Not All PR Firms Are Bad!

The other day, I posted an article called “Beware of These PR Firms” on The Mommy-Files. I wanted to point out a few of the companies that myself (and other bloggers I’ve talked to) have had a negative experience with.

Of course, I figured there would be at least one nasty comment. Most of the comments were supportive and my readers reminded me that they were grateful for the hard work I do put into my site. However, one reader (we’ll call him or her “anonymous” since that is how they responded) left a fairly nasty comment. I’ve altered a few of the letters but you’ll get the basic idea. The reader said “Maybe pr people should make a list of sh**ty bloggers. God, stop your complaining about FREE SH*T!”

I’m not going to swear or name call or bash, but REALLY???

First of all, I just want to make very clear that I DO NOT RECEIVE “FREE” STUFF. I work with many companies and I do receive products that my family and I try out or review. I then spend my time to write up useful and honest reviews on the products, many times associated with giveaways (which I don’t hear many complaints about). I even spend my own money to ship these prizes to winners at times.

I’m sure there are bloggers out there that are bad about shipping out prizes or responding to their readers or even talking trash about anyone who ticks them off. I try to keep my blog family friendly, my reviews honest, and point out real experiences, companies, and products I encounter.

There are several PR firms and representatives that I LOVE working with. In fact, the majority of the PR firms I work with have professional and reliable reps that are willing to answer my questions and resolve my concerns and care about what I think about their products.

The firms and reps that I talked about either didn’t give me the time of day (remember I am still a customer as well as a reviewer) or wanted me to write up several posts in return for nothing. The purpose of a review blog goes hand in hand with social marketing. In other words, I receive a product. I use the product. I write about the things I liked or didn’t like about the company and product. If I wasn’t honest about the products or companies I encountered, my blog would be lacking integrity and I wouldn’t be considered a credible source.