Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Waiting For Influential Bloggers - Or Just Send Pr

Posted by nat.colley on 3/13/2013 at 11:30 AM ET 125 Points
I am going to launch a crowdfunding drive to raise money for a new web site which will be of service to lawyers and people who work/deal/sell to them. I got some advice that rather than send a press release to a bunch of people who never heard of me, I should query a few influential legal bloggers and if they bite, then getting others to pick up the story would be much easier. Well, I have queried a couple, and they seemed VERY interested at first. They responded with questions, which I answered, and then poof! No response to my follow ups.

Now, if it was not an intriguing concept they would not have responded in the first place, right? So why do they disappear? Did I just get buried under all the new things that came across their desk since then?
Is it because I have not actually DONE it yet? Should I just keep querying until I get someone who will actually write about it?

I do not think I can keep waiting for one of these people to actually write something. That is why I came here to ask. Am I better off just shotgunning the PR to everyone I can think of and hope somebody runs with it?

I can launch the crowdfunding project at any time, but not ten years from now. I was waiting for these bloggers so that I could time the launch for maximum effect. Any and all insights welcome. I will even answer questions for more info, as long as you do not go poof on me! ;-) Thanks.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 3/13/2013 at 11:40 AM Accepted
    If you haven't done anything, then there's really not much for others to write about (unless you have a history of doing amazing things, and this too, is likely to be a "hit"). Why don't you simply launch your crowdfunded project, and then post links on related blog (and email writers that have covered similar topics previously). Even better - contact those that would directly benefit from your offering - a few lawyers and the people who work/deal/sell to them. If you're going to dramatically improve their lives, give them first opportunity to hear about it (and support your efforts).
  • Posted by Moriarty on 3/13/2013 at 12:56 PM Member
    I think we need to start from the beginning. You have a great idea, and nobody is yet interested. That's not as unusual as it may seem. There are however, ways around all this. For one thing, if you started your site and re-blogged serious and engaging content (with a trackback or link as a matter of courtesy) you could begin to build up an audience. You can bring them in using social media, which is another matter altogether.

    Once you have a readership is usually when the big guys get interested. Either that, or you are offering them something serious in return by way of their bank balance.

    Which means you can start tomorrow and set up a gentle campaign to see if it has moved in a few months of activity.

    Does this help any?
  • Posted by nat.colley on 3/13/2013 at 2:08 PM Author
    Jay and Moriarty,

    Thank you both for the swift responses. I really appreciate it. After I submitted and looked at my post, I thought it showed a lot of impatience. Be that as it may, I find your input valuable.

    What I find interesting is that neither of you said to keep querying and waiting for the influential bloggers, nor did you endorse the idea of shotgunning my press release to any and everyone remotely related to writing about legal issues. It seems you both like the slow and steady building of relationships over time by posting good content, and that would be fine, but the way crowdfunding works, the successful ones typically already have a following and they can get good responses to their fundraising almost immediately. A big early response is also key to hitting a relatively high goal like mine. And the fund raising has a time limit, usually 30-45 days.
    My problem is I am not terribly social, so I don't have a big following to start with. Hence the idea of getting a lot of attention thru bloggers and or press releases. It is sort of like seeking instant fame, but trust me, if I could successfully do this without my name or picture, I would be fine with that.
  • Posted by Moriarty on 3/13/2013 at 2:45 PM Accepted
    "if I could successfully do this without my name or picture" - you and me both! I should have been a farmers' wife in the bush of Southern Rhodesia. Only the farmer had better ideas, and given what's happened there, I agree with him.

    If it is of any consolation, you will be a star in a very small marketing niche. I doubt that any national publicity will come of it, although by the time you get used to it you may disagree with me. Perry Marshall had a very good course last summer about dealing with celebrity niches, and putting many fears to bed. After all, he is famous in the online/PPC/SEA world - and outside it is practically unknown.

    Now nobody got anywhere by sitting down and wondering "what if" - my tactics are always gentle and slow. Not so with you, perhaps. That comes down to the needs of the situation, and 45 days is not a long time. At least you'll know if you made it or not! My other question is are these crowdfunders leveraging other traffic streams (twitter/facebook/email followings built up over years) and so kick their idea into orbit practically overnight. After all, remember how Twitter got into the top 10 overnight - wasn't it something to do with mass linkbuilding across the planet which in the space of a week was all channeled to one site and not thousands?

    If you don't have that background, you may well be better off going the slow road. That's not to say you can't do it, only my feelings are not to expect too much just yet.

    Oh, and if you really aren't social, then partner up with someone who is. You can do the stuff you like, and he (she) can do the outreach bit. That way you balance each other's weaknesses and fears, strengthening both of you at the same time.
  • Posted by SteveByrneMarketing on 3/13/2013 at 5:03 PM Member
    Good advice from above posts.

    The "Association of Legal Administrators" is the gold standard for relevant content targeting law firms. It is highly respected and credible within the legal industry. Lawyers don't have time for announcements such as yours. They rely on their office manager or administrative director to bring interesting and useful information to their attention.

    There are PR releases, blogs, newsletters and more connected to the ALA brand, both with the national organization and with its many chapters.

    Spend some time reviewing the ALA and ALA chapter sites to discover opportunities available for your messaging needs.
    https://www.alanet.org/chapters/
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 3/13/2013 at 8:06 PM Member
    Something you might consider is not going the Kickstarter route just yet. Instead, create a very minimal proof-of-concept website that shows off a key benefit. That'll allow people to see that that you're serious, real, and will help them to understand the scope of what you're building. With this minimal site, you have something to show people and ask for input/funding (especially once you know how much you will really need to get to end of "phase 1").
  • Posted by nat.colley on 3/15/2013 at 4:17 PM Author
    Phil
    I have plenty of data that my site meets a need. Give me some credit. I am not doing this just because I want to. And I have never seen a crwodfunding project post or make available a business plan - but I do have one. This is not an equity deal. The SEC hasn't even finished figuring out the rules for the new JOBS Act.

    Jay
    A working prototype will cost $30-60k.

    Kathleen,
    I put your advice in the slow and steady category of the first two responses I got. I guess I am just too anxious and impatient to want to embrace that approach, which does not mean it is not the right one.

    Steve
    I will add the ALA to my list. Thx.
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