Urgh.
I follow a few hashtags on Twitter, two of the ones I like to keep an eye on are #PRRequest and #JournoRequest. Both hashtags are interesting to follow as a blogger because you can sometimes get PR Opportunities and Journalism / Media based opportunities. The problem is, the #PRRequest one has turned into, well.. Shit.
The problem is, it’s teeming with Blaggy Bloggers, constantly demanding stuff ‘to review’, such gems as..
‘I’m moving house soon, could do with some new furniture, does anyone have anything I can review? – #PRRequest – ‘
‘Just started a new blog, would love to review stuff – #PRRequest – ‘
‘I’m pregnant! Want me to review any baby things? Send them my way!! – #PRRequest – ‘
ANNNNND REPEAT.
It’s shit – really shit.
Thing is with Blogging, it’s a bit like Twitter, it’s very much ‘Build it and they will come’. You can’t really just start and expect people to give two hoots about what you’re saying, or expect PR people to jump on board. Putting it nicely – you’re an irrelevance. You need to build your audience, get a rapport with them, write stuff people want to read, THEN, and only then you’ll slowly start getting the PR contact (hopefully!)
Everyone has to start somewhere, my best advice if you want to review stuff? Review things you already own, I had no PR contact until about 2 years ago (and I started in 2008!), I just reviewed stuff that I bought, misc bits of tech, odds and sods. Get your stuff written up, photographed, videoed in a nice easy to read form, get it online with some SEO and in time, you’ll get people finding it. See the funny thing is, the reviews that I’ve done, and get the most views STILL are the random oddments I’ve purchased and written about.
It’s madness to think that any PR people will send you hundreds of pounds worth of stuff to you when you have no bugger reading your blog in the first time. PR people aren’t dumb, they can check your Page Rank, your domain authority etc, see how many Likes your Facebook page has, how many Twitter followers you have. You can get a pretty fair assessment of someone’s presence with a few simple tools, and they will do it!
It’s not all bad news though, PR companies often see bloggers as powerful tools, we’re relatively cheap and fast advertising, and a good way of getting a brand ‘out there’. So when you are a little more established you will end up with enquiries and requests for all sorts (REALLY), and probably on a daily basis too. I get sent loads of random things – some stuff I’ll write about, others I won’t because it’s not always a ‘fit’ for here. I’ll always say ‘Thank You’ and maybe give them a mention SOMEWHERE, but i’m keen to keep the promo content ratio as low as I can and won’t turn into a total blog whore (unlike some!).
It’s fine to blag every once in awhile, but, you need to build up the contacts to do it with, drop a cheeky email, build up a rapport. Don’t just throw your blagging shit against the walls of Twitter, hoping that something will stick. It won’t. Build a blog, build an audience, and I promise you, you’ll have more PR people contacting you then you’ll know how to cope with!
Stop with the Blagging, start with the content!
Yesss! A million times yes! I’ve been blogging for 14-15 years and there I times when I think that actually, it was better 6-7+ years ago when bloggers were just nerds with an internet connection and nobody gave anybody free crap for a link/review. At least then I didn’t have to put up with the blaggy tweets and constant stream of “review my shit!” emails.
Totally agree!!!! And it such a shame because then all bloggers seem to get a painted with the same brush x
Love this kip. I too read and follow that hashtag but mainly to have a giggle at the end of the day.
If your any good at what you do the approaches will come to you
I am guilty of doing the occasional #prrequest tweet, and I have had people contact me off the back of them – but I try not to do them very often, and I’d like to think that my blog is a place brands would like to advertise their goods. I tend to go by the policy of “don’t ask, don’t get” – but I try to limit it to once a week at the very most!
I watch the #journorequest tag too, and am infuriated by sometimes hourly posts by the same person wanting things to review, or sponsorship for something. I’m in no position to judge whether brands would or wouldn’t like to advertise with these blogs, but the fact they’re constantly asking just seems a bit… wrong.
Great post as always!
I think us bloggers get a name for ourselves as ‘blaggers’ which in most cases, is unfounded. There are obviously one or two, as you say, who do overstep the mark. I absolutely agree that in time they will come and personally, I think we should have to make our mark before we reap the benefits!
I agree if you’ve not really anything to offer then it’s not really in the PR company’s interest. But I hate the term Blagging because generally a lot of work goes into a review, and sometimes you get something turn up in the afternoon and they want it reviewing by the next day – you squeeze it in (despite commitments) and they can’t even be bothered to say thank you – and actually you did it for FREE!
I’m afraid I’m not about to jump on the anti-blaggers bandwagon, but I do think it’s important to do good quality reviews, building a good reputation first. I use #PRrequest if I’m looking for something specific or if I’m opening up to giveaways or sponsorships. I’m not ashamed of that. People did product reviews long before twitter, my mum did them. I don’t think that makes us blaggers.
I always assume anyone with “PR Friendly” in their twitter profile is a blagger. Maybe I’m wrong but I know perhaps two or three bloggers who would actually tell a PR to bugger off, so what is actually the point of it?
I’ve seen the hashtags in use and have sometimes felt embarrassed for the blogger, but at least they’re honest, it’s those that try to be sly about it that really get me!
I actually have to disagree somewhat – I know a fair few bloggers who have VERY low follower numbers and VERY low hits (I’m talking fewer than 100 followers, and fewer than 4,000 page views in total) who have been sent endless products, including £400+ prams and £300 cots!!
I personally think PRs are paying less and less attention to reach and influence, and it’s becoming far more “the norm” to just send out samples like they’re going out of fashion without doing any research into the blogs.
Did you ever think that this topic would be so big 12 months on? Great article but bloggers are still abusing the PRrequest tag. It’s a shame because it’s giving us all a bad name.
Good article! I’ve been following someone who does this on a regular basis. They openly admit they have trolls so their blog numbers are inflated by that. Their blog content is dismal.
**They were paid to go to the Notting Hill Carnival and also received a free phone to attend. They went to NHC for half an hour in the evening and then left. They didn’t even see the carnival because they turned up too late.
**They have moved and have openly bragged with their ‘friends’ about how they can get free stuff for themselves and their landlady by using the #prrequest on their twitter.
**They need a new camera lens so they’re constantly prowling for a photography store to give them new equipment.
They spend their entire day prowling and looking for free things under the guise of ‘work’. If they actually got a job they could buy these things themselves. It’s sickening.
Stumbled upon your post from SingleMotherAhoy’s #ArchiveDay post. I’m new to all these and I’m glad to read posts like this at the start of my blogging journey … very helpful in carving out my blogging path. Thanks 🙂