Between my various online activities, I get a decent amount of PR pitches. Most of them suck. They're usually badly written, full of hype, unpersonalized and offer no value to me.
But today I was pleasantly surprised to receive a good example that I thought I would share with you. The email reads as follows:
Dear Friends of Duct Tape Marketing,
My publisher thinks blogs are a waste of time???
First off, I'm writing today because at some point you mentioned, linked to or were linked to by my blog called Duct Tape Marketing.
www.ducttapemarketing.com/weblog.php
You may also know that due in large part to the success (or luck) of my blog I have written a book called Duct Tape Marketing that will hit the streets in January. http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/bookbonusoffers.htm
In marketing discussions with my publisher I mentioned that I thought blogs and the blogosphere in general were a great way to promote a book - and they rolled their eyes. They didn't really get it. They still don't get it.
So, I would like to prove a point and I need your help.
I set a goal to get 500 blog mentions of my book between now and December 15. I aim to prove once and for all the marketing power of blogging. I'm hoping you consider posting something between now and Friday the 15th that mentions in some terms the soon to be released book called Duct Tape Marketing.
At this point you may have started to consider that my noble gesture to uphold the valor of blogging is a little self-serving. Okay, you're right I guess it is, but considering my book came about in large part due to my blog, we all share a bit of that success.
If, however, you were looking for something a little more tangible, I understand and offer this tiny bribe.
~ The first 100 bloggers who feel compelled for some reason to blog about the book get a copy. (Simply drop me an e-mail pointing out the post and where to send the book)
~ I am posting a link to every single post on my website (Duct Tape Marketing gets a lot of traffic so it's not such a bad place to be linked from)
~ I will add your blog to a custom Marketing Search Engine that I will roll out shortly - www.gogetmarketing.com
Thanks for your support feel free to pass this message on to a dozen or so other bloggers you know!
John Jantsch
Duct Tape Marketing
Why am I blogging about this?
It's well-written. (Good copywriting is too rare in this world.)
It is written by someone with some serious blogosphere "street cred."
It is relatively hype free.
It appeals to my desire to help the greater blog community gain credibility.
It offers value to me. (I like books especially when they're free.)
If John's new book contains any advice about how to market like he does above, it will be worth every penny.
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