According to Edelman’s 2005 Trust Survey, many peoples’ “trust” has moved from authority figures to average people, like you and me.

The growing popularity of the blogosphere has attributed to this shift in trust. Messaging is no longer controlled by the authorities and “expert” sources. Blogging has created a new generation of would-be experts all eager to share their opinions and experiences.

It’s easy to understand why people are quick to trust in bloggers. When it comes to choosing a product or service, there is nothing more reassuring than hearing many consumers, like yourself, confirm its greatness.

Similarly, I can understand why some people may think it’s risky to trust blogger comments. When it comes to a technical or a medical issue, it is still important to weigh up the credentials and experience of the person offering advice.

However, I strongly believe that blogging is taking thought leadership to a new level. You no longer have to be a Director, CEO or President to be an expert in a topic. The blogosphere is becoming a forum for open discussion where people can draw from and build on other peoples’ thoughts and insights. Indeed, blogging has allowed the “little people” to be heard when, in the past, some good ideas and industry observations may have been buried beneath the higher echelons.

My previous post describes the success I had pitching venture capitalist bloggers. According to an article this week in the New York Times, not all PR firms are enjoying such success.

Constantly thwarted by traditional media, Wal-Mart and its PR firm, Edelman, have turned to bloggers as an alternative approach to influencing public opinion.

While Wal-Mart has engaged in open direct communications with bloggers, their master plan is hitting one major obstacle. The blogosphere is not like traditional media; there are no rules. Therefore, it is unsurprising that many bloggers are publishing information from Wal-Mart word-for-word without citing the source. The result? Identical posts about Wal-Mart are appearing on different blogs allegedly all written by different bloggers.

Read full article - “Wal-Mart Enlists Bloggers in P.R. Campaign“

I was delighted to find today that VC Blogger, Jeff Nolan, had written about my pitch to him.

Yes, you heard right, I’ve been pitching bloggers…… and it has proven to be very effective.

I represent a company that is currently looking for angel/VC funding. Therefore, my strategy was to increase awareness of my client and generate investment interest by pitching venture capital/angel bloggers.

Blog posts get syndicated via RSS feeds which means that the client’s brand is disseminated throughout the web and becomes increasingly visible.

So, how do you attract a blogger’s attention and encourage them to write about your client?

I tried out a new tactic - podcasting. I recorded my client’s elevator pitch and created an audio file (podcast). I then included the link to the podcast in my pitch.

The result? Read Jeff Nolan’s post here.