on why asking for freebies via #prrequest only #makesyoulookdespo

Hi everyone! it's me again - the one with all the opinions and none of the actual knowledge, but Who Likes to Think She Knows Everything. I want to talk about something that's really starting to irk the living irks out of me. Picture the scene: it's a dreary Friday afternoon, you're bored of staring at your never-ending tabs of spread sheet dullness, and so to break the monotony, you decide to head to your safe place for a wee natter; Twitter.

Today though, between the usual "I #blogged this!", "#wiwt #ootd #highstreetbrand!" "Randomly Funny Celeb TwitPic" or "Ricky Gervais Ripping On The Christians" there's another hashtag doing the rounds, one that used to be a great way to connect with the right people or get your hands on a press release or some copy, that's allofasudden being abused, taken advantage of and, sadly, getting a whole lot of bad press.

I'm looking at you, #prrequest.

Today, for example, the same one person has used the tag no less than eight times, and only changing the company name that she's directing the tweet at. I don't want to read between the characters, but it reads like this; "Dear [brand]. Can I please have some free stuff? #gimme", and it stiiiiinks of desperation. You really want a brand to reply to you? Do it the right way. Pitch them an idea; tell them why you are approaching them, what you want to review, and how it will benefit them. Because right now, you're doing it wrong.

Ok, so maybe you're a new blogger and you're trying to get noticed. well guess what? You are! But for all the wrong reasons. I happen to know for sure that the PRs reading through that tag have certainly blacklisted you from any future activity, and have told their PR friends to do the same. There's a reason the term 'Blaggers' was (not wrongly to be honest) used to describe a generation of bloggers a few years ago, and that was because of their uncool, lazy, and entitled behaviour. The same behaviour that seems to be returning to our news feeds.

If you're not prepared to pay for it yourself, don't just expect that - because you have a blog - the brand will simply give it to you. Especially if you're asking ten other brands at the same time, and in a public forum no less. You're genuinely embarrassing yourself, and I feel kind of awkward having to watch your selfish behaviour in what is supposed to be my happy place - you're making me want to go back to work.

If you're interested in hearing more about how to successfully (and legally)(and in a less embarrassing way) market your blog or magazine, your Editor and I run a Twitter chat every Tuesday at 7pm (GMT) with the tag #prrequest #MYBchat. You can also follow along at @MarketYrBlogChat for any questions you might have before and after the chat. We're usually far less controversial and much more polite. But for the sake of my happiness, please, pleaaaase, stop abusing something that is wholly an information-seeking resource.

By Erica, of www.imbeingerica.com