If you’re involved in marketing, promotions, or public relations you’ll be well aware by now that your traditional campaigns have little or no effect on bloggers –– even when they get a lot of traction with traditional journalists.

You’re probably thinking ‘Hey, bloggers are citizen journalists; why don’t they act like journalists?“

Well, most bloggers are unpaid or woefully underpaid. Unlike most journalists, they’re not in a mad panic to provide a certain number of centimeters of copy to their editor by deadline in order to keep their job and regular paycheque. Bloggers are instead often motivated by influence and respect.

This means that instead of firing off an email blast or faxing off dozens of press releases, you need to carefully craft individual messages to each blogger. This message needs to display respect for the medium, for the individual blogger, and evidence that you (as the person seeking the blogger’s help) have read their blog and can demonstrate that what you’re promoting will actually be of assistance to the blog’s audience.

If this sounds like work, well it is. But the product you’re trying to promote is worth it, right? Put in the hard yards, treat your gatekeepers with the respect they deserve, and then maybe they’ll help you talk with their audience.