A reader writes:
Love to hear your thoughts as to why Heather Armstrong has some negative perceptions about her as alluded in the article about BlogHer and how Mommybloggers profit. [To take the focus off of Heather and her blog - www.dooce.com I'm modifying the question to: Any downsides to being "too" successful in the celebrity blogosphere?]
“Armstrong even limited her time at BlogHer because her biggest fans – other bloggers – tend to react to meeting her by publishing every detail, and sometimes those details are less than kind. ‘There are hundreds and thousands of strangers who detest me,’ Armstrong said. ‘It’s a weird reality to live with.'” – clip from the article
As far as I can see, most of the tweets during co-speakers Heather Armstrong and Stephanie Klein BlogHer08’s closing keynote, “Living the Truman Show,” are positive.
I’m not going to make this too personal, except to say that I respect and admire Heather. I don’t read her blog regularly, but now I might: she really spoke to my artistic side. And, I loved her purple tights. Her blog logs between 5-6 million readers a month.
Now, back to the negativity . . .being a positive person this is a hard place to go, but it’s all too real to ignore.
I’ve seen this happen with not just bloggers, celebrities and every day people, but with issues, proposals and projects.
My advice? Listen to everyone, see if there’s any validity in the negativity and focus on the positive. That’s easier said than done, especially when emotions get in the way.
Let’s face it: today it’s all too easy to attack anyone and be anonymous on the Internet. Preparing for blog bullies, a BlogHerald post, counsels that meanness is bound to happen. Are you ready?
Take a look at Oprah.
Remember how much negative publicity via social media she got for endorsing Obama? How did she handle it?
She didn't. Oprah's PR firm did.
Their role model? Paris Hilton - no stranger to all kinds of publicity and commentary.
In closing, I'll let Stephanie have the last words from her post "the divine secrets of the BlogHer ’08 sisterhood“. . .
“When people in my life preface what they’re about to say with, ‘you cannot write about this on your blog,’ I pretty much always respond, ‘Don’t flatter yourself.’ You’re not that important or interesting (even if you are). It’s the one thing in life we find so hard to believe: that no one notices or pays nearly as much attention to us as we do.”
Image: Be nice to me or I'll blog about you t-shirt I got at BlogHer08 - thanks CafePress!
What do you think?
Do you plan for or anticipate "less than kind details?" Would your trade more success for more exposure - of all kinds?
English
6 thoughts on “Reader Q&A | Celebrity Blogger PR: Any downsides to being “too” successful?”
if you believe in the “bad publicity is still publicity”, then all kinds of things printed or posted online about you will make you smile happily each morning. I for one believe success comes with it’s downsides, and some of them are negativity and downright hate from people you’ve never met or influenced in any way.
I’d love to be successful and have no bad thing ever said about me, but I doubt that’s possible 🙂 I think it comes as a bundle. What makes successful people great, IMHO, is handling all negativity gracefully 🙂
Alina Popescu’s last blog post..Scaring Customers into Buying A New Product – Bad Strategy Choices
if you believe in the “bad publicity is still publicity”, then all kinds of things printed or posted online about you will make you smile happily each morning. I for one believe success comes with it’s downsides, and some of them are negativity and downright hate from people you’ve never met or influenced in any way.
I’d love to be successful and have no bad thing ever said about me, but I doubt that’s possible 🙂 I think it comes as a bundle. What makes successful people great, IMHO, is handling all negativity gracefully 🙂
Alina Popescu’s last blog post..Scaring Customers into Buying A New Product – Bad Strategy Choices
I admire your post’s professionalism by addressing the issue without having it be a personal attack.
“Listen to everyone…check for validity…focus on the positive” requires discernment and humility.
The pen and tongue can be mighty swords and one can chose to delay drawing their retalitory sword and let the topic percolate.
Who knows what may come up for more inquiry?
P.S. Here is EBay’s Guide titled “How to Avoid Retalitory/Negative Feedback”.
http://reviews.ebay.com/How-to-avoid-Retalitory-Negative-Feedback-GUIDE_W0QQugidZ10000000001221049
I admire your post’s professionalism by addressing the issue without having it be a personal attack.
“Listen to everyone…check for validity…focus on the positive” requires discernment and humility.
The pen and tongue can be mighty swords and one can chose to delay drawing their retalitory sword and let the topic percolate.
Who knows what may come up for more inquiry?
P.S. Here is EBay’s Guide titled “How to Avoid Retalitory/Negative Feedback”.
http://reviews.ebay.com/How-to-avoid-Retalitory-Negative-Feedback-GUIDE_W0QQugidZ10000000001221049
@alina – “Any publicity is good publicity” can also mean ink=ink. Is it all good? Does it matter if we can’t control what others say about us? That’s why I agree with you, Alina, handling all publicity, charging or draining as it may be, with good graces is a good thing.
@carlos- Thanks for the link – love it when people add resources to the conversation. Although we didn’t touch on it here, sometimes the most hurtful and long-lasting stings come offline. Deflecting negativity takes courage. Sometimes negativity can work in your favor – like when your fans rush in to support you.
@alina – “Any publicity is good publicity” can also mean ink=ink. Is it all good? Does it matter if we can’t control what others say about us? That’s why I agree with you, Alina, handling all publicity, charging or draining as it may be, with good graces is a good thing.
@carlos- Thanks for the link – love it when people add resources to the conversation. Although we didn’t touch on it here, sometimes the most hurtful and long-lasting stings come offline. Deflecting negativity takes courage. Sometimes negativity can work in your favor – like when your fans rush in to support you.