No outfit post today. This is just a post about something I need to get it off my chest ASAP. Before writing this, I took the time to do some research, if you can call it that. I spend some time sharing my thoughts with other individuals who thought the same way, analyzed social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook, etc. and came to some sad conclusions when it comes to the interaction between bloggers and PR representatives.
This post isn't about all bloggers, just so you know, but there are a lot of bloggers who think that PR agencies are nothing more than some kind of Santa Claus. PR isn't about just sending some packages and press mails to a bunch of bloggers and it's sad that the hardworking staff behind those agencies don't get the respect they deserve. There's no harm in contacting a PR agency, that represents one of your favorite brands for example, in order to receive press releases. Most agencies will be more than happy to send you press mails and will be flattered that you show some - hopefully genuine - interest in their brands. Sadly, a lot of bloggers - both fashion and beauty - aren't satisfied with press mails only. So, what do they do? They bombard tons of PR agencies for invites and free goodies. If they don't get the result they were aiming for, they unleash their frustration on Twitter or Facebook. Not professional, to say the least. I guess it's hard for them to understand that most agencies get a selected amount of items themselves, instead of being able to provide the entire blogger community.
If PR agencies feel that your blog is relevant and interesting enough, they will contact you themselves, simple as that. They may contact you to send you a gift or to ask your contact information and statistics so they can add you to their contact list. Just make sure that you know the difference between page views and unique visitors, since that seems to be something some bloggers 'struggle' with too. PR agencies will know when you're trying to trick them, honey. Just don't expect it to happen if you've been blogging for a month. Be patient and your hard work will pay off someday. I received my first invite to an event after blogging for almost year. A year of blogging with a handful of readers, my sister and best friend included. Not that I cared, though. I blogged because I enjoyed it and I still enjoy it to the fullest. This should be the main reason one should start a blog, but that's not the case anymore. Because I feel my readers deserve to know it when I'm wearing an item I received from a PR agency or an (online) shop - I just feel it's the right thing to do - I'll always mention it on the blog. I then quickly receive emails from other bloggers (most of them just started their blog), asking if I can help them get the same item or invite. They'll always receive a polite answer, telling them that it's not up to me to do that and that I'm not a PR agency myself, but it has become very tiring. I can't even imagine the flood of emails the PR agencies must receive every day. To start a Twitter rant about certain brands / agencies because they didn't sent you an invite or item, or to bitch about the fact that bigger blogs get more opportunities, is just not done. Remember that the big blogs also started somewhere and that it's not their fault that their blogs get considered bigger than yours.
Even though I know this post will hardly have any effect, I just had to put it out here. All the issues mentioned above smudge the bloggers' name in general and it's not fair for those who do have respect for the PR agencies (and all the hard work they deliver) and don't stalk them for every single item or invite.
That's all.
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