I have had this blog for a few months now and new challenges arise every day.  Coincidentally, as part of my e-marketing course for this semester (my last semester ever!), part of our duty is to carry on a weekly blog.  This weeks topic happens to be about interactivity between companies and consumers online, which directly correlates to how much interactivity that I question having on this blog daily.

As any company grows, its customers or viewers grow as well.  When I first began this blog, I struggled with wondering if I should comment much of other people’s’ personal comments on my blog.  I made the choice not to, regardless of if others say something flattering or not so flattering because I want the comments to be authentic and, as time goes on and viewership increases, to feel like a discussion between readers based on what I have said.  I realize that I may have to add my own commentary on some comments if they wrongly accuse me of something that could possibly damage my brand image, but comments, negative or positive, are an integral and needed part of a blog.  I want to be able to put my views out there into the world and then be able to see what other people’s’ own opinions on them are.

Again, as far as interactivity goes, I prefer to keep it to a minimum unless interference is a must.  Then again, just writing a blog is a form of interacting with your consumers.  Many large companies actually hire professional bloggers to do just that, the reason being that viewers trust a blogger to be honest, even if deep down their motives are for the company.  A lot of big time bloggers align themselves with companies who embody what similar things, so that they are able to stay authentic, while still making a profit.  For me, my blog is extremely personal, so I understand their struggle to write for the right reasons.  Nevertheless, when it comes to interacting with my viewers, I looked to a lot of the famous bloggers to see the route that they took, and most of them do stay off the comment section, which I think allows the viewers to be more honest without the fear that the blogger will retaliate against them.

It is imperative to know exactly what people want, so I feel that the larger a company grows, the more time they should be spending on their online presence and interactivity.  Part of the reason that I began this blog in the first place is because I will be graduating soon and I wanted something that could grow and showcase my writing skills for the future.  Now a days, having a strong and positive internet presence is so important for companies looking to hire in the marketing field, which is why closely monitoring and wisely choosing your interactivity with viewers is a must.

All in all, I want to know what you honestly think, which is why I keep my own interacting to a minimum.  I think I write enough of my rambling opinions in my posts anyways.

TLV

PS, here is a link to an article about another worry that I have when it comes to interacting, which is how much I should comment on other people’s blogs: http://www.sensibleemarketing.com/2013/01/how-much-interactivity-does-online.html

Inspiration Post: http://www.sensibleemarketing.com/2013/01/how-much-interactivity-does-online.html