Liveblogging the Bulldog reporter audio conference on blogger relations

Getting through the first roundyrounds with the Bulldog Reporter audio conference on blogger relations featuring Tom Foremski, Neville Hobson, Kara Swisher, John Biggs, and Dean Takahashi.

First panel round was more or less standard stuff; journos (esp. Swisher) don't like embargos, target your bloggers, know what they write about.

• DEAN: even though bloggers may not have the biggest audience, they are worth pitching because they shape coverage
• KARA: Separating "mainstream" from "bloggers" is silly at this point in terms of pitching or other issues (such as ethical standards). Doesn't make sense any more.
  
• TOM: Mainstream media is being forced to finally give credit to bloggers, something they've been reluctant to do.
• JOHN: his weekly Times column comes directly from consultation with the Times editor over what he's covered on his blog.
  

Great pitching:

• Tom: HP, recently pitched on EDS merger with VERY rapid response and access to C-suite
  
• Neville: a phone call. Contact by phone and asked "good time to talk? then pitched." Sez e-mail wouldn't have worked.
  
  

1:34: the blacklist question, viz Trapani and Anderson (who's in town tonight and I can't see him, dammit).

• Neville: simple answer: understand the person you're approaching. GT was tired of pitches at her personal e-mail.
  
• JOHN: Trapani's experience happens a lot; makes pitcher look like an idiot. Use google; follow the rules the blogger sets out.
  
• KARA: most good PR people know this. Don't get as much as I used to, but she gets far less useless stuff than she used to. Improved immeasurably.

1:43: What do you read?

• KARA: Paid standard, NY Times, reads "everything", all the majors, etc.
• TOM : doesn't read too much, scans headlines, but doesn't wanna be influenced. wants to go 'hack the rock out of the rock face,' then come up with something ORIGINAL
• NEVILLE: the usuals, + Marc Andreesen's blog, FT tech content, Techmeme, UK mainstream media, Economist on tech and business, TechCrunch UK, next web, big on aggregators
• JOHN: build google alerts -- useful for blogs too, esp if website has google juice
• NEVILLE: Find out what the people you respect are reading, steal their blogroll or OPML file.
  

Technorati?

• KARA: doesn't use it
• John: nice ego boost for most popular blogs, but doesn't find it useful for finding blogs in your interest area
  
• TOM: Google reader allows you to construct your "own personal Techmeme"
  
• DEAN: Twitter -- sub to Google news on Twitter, he promotes his breaking news.

1:55: Live Q&A

• Q1: businesswire, etc useful?
  
• A1: No.
  
• Q2: Is commenting a good strategy to hit the radar for bloggers?
  
• A2: TOM - yes; NEVILLE: essential engagement startegy, but has to be done with relevance. Can't be a "parachute" commenter.
  

2:00: Tom overviews SilVal Watcher

• Web 2.0 companies are Web 2.YAWN companies for him; just not much there.
  
• Tech by itself has no meaning. Gotta be providing meaning, usefulness for people, culture of innovation or rather disruption.

2:07: had to break off for a moment and missed summarizing Neville H; but you all should already know him. He's a GOD, I tell you.

2:07: John Biggs:

• Crunchgear: more irreverant than TechCrunch. Loves handson reviews on the gadget beat, use IM to contact him and his minions; very simple, to the point, please.
  

2:08: Live question from someone about what bloggers might do with an expert contributor offer from an agency as guest columnist, or etc.

• KARA: she runs 'experts' (but doesn't like the term) as guest columnists, often industry types, but it can't be cheerleadery. (No siss-boom-bah, flacks)
  
• John: (I think) BE QUICK -- can't be tomorrow, must be now, available for Skype call to record etc.

Email question: How about group meet-and-greets with bloggers and c-suites?

• NEVILLE: Okay with it depending on circumstances. Good to have a discussion with likeminded others. Did one yesterday with multiple mainstream and bloggers, differnet angles resulted, etc.
  
• TOM: Group is fine, but wants to be able to have one-on-one to get something nobody else has.
  

Email from Kate: what's biggest difference bwt pitching blogs and mainstream?

• Neville: None
• Kara: None
• John: treat bloggers like newswire providers. He's "never off", Arrington is up at 4 am writing, speed, accuracy, precision, not often time for leisurely lunches, etc.
  

2:17: multimedia / rich pitches

• TOM: more, more. Embed codes are great
  
• JOHN: embed is ideal, easiest, just YouTube it.
• TOM: RSS is the central enabling technology of this version of the web.
  

2:18: how do you respond to online rumours?

• TOM: Respond IMMEDIATELY. Don't have committee meets for two weeks.
  
• NEVILLE (surprise): it depends. Treat it as if it were any other media outlet. Be careful that you don't let the 'genie' out of the bottle -- once the conversation starts, you can't withdraw.
  
• JOHN: seen cease & desists; treated in blogosphere as an acknowledgement of fact. (BOB note: tehe)
  

2:22: what about social media news releases?

• TOM: don't like "social"; prefers "new media", but yes
• KARA: it's ridiculous; you don't have to name everything with this web 2.0 stuff.
  
• NEVILLE: name doesn't matter.
  

2:27: How to use Facebook to reach bloggers?

• KARA: Don't. It's useless for that. Twitter, e-mail, phone. FB widgets are useless
• TOM: experimented, and found e-mail tools very subpar.
  
• NEVILLE: finds it useless from messaging; he finds connection comes from twitter more than FB; twitter doesn't have FB's 'baggage' silly quiz apps and the like

2:38: what tools are the coming thing?

• NEVILLE, JOHN: MOBILE MOBILE MOBILE
• NEVILLE: RSS
• TOM: gotta immerse yourself; things are changing all the time, you have to be paying attention all the time. PR used to be media; now it's PUBLICs. There are big changes coming down the pipe.
  

And ... we're out!

Ciao,
Bob.