The PR Files: A Blogger Replies

The PR Files - an occasional series in which VP examines some of the more unusual correspondence she receives, simply because she set up Veg Plotting ;)

With enormous gratitude to the cuddlesome cashmere Ms Arabella Sock, whose special correspondence with her Senator, inspired VP to find a suitable way to reply, without sounding like a wailing banshee who's swallowed a whole lemon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have really enjoyed reading through your blog. I think you would be a great fit to write a sponsored post for our dog fence site. You would receive a Target gift card for $65 and $10 extra for submitting your post within 20 days,if you would write a post on creating an outdoor environment that is pet friendly. We are also hosting a garden & pet blogathon where several bloggers are writing a post titled “My Horror Story of Pet Damage to my Garden”, if that topic would be a better fit for you. Whichever pitch you choose would need to start with a line that this post is written in partnership with dogfencediy.com (including the link)**. If you are interested in writing on either topic, let me know. Send me a link when the post is live and I will send you a Target gift card worth $75 if it is within 20 days.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Kind Regards

An Enthusiastic Person
Director of Non-Profit Affairs

Editor's Notes:

* = ooo - perhaps Arabella could enter one of her Kitten Diaries posts?
** = link removed to protect blog readers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi An Enthusiastic Person,

Thanks for your email and your kind words about the blog. It's great to see company representatives like you are meticulously researching for the right blogs to choose before reaching out for that vital connection.

As you've gone to so much trouble,  I thought you'd like a more visual reply from my blog, composed especially for you.

Thank you for your attention and have a nice day!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOVE IT!!!! I can send you a gift card for a company that you can use if you would like to write a post...Amazon maybe?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Words so far have failed me... ;)

Comments

  1. Compostwoman11 March 2013 at 12:04

    I get requests like this as well...for the oddest of things!

    And no, a lot of them have obviously never even LOOKED at my site, let alone read any of it.

    You have to laugh, though :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP11 March 2013 at 12:12

      Hi Compostwoman - yes, I'm a 'great mom blogger' called Dave ;)

      Most of them get deleted straight away, but for once the urge to reply was too tempting...

      It would take ages to reply to them all in this way!

      Delete
  2. rusty duck11 March 2013 at 12:51

    Hi VP,

    Loved this! A good day to find your blog (via Elizabeth).

    Spam is the major problem for me but occasionally this raises a laugh too... such as an advertisement for a slimming clinic attached to a photograph that I'd used of two rather large Gloucester Old Spot sows.

    Jessica
    (Avid gardener and veggie plotter)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP11 March 2013 at 15:00

      Hi - welcome :) I think you've also found my pal Threadspider who used to live just a 10 minute walk away?

      Spam seems to be a major pain lately - I get all sorts on a blog I look after which seems to attach itself to a photo of a drummer.

      Delete
  3. Crafty Gardener11 March 2013 at 13:12

    I usually just delete all these offers and mark as spam. I've since moed away from Blogger so don't get as many offers.
    Love your reply back to them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP11 March 2013 at 15:01

      Hi - lovely to see you again :)

      Most of mine get deleted too, but a few of them are hilarious!

      Delete
  4. Anonymous11 March 2013 at 13:37

    I like it!

    It does seem pretty poor when they have obviously done so little research on the blogs they target. I get some equally unsuitable (and some surprisingly badly written!) approaches too, that make me laugh (as I delete them). :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP11 March 2013 at 15:03

      Hi - I wrote a massively long post once on the lack of research and everything, but in the end I deleted it because it was such a miserable, moaning load of rubbish.

      Laughter and humour's definitely the best way of dealing with them :)

      Delete
  5. Caro11 March 2013 at 15:14

    Humour is definitely the best way forward! Laugh it off and delete the message!
    The best one I had was from a company who wanted me to write something about mattresses. It must have been late in the day because I had a complete "duh? what the?" reaction ... and then I realised they were a bedding company and, of course, I have beds, raised ones! *sighs and hits delete button*. They're probably still trying to get a sailing blog to write up about their fitted sheets!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP11 March 2013 at 15:17

      Hi Caro - that reminds me of the garden centre in Shepton Mallett that had a cast iron bed with a sedum bedspread! It inspired my 'Things in Unusual Places' blog series :)

      Delete
  6. Diana Studer11 March 2013 at 21:11

    That dog fence was attracted to my cats too. SO grateful my deluge of dumpster spam has been caught by the Mark as Spam filters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP12 March 2013 at 08:32

      I'm getting a lot coming through at the moment - there's a problem raised on the Google forum at the moment.

      And a HUGE thank you re your tip about closing down comments on a post by post basis. I keep those settings open for 3 months, then close them down if spam starts attacking a post (often the moderation after 15 days doesn't work). It's dramatically reduced the amount of spam getting through without stopping the genuine commenters :)

      Delete
  7. Michael12 March 2013 at 00:53

    HAHAHAHA, I loved your reply, it had me in stitches, gotta love that spam. Oddly, I was actually excited the when I got spam for the first couple of times because it meant that my wee little blog was big enough to warrent spam even bothering with me :) though I haven't gotten a request to write a post before LOL

    ReplyDelete
  8. Gardeningbren12 March 2013 at 01:57

    Ms. Sock...The Sea of Immeasurable Gravy blog, is a huge delight. Her writing style is fantastic. So pleased you posted about this stupid spam, your response and the sock's as well. Humour is the way to deflate this ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. VP12 March 2013 at 08:34

    Michael - welcome! Yes, that's one way of looking at spam. They don't like new blogs and others which don't have a good page rank.

    Bren - I was Arabella's first commenter. Her blog is unique in the gardening world :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Arabella Sock12 March 2013 at 09:59

    What an excitement to visit and find people saying nice things about my blog! I do remember you as as first commenter VP, I was so amazed that someone I didn't know had turned up to read and comment on my blog I nearly choked on my coffee. I've
    been tidying my blog bit by bit, starting with the earliest posts from 2008 - how things have changed since then, I was posting 5 days a week. I'm glad I've kept blogging even if much fewer and further between.

    I haven't heard from my Senator recently - I shall be disappointed if his emails stop. Still I will always have Denver - the entire business population of Denver try and follow me on twitter in the belief that I am located in Brighton, Denver rather than the UK.

    ReplyDelete
  11. VP12 March 2013 at 12:03

    Hi Arabella - I think we were all posting much more frequently back then! I'm so glad you've continued to do so - I hadn't realised you were such a hit in Denver! That must be worth a blog post in itself. I do hope your senator writes again, your replies to him are a hoot ;)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Esther Montgomery13 March 2013 at 11:17

    Do you get emails from a company that would like you to review and give away spectacles?

    ReplyDelete
  13. VP13 March 2013 at 12:22

    Hi Esther - I do. One of them is lined up as a potential candidate for this series of posts (assuming I do a series)!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love hearing from you and welcome thoughtful conversations :)

Comments aiming to link back and give credence to commercial websites will be composted!

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