This is marketing 101 folks, but it seems that every so often somebody needs a reminder. Over the past few weeks I've talked with a few organizations that are developing web products. During the course of each of these conversations they say something like, "I'd love for you to help us get this in front of some of the leading tech/Web 2.0 bloggers." (Read: Mike, Richard or Om)

My response, "Are you sure about that?"

Why? Tech bloggers and bloggers in general can be somewhat critical (understatement of the year). I just see them reviewing the product and killing it. Here's why:

1. The product isn't that great, that doesn't mean that it's not a well executed plan, it's just nothing new and exciting. Much of this stems from location. Often when a company is based in the Southeast (i.e. outside the normal tech centers) they don't know what else is going on out there. What may seem like a revolutionary idea in Florida is old hat elsewhere. Sometimes isolation can be good for creative thinking, other times it can trick you into thinking you're the most ingenious person in the universe...a universe of one though.

2. Know your market! When I see a product I will usually ask, "How is this any different than...." and list about three other sites/products that do similar things. Often the answer I receive is a blank stare, they don't know about any of them. This is usually a very awkward moment since they take a look at the competing product and realize they don't have the most original idea in the world, and that somebody *gasp* might actually be doing it better.

With those two basic items, I can see the train wreck coming. A premature 'pitch' to a tech blogger will result in disaster. One of the first things they'll do is ask question #2 and when you don't have an answer it will tell them quite a bit about your product. Here is how the post might go:

This blogger was given a preview of the new Z service by X. Yawn! Nothing to see here folks, please move along. I mean no disrespect to the folks at X, but it's not really an original idea. A, B and C have had similar services for almost a year now and have a significant installed user base. Of course it's always possible to overcome that first-mover, but when your product doesn't offer any significant advantages over A, B or C it's a tough sell. In fact X hadn't even heard of A or B till we pointed them out to them.....

P.S. If you're trying to show something to Mike or Om make sure it works on a Mac, since that's what they use.