Exhibit A: A pitch I received from a rather large (but shall remain unnamed) advertising agency last week. Keep in mind, last time I checked, I was not a mommy blogger, but in fact a blogger who writes about PR/marketing/social media. Oh, I’m not a food blogger either. But nevermind those minute details–let’s blast the bloggers!!!!

I’ve received far too many pitches like this to keep ignoring them. And if I’m fed up, I can only imagine what lifestyle and ‘mommy’ bloggers feel like who get pitched many more times a day than I do.

This is just lazy pitching. Pure and simple. And it’s RAMPANT in our industry. Let’s not kid ourselves. We’re not doing our jobs near well enough. And it needs to stop.

What can we do? A few simple things.

First, be realistic about what you can promise your client/organization. Blogger outreach is not easy. It’s time intensive. And there are few promises you can make. Sound familiar media relations folks?

Second, read the blogs you’re pitching. I’m begging you. If this person would have taken just take FIVE MINUTES to read my blog they would have realized I’m not a mommy blogger and I have no interest in blogging about your client’s food product. Please don’t be lazy. Please put forth effort. Someone is paying you good money to do this.

Finally, customize your pitches. After you spend five minutes reading the blog (and believe me, you can learn A LOT about a blogger, if you know where to look, in five minutes), write a pitch that’s is just for them. Include personal details. Mention a recent post. Whatever. It’s really not that hard, and I promise it’ll take less than 15 minutes.

So,are we all set? If we all take these simple steps, this garbage will stop. Eventually. For now, I guess I’ll have to live with the kind of crap pitches you see below.

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Comments: Hi Arik!

Summer is coming to a close, the kids are heading back to school, and once again you are faced with packing school lunches. We know packing a healthy lunch that your kids will eat is important. With that in mind, we hope you will join (CLIENT NAME HERE) and registered dietitian, (SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT HERE), for an exclusive blogger event focused on how to pack the perfect school lunch.

(CLIENT NAME HERE) new snack-packs, available at (LOCAL GROCER HERE), are an easy way to keep portable, delicious snack bars on hand for school lunches or snacks. (CLIENT NAME HERE) bars are all-natural, gluten free and baked with real fruit and non-genetically modified ground whole soybeans—offering a perfect combination of carbohydrates, protein and fiber. It is an easy, tasty and wholesome snack for any time of day.

In addition to sampling (CLIENT NAME HERE) (and taking plenty home for you and your readers!), (SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT HERE) will take you on an aisle-by-aisle tour of (LOCAL GROCER HERE) to learn how to shop healthier. You’ll leave with expert advice (CLIENT NAME HERE) is not only a nutrition expert, he’s also a father of two), tips and tricks on how to pack a perfect school lunch, ideas on how to throw together quick weeknight dinners, and easy ways to ensure that no one skips that all-important breakfast just because they’re late for the bus.

Event Details:

(DELETING TO PROTECT THE CLIENT)

Please RSVP via our Eventbrite invitation: (DELETING TO PROTECT THE CLIENT)

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. If you’d like to learn more about (CLIENT NAME HERE), please visit our website. You can also connect with us on Facebook and tweet with us on Twitter, (CLIENT NAME HERE). We look forward to seeing you!

Cheers,

(NAME OF PR PERSON HERE)

(NAME OF AD/PR FIRM HERE)