Dear PR Company…

On any given day I would receive tens of emails (can you tell that I am not exaggerating here – just being honest?). Many of them are from PR companies. Lovely, hard working people who work in public relations and are “just doing their job”.

The problem is that most times doing their jobs is asking bloggers like me to advertise their client’s products to my audience. For free. Or, if I am particularly “lucky” for a free product that I do not want or need. In fact I get offered a lot of baby products. My son is 15. I need non-alcoholic alcohol not teething rings or baby food.

Many times I have replied to these emails asking if they too are being paid in product. I have never received a reply. And yes, I know it’s facetious because who would do business for a corporate, non-charity for free?

I know that there is a lot of controversy about working for free and let me say up front I have worked for free, “for exposure”, for myself but not for a company that is charging other people for that service.

I have benefitted from writing for free – I got the job as Managing Editor at Mamamia, I got many of my other freelance gigs through my exposure. But writing for someone who is charging a client for that service makes me feel a little er, grouchy. And I cannot see how writing about a product for my own audience equals exposure.

So what better way to express my grouchiness than through a letter much like the ones I receive every day?

Dear PR Company

Sorry I am not addressing you by your name but I have you on a list as “PR Companies” so I don’t believe a proper salutation is necessary. This is a tactic that I believe you are familiar with so I trust that you won’t be offended. We all know how busy everybody is these days (insert coy laughter).

I am writing to you with a fantastic opportunity which I believe you and your colleagues will be really interested in. Perhaps you could feature it in an upcoming industry newsletter.

I write a really excellent blog, my husband thinks so and my friends all tell me that I put words together very well so I know it’s a product that you will love. I write in my own time because I love it and I don’t expect to be remunerated for it. That’s a choice I made as a personal blogger with opinions on most things.

I have an active Facebook page with over 9000 followers and I work really hard to engage and entertain them. The people on my Facebook page are the reason behind what I do, I learn as much from them as I do from reading any media or engaging with any “real” people. I post a lot of pictures of my dog on Instagram and I’m on Twitter and, because I am uber cool, I even have Snapchat.

So you may be wondering where the opportunity is for you?

I am offering you to the opportunity to publicise my blog. All you need to do is write about how much you love it to all your clients. I will provide any imagery or samples you need.

There is no budget attached to this campaign but I would be happy to refer you to some of your colleagues who could pay you in any of the following ways

• An air fryer
• Lice treatment
• Lunch delivered to your home for one whole day (for one)
• Hand warmers
• Lunch boxes
• Baby chews
• Links to videos
• Colouring books

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Or you know, you could just do it for the exposure.

Let me know if you are interested.

Love Lana

I know that this letter won’t do wonders for my reputation in the PR world, and it should be understood that I don’t dislike or hold gripe with everyone who works in PR.  But if I don’t receive emails offering me the opportunity to work for free or work for product I wont be disappointed.