in the American Advertising Federation's National Student Advertising Competition. Our students are smart, ambitious, and creative. I think they will love you...and you they.

Sincerely,
Cory O'Connor
Assistatant Professor of Advertising and Public Relations

Great blog and posts, guys. I agree with the recurring theme re: developing real relationships and not throwing blind pitches at bloggers.

I already get 25-plus RSS feeds but I have to subscribe to this one - guess one more can't hurt!

Thanks! Vince

Thanks for the good sharing .I love your blog! Over break I am going to incorporate it as a case study into my curriculum for next semester.
http://www.relationshipsaver.org/

Well done for that blog.It is developing real relationships and not throwing blind pitches at bloggers.
http://www.adultoysuk.co.uk/

Nice. I especially like the idea of engaging bloggers in real conversations...