The BIG Kahuna

I started reading Andy Sernovitz blog a few months ago. I liked some of his ideas on word of mouth marketing even if they seemed very trivial to a non mom and pop business. I’m not sure of his target audience but it appears to be small business.

So I started to engage in the conversation. I gave my opinion on one of his remarks here: http://www.damniwish.com/2008/06/advertising-wor.html

He emailed me directly and asked why I was so angry? I said I wasn’t (those that know me certainly know that this was just my opinion). But he was noticeably upset and commented that “branding” people seem to act negatively towards him. I told Andy that I was just offering my opinion even it was different than his own.

Then he made a small little, obscure post on how to make friends: http://www.damniwish.com/2008/06/how-you-can-mak.html

I made a harmless comment that his daycare facility should make the parking lot bigger (need to read the story above). So what does the Word of Mouth Marketing guy do? Censors it. Won’t even post it.

Blogging is all about being transparent and honest. If someone has a different opinion on your blog I say embrace it. Start the lines of communication. You know….word of mouth stuff. The minute you hide behind:

“It was off topic“, or “It was negative in tone” you’re just throwing your little blogging power around. And you’re basically being a coward and you’re showing that you can’t really stand up for your beliefs. I get people posting all the time on my blog saying I’m wrong or giving me their opinion. All of it gets posted whether it’s “off topic” or not.

Andy can do with whatever he wants with his shiny blog. He can censor anyone, he’s the boss. Just look at his blogging policies where he rants for 8 paragraphs of his power over potential visitors (read his tone):

http://www.damniwish.com/2007/05/comment_policy.html

Ah, he’s the only blog I read with such policies. If Andy doesn’t like what you have to say (and by that I mean another view point) he treats you like ordinary SPAM.

I have no policies because there are no rules to blogging. You want to be anonymous, so be it. You want to call me crazy…presto the approved comment button is pressed. I want to hear it whether you want to be anonymous or not. I want you to criticize me whether it’s constructive or not. I want your opinion whether we agree or not.

I’m not afraid of who I am and what my beliefs are, period. To be a truly great blogger you must embrace all the elements of transparency and honesty, not just the one’s that make things a little?easier for you.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 at 9:13 am and is filed under Branding Blunders. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.