This is a great reminder that blog posts get seen by the whole world. It’s easy to forget that when we’re blogging in our safe communities. Let me share a story that may help you edit a little more, or less, given the topic…
Shakirah Dawud is one of the most fantastic writers I know, and her blog at Deliberate Ink covers a bunch on writing, words, copywriting, and other topics. She asked me to guest post on a topic I couldn’t address, and it took me weeks to stretch my thinking to come up with a topic relevant to her audience, her blog’s theme, and something I thought I could speak to.
The post I wrote was along the lines of whether marketing can write for PR. It’s not something I ever think about, but I stuck my neck out to write in Shakirah’s safe community and promoted it within my network.
The post was well received with in-depth discussion in the comments, lots of questions, lots of friendly debate, and more RTs than I’ll ever see at my house. (Very cool.)
Then, an editorial assistant from Ragan.com sent an email at the end of the day asking to re-publish my post. Ragan Communications is a national company delivering PR, marketing, writing and other content, products, workshops, training courses, etc. to our industry. I gave my approval, and the post went live at 5 p.m. last week.
The next morning, the first two comments were negative from anonymous folks, called trolls, who are keen on negating most of what they read but never add their name to their statements. That didn’t feel good, but I thanked each for their heartfelt negativity and said something like “all comments welcome.”
The next eight or so comments were more in-depth; some negated the writing, the concept, the “blanket statement” and even argued, in not so many words, I was full of it. A professor of public relations made some decent remark in a neutral way. I took my time responding to each person and thanked them for their comments. All the while, I was hoping for no more responses.
Why?
That community on Ragan.com had no idea who I was, had never seen me, didn’t know my qualifications, had never seen my blog, etc., etc. It was really easy for them to negate me, rag on me, call me stupid, or whatever, because they didn’t know me.
Think about that…when you write a blog, people in your community begin to get to know you, your traits, quirks, personality, tonality, and they form opinions. They determine whether to come back and keep reading or whether you truly aren’t the flavor of the month. When a post is published as a one-off in a community accustomed to who knows what and there’s been no prior engagement, the opportunity is ripe for the bombs to fly. Not saying I got bombed over there at all, but I can say it felt uncomfortable, for sure.
What I learned from this experience:
>>I am more grateful for YOU, this community we’ve developed. When people disagree, it’s obvious, yet daggers aren’t sharp and pointed.
>>When you launch a blog, there’s safety in obscurity. Don’t hope for stardom before you’re ready; in fact, I’d like to hide under my rock a bit longer (not that this single blog post is going to change my life).
>>The tonality and ‘raderie are what make blogging fun for me. Upon reading those comments from complete strangers, I was cringing, although no one really fired any bullets. It was just uncomfortable, and I wasn’t used to it!
>>The content we write as bloggers can go anywhere — on portals, on other blogs, on ‘zines, be fodder for reporters/media, employers, and more. This story is a reminder that anonymous eyes read our material.
>>I’ve lurked on a few occasions when a guest blogger writes malarkey on a national business blog, like Forbes or Fortune. I watched as she/writer was taken to task so strongly that I felt badly although I agreed with the comments. The funny thing was the writer was nowhere to be found…she never responded to anyone’s comments.
If you’re going to take a position in your writing which could be construed as other than mainstream, stand up for your beliefs. It’s more damaging to let commenters control the message than it is to be front and center engaging people in comments as you protect your brand.
Thoughts?
Jayme, when you and I first “met” online, you pointed out an obscure blog post that you ended up removing because of the flaming comments, and from just one person. Something about an advertisement involving shards of glass and kids. Was it Popsicles? I don’t recall.
What I DO remember was my concern as a brand new blogger, wondering, “Will I be able to take the heat if someone doesn’t like what I wrote, and says so?” I wasn’t so sure.
Sometime later, I posted what I thought was a friendly, encouraging, hopeful reply to a question asked on Facebook by a well-known conservative radio host, and I got slammed! I wrote a blog post (“Social Media Gave Us Our Best Year Yet”) about the experience, and decried the fact that I’d mentioned the name of our business in the comment thread on Facebook. I was horrified, and positive we were about to get flamed all over the internet. Our business was going to be attacked, we’d get a million bad reviews from anonymous people we’d never worked for, and I would be singly responsible for burying New England Multimedia. None of that happened, and I slunk off into the shadows with my tail between my legs, but that incident scared me off from engaging in any comment threads that could get me “attacked.” Because no, I can’t take the heat.
The truth is, Jayme, controversy and conflict attracts traffic. I would never write a blog post for that purpose, because I have a very tender spirit, but I do advise bloggers with a thick skin to stick their necks out a bit and write on topics that get people going, if the opportunity arises to do so and aligns with their goals and message. When a post ends up in another community, where no one knows the blogger, the heat that transpires results in a whole new set of eyes on their website, which is hopefully linked in the post. Conflict can be a good thing.
So you just hang in there. Be gracious. Practice whatever PR you’d advise another blogger. And enjoy the traffic you might receive! 😉
What an amazing memory you have, Michelle! It was shards of glass popsicles oriented to kids, and I was called every name but Sunday in the comments. I was upset, didn’t know what to do and asked all the big names, like Danny Brown and Mark Schaefer, to help me out.
I also remember your escapade with that situation, too! It was a nightmare for you!
As for your last graph, we’ve all matured as bloggers and we can take a bit more heat, but it’s NEVER comfortable. Thank you! We’ve been on a wild and tumultuous journey, eh?
I like how you mentioned using PR skills for blogging! It’s part of a topic I’m crafting for a post myself.
I had something similar happen to me when Ragan re-published a post of mine from December. Due to an editing snafu, a few sentences got gobbled up, and there were a couple of snarky comments (over at Ragan) recommending I carefully proof my posts before submitting them to such a platform. Obviously I was rattled… I mean, how could a simple re-publishing of my post have mistakes, unless the original post had mistakes (which I was sure didn’t, and if they did, no one called them out then!). When I figured it out, I let the editor know and she fixed it… but I experienced exactly the same thing as you, Jayme.
I think you’re spot on when you talk about the difference in community. It’s the same for me, and I think @michellequillin:disqus ‘s advice is very smart. I’ve been flamed on my own blog as well and I do try to respond to those comments too, not just the positive ones. But the community on WUL, or Spin Sucks, or at @twitter-59802772:disqus ‘s place… those certainly make me feel like they’re safer places to be.
That said, a platform like Ragan does give us a much wider potential audience, and for that I’m grateful.
Ok, ok; we got your point the first time……….:)
I had something similar happen to me when Ragan re-published a post of mine from December. Due to an editing snafu, a few sentences got gobbled up, and there were a couple of snarky comments (over at Ragan) recommending I carefully proof my posts before submitting them to such a platform. Obviously I was rattled… I mean, how could a simple re-publishing of my post have mistakes, unless the original post had mistakes (which I was sure didn’t, and if they did, no one called them out then!). When I figured it out, I let the editor know and she fixed it… but I experienced exactly the same thing as you, Jayme.
I think you’re spot on when you talk about the difference in community. It’s the same for me, and I think ‘s advice is very smart. I’ve been flamed on my own blog as well and I do try to respond to those comments too, not just the positive ones. But the community on WUL, or Spin Sucks, or at ‘s place… those certainly make me feel like they’re safer places to be.
That said, a platform like Ragan does give us a much wider potential audience, and for that I’m grateful.
I thought of it, Jayme, when I got that email. I thought, Ragan’s used to publishing articles like this for large audiences, but we’re not. I was excited that you gave the approval to publish, and proud of your bravery because I knew their audience compared to mine would be like night and day. But all the lessons you outlined, I definitely duly noted. I have to say, as I said in my own comments, your experience spoke for you. Trolls, opposing comments, and support–because you had plenty to back up what you wrote, it couldn’t totally demoralize you. And yes, the fact that you’re a PR pro surely helped!
Send your trolls to me and I shall handle them like the Three Billy Goats Gruff.
Fact is that we only have so much control of the message and tone of comments on other blogs. We do the best we can to make our point and steer the conversation a certain way and after that we have to just roll with it.
I may be calling on you for major support today, TheJack. Trolls are gonna come out hard against me based on the lastest repost that just hit this morning. I stand by my beliefs. I will try to hold my ground. I will be gracious in opposition. Yes, this, I will do.
I am clawing in the troll troops. I know it’s gonna be a long day when everyone awakes to that headline.oops. That is calling. Am on the iPad as my PC is attempting to crash. I am not gonna cry.
G’Day Jayme,
I gotta confess that I just dunno how to take a position that is mainstream. I’m the curmudgeon mascot of “other than mainstream.” I do notice that in the blogosphere, there seem to be a lot of people who are utterly inept at polite disagreement but very ept at ridicule, abuse and ego tripping.
I don’t get attacked very often. When I do I try to be as polite and measured in response as the attacker wasn’t. My father always told me, “Never demean yourself to the level of the competition.”
A bloke in England once suggested that I should ‘Cut the “G’Day” crap.’ I resisted the temptation to ask him to ‘cut the “crap” crap.’ See: it is possible to be as nice as they’re nasty.
Privacy is long gone. We’d better get used to it.
But there’s still plenty of fun around.
Regards
Leon
Hey, Leon! Great and sage counsel from someone I know knows. I’ll need it today as the post again was published with the most alarming headline ever “Marketing Can’t Write For PR.”
Oy…leave it to journos to stir up the mud, but it’s what I said, and I’m stickin’ to my guns. Gonna need them today, for sure.
Your sage counsel always appreciated although I have to read between the lines to find it! Today, as the trolls come out in spades because my post has been reported for the third time, I will be gracious in my self defense, I will stick to my guns and my perspective, I will call the experience card, and I will try not to cry because of the morning I have already had.
Just like you have to get a thick skin even at our level, I’m afraid when you play in the stratosphere your skin has to be as tough as leather. It’s funny on the big stage how snarky it can get; it’s not that I couldn’t stand the heat, but it sure seems it would take a lot of the enjoyment out of it. Hopefully, your community (at whatever level) is attuned with you and what you are about and your not subject to too much abuse. I guess a lot depends on what your write about, huh?
I’m having serious issues with my commenting system; so sorry! Thanks, Bill, and hang on to your hat…the post was reposted again on the same blog…let’s see how much of a beating I take today. Darn it.
Thanks, Bill. That post is reported again with a sensational headline. I am so flipping dead.
Terribly sorry for not responding promptly; am having all sorts of trouble over here. I added responses to dashboard but they never showed up. Computer crashing and trying to resurrect my system.
Flamed. Yes, I cannot wait for today to be hot. Now I feel firsthand the reaction when a statement is used to draw in the readers.
I may be back up and running here; per chance I’ve avoided a crash…thanks, All, for patience with comments and tech gremlins.
As always, I’m very proud of you for writing what you know and believe to be true, based on your experiences and never hesitating to put yourself out there, usually in an attempt to teach or help others. Your post at Shakirah’s, Ragan.com and this one all did that. Whether it was understood in that light or not, that was the outcome.
One’s blogging community can become an insulated little cocoon, can’t it. Stepping into a brighter spotlight or even out of the glow of your own community can make you stop cold and realize a few things: how lucky we are to have such a supportive community; how lucky we are to have so much more to learn from the world beyond that; and, how fleeting all of it can be!
Good on ya, Jayme! Head held up…motor on, my friend.
Thank you for saying all that you did. I very much appreciate. Nice little lesson this gave me/us about the power of blogging and words. Thanks, Friend.
Great post. Thanks for sharing your personal story. As I’ve gone out and done some guest blogging it is always nice to come back home to where I feel comfortable. But for good or bad, it always nice to see what people have to think about your writing when you are out of your normal sphere of influence
Fully, totally agree, Derek. Thanks for adding thoughts here!
This is a tough one because, as @47d58be98d1441a276245024c9457dbf:disqus points out, the community that is created around your content can be insulating and protective – but to what end? A community can be supportive to the point where it can almost become a hindrance. Almost. 😉
I think outside of a community – particularly a site w/ such a broad audience like that – people tend to NOT pull their punches, never you mind the anonymous trolls. To be honest Jayme my initial reaction to the post was somewhat critical, but I took a reread and pause, decided to add what was positive and helpful (and we had a nice discussion). That is the supportive part of community; and yes @47d58be98d1441a276245024c9457dbf:disqus is dead right when she says it could be a hindrance. Which now motivates me to drag a post I have about ‘lurkers’ out of draft b/c I just wonder if my ‘safe’ community actually does misguide me into thinking what I write is better than it is?
Back to your point, I too have read hooey and malarkey on Forbes, so many ‘major’ sites and wondered how in the world that got published. I’ve really wanted to pile on the snark w/ those crappy ’34 signs you’re a 30something PR looking for a next job’ posts (but I don’t and instead, usually just add a caveat that the list is mostly publicity/media relations, not overall PR). And yes, often the writer is nowhere to be found to respond, so major hat/tip to you for sticking to your guns.
MY other takeaway from this: rethink audience. I think I make too many ‘in’ jokes b/c I know my current readers but really, it’s the newbie who’s never read my stuff, those outside my community I should also consider. Not sure I’ll ever be ready for exposure like this, but hopefully I’ll learn how to best face the fire. FWIW.