In today's marketing and PR world there are a lot of online content producers (aka Publications, Newspapers, Blogs, etc.). The higher the readership that targets a market, the more desirable it is to have content included. That said, the days of "pitching" are long gone and marketing and PR professionals need to approach placing content (formerly known as by-line articles and press releases) with a new mindset.


David Meerman Scott's chapter one title of "The New Rules of Marketing and PR" sums it up best: The old rules of marketing and PR are ineffective in an online world.
Why are online content producers different than more traditional content producers? Well, like traditional content producers, some still have editors, reporters, editorial guidelines, timeframes, readerships to cater to and, more importantly, competition. But unlike traditional content producers, a lot of online content producers offer a way for readers to comment on content. Meaning it's no longer a one-way avenue to content sharing or message pushing. readers have the ability to "talk back" and share their opinions, thoughts, suggestions, disagreements, etc. In doing so, often a community forms around the content producer and when new content is available conversation happens on the content producer's site, but also extends beyond it to places like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs, forums, etc.
So what does this mean for the marketer or PR pro and what steps can they take to help their content be included?
Stop Pitching!
The first place to begin is a change of mindset and vocabulary. Pitching is for baseball and softball, not content. To be successful at content placement the marketing or PR pro needs to have a firm understanding of the content producer's world.

• How many writers participate? Do you need to know them all?


• What's the style of writing?


• What topics do they cover (breaking news, tips, opinions, educational, etc.)?


• Where do they participate outside of their own site?


• How do they drive traffic to their own site?


• What conversations do they have?


• What do their readers think?

Until a marketer or PR pro understands those key things (and probably much more depending on the content producer) they won't be able to produce content that's a natural fit.
Natural Fit
Producing content that's a natural fit is often a struggle for marketing and PR pros...that's why they pitch. But the fact is square pegs don't fit in round holes no matter how good the pitch may be. It's the job of the marketing or PR pro to make sure their content seamlessly fits.

• Read the content producers content every day


• Read the comments to get a sense of what the community's reaction


• Look for search engine optimized (SEO) keywords built into the content


• Check social networking sites to see how popular the content is (number of retweets or shares) and what the reactions are (comments)


• Participate in the community and get a sense of its vibe

Community
I've tried to write this post without using the words " social media," but it's the ability to be social with content producers and their readers via social tools that has changed the game for marketing and PR pros. There are unspoken rules in each and every community and no two are the same. It's the marketing or PR pro's job to understand what those unspoken rules are. And the only way to truly find out what they are is to "listen" (i.e. read for clues, monitor, etc.) or actively participate. Some key items to becoming a part of the community you are trying to reach include:

• Be human first and a marketer/PR pro second (i.e. it's not about branding or message pushing)


• Educate your client, employer or co-workers to join the conversation (especially if the content includes them)


• Share your thoughts, interests, opinions, agreements/disagreements


• Don't self-promote that the content producer picked up your content, let the community help you out with that


• Be polite and have manners (sounds obvious, but there is often a lack of both)

Getting Seconds
With traditional marketing and PR getting seconds was always easy once that relationship was established. That's not the case with a lot of online content producers–especially content producers that have a strong relationship with their communities. They will watch to see how you handle the fact that your content has been placed and this is where manners come into play.

• Was there a thank you?


• Was there participation with the community that responded?


• Was there self-promotion on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. without mentioning the content producer?


• Was there interaction from the client or organization mentioned?

If any of the above questions can be answered with a "no," chances are there won't be a second chance.
Is pitching and getting that one hit worth it? Doesn't it make more sense to put forth more effort, become a part of the content producer's world and potentially continue down the path of success for placement, reach, and brand awareness that goes beyond just a name but to an association of actually knowing the folks behind the brand?
What other tips would you offer to marketing and PR pros who are trying to reach out to content producers?