It’s that time of year for content creators – Father’s Day, graduations, summer grilling, and so forth.
So how exactly is that special for content creators?
Well, this is the time of year that brands pay 3rd party PR and marketing firms to try to convince me and others to include their products in gift guides, roundups, and similar.
I’ve come to take a somewhat cynical view of Father’s Day and winter holiday introductions.
Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing from new brands. But whether I give them what they want (free exposure, gift guide mention, etc) or not, I almost never hear from them again.
They’re not interested in fostering a new relationship, they just want quick results.
Some of these are brand names you’d recognize from various tool industries and other topic areas.
I just heard from a long-time familiar contact at a PR and marketing firm, but their brand they’re representing now hasn’t made a peep in years. That PR contact has been fairly responsive over the years – I’ll give their pitch some consideration.
But for others, I’ve seen some brands go through a carousel of 3rd party marketing firms over the years. Working with them for the sake of a deeper throughout-the-year relationship would be fruitless. The firm was hired for seasonal content, and next year there might be another.
I don’t like this way of thinking. Brands pay fees to get free exposure from ToolGuyd and other channels. It seems exploitative.
My issue isn’t about free exposure, but the take-take-take nature. It’s too one sided.
Years ago, a Whiskey brand reached out and I gave them free exposure. I think I also added a square ad tile to the sidebar to promote a special edition or something. That was when ToolGuyd first started getting attention from various brands. What was I thinking?
For gift guides, I almost always require a test sample or first-hand exposure to the brand. It doesn’t sit right for that to be part of a give-take type of transaction. But also, there’s a good chance all communications and contact with the brand or rep will drop after the season or holiday.
“Can you keep me apprised of new products throughout the year?” They never do.
“Can you give me a deeper introduction into the brand?” They don’t. I guess that’s not the job – the job is “here and now” seasonal exposure.
Sometimes I ask about sample availability if I’m genuinely interested. Other times I’ll ask about sponsorship potential if I feel like I’m being exploited.
Then there are the left field points. A company pitched to be my titanium supplier. I get those emails all the time, but this one was an American supplier.
I politely asked them what gave them the impression I need a source for titanium. “Just general outreach.” At least their response was speedy and frank.
But about the seasonal requests. I hate feeling this way, but I’ve started to develop a “what do I get out of it?” mindset. “Content?”
Now, I typically don’t mind it. If it’s interesting, I’ll post about it. The context is what gets me. They’re paid to get free exposure. These firms often have short-term contracts and limited scope.
I’ve tried to use these opportunities as a way to deepen relationships with less familiar brands. It doesn’t happen.
What do readers get out of these types of situations? What does ToolGuyd get out of it?
Even though a lot of these reach-outs seem exploitative, some do present opportunities for brand and product exploration and exposure. Maybe there’s advertising or sponsorship potential. But they rarely last longer than the immediate season.
On the other hand, there’s zero pressure to make a good impression. The brand will likely hire a different firm next time. Or if they stick with the same one, high turnover or a large staff directory might mean that I’ll be dealing with a new contact the next time.
The business side of ToolGuyd gets interesting at times. From a business sense, what do I do here? Treat all potential media and marketing contacts the same? I’ve tried that, and it doesn’t bear fruit. One-time opportunities all tend to have similar traits. Sometimes I might see a string of seasonal one-time opportunities.
I’m not sure if that’s any better – the recurring gift guide pitches that I get from the same brands. But when a new product is launched mid-year, good luck getting anyone to answer any questions.
If there’s potential for a deeper relationship, sure I’ll consider gift guide or post inclusion. If I’m interested in product exposure, “will test samples be available?” If I’m interested in product exposure but feel exploited, “I only have sponsorship slots available right now.”
That seems to be a clean approach.
Not necessarily just in the context of these once-a-year content campaigns, some responses to sponsorship potential are rarely creative. “Can you consider product gifting as compensation?” I rarely say it, but I always think it – can YOU consider product gifting as compensation?
They’re being paid to extract free exposure. Like I said, it feels exploitative at times.
I recently heard from a brand’s 3rd party PR/marketing contact. I think the firm is on retainer or similar. They sent a press release for the new product alert and then follow-up that a sample package of a specific type of workshop accessory is on the way. The accessories arrived yesterday. Great company, great PR firm to work with. They’ve been a sponsor, potential sponsor, sample provider, and answers-collector. They’ll be getting a post because the new accessories are interesting, and we have a small but positive relationship.
It’s give-and-take. I feel good about dropping a mention and can make genuine recommendations. Free content is reasonable to provide.
Luckily, my cynicism about seasonal pitches hasn’t infected my broader outlook towards content.
Although, sometimes it does. If x-number of content creators are included in a paid campaign, and ToolGuyd isn’t even part of a conversation, that creates a hurdle in the way of my earned media cooperation.
Down the road, “why weren’t we included in ToolGuyd’s roundup?” or “can you include us more?” Whether a holiday gift guide, tech overview, review roundup, or similar, it comes down to product exposure, familiarity, and experience.
If I have to put on my “influencer hat” or take the “I’m also running a business” approach, I’ll usually do so begrudgingly. But I’ll do it.
I posted about Tekton’s new torque wrench calibration program the other day. I was able to glean everything I needed to know from public materials. My Tekton contact is very busy and shoulders a lot of responsibility, but if there are questions they’ll have answers.
Relationships don’t have to be transactional.
Some brands and reps try the “do this for us and maybe next time…” approach. That’s one of the biggest lies. It’s a manipulation tactic. Maybe they mean it. But it’s never turned out well. I’m no longer as naive as I used to be.
I love this time of year, but the exploitative pitches bug me a bit.
The off-topic ones can be amusing. Happy Father’s Day, here’s a new rug.
There are also the “can we buy content or link insertion?” emails I get daily. Those I flat out ignore. A lot of other channels do engage in such content, and that’s a discussion for another time.
