are you talking to me?

Image via

I have noticed that there has been a lot of talking going on about blogging and social media lately. A lot of bloggers have started to question the purpose of online conversation and the power of blogging. After reading a bunch of posts and articles about the reason why blogging started in the first place and what's future of it, some ideas hit home for me. After going back and forth on the issue I decided to put a little more thought to it.  

First of all, let me start this by saying that I am a true admirer of social media. It's what I do for a living and also what I do in my spare time. It consumes my life maybe more than it should, but it has always inspired me to work harder and to share what I have learned with people along the way. It has opened so many doors for me and has connected me to people that I wouldn't have met if I wasn't online. I also believe that if a brand can win it's way through the barriers of all the online platforms available, it will be able to create a great and meaningful conversation with it's consumers. And it doesn't necessary mean that you will be selling your product to your readers while doing so. This is where it can get quite tricky. To be honest with you there is a very fine line between engaging and dumping content. The key word here is: conversation. Simple and honest conversation, and in order to develop a healthy one you have to have two (or more) people involved. 

But what if the conversation gets boring? Are you entitled to leave? I'm afraid so. And that is how I have been feeling lately - I feel like leaving. Do you feel the same way? As many other bloggers am an avid blog reader and I live for my twitter, Instagram and (dare I say it) Facebook feed! However, for the past few months or so it has become a constant wave of repeated content and I feel like I am being shouted and lectured at. I get it. It is incredibly hard to write a blog while dodging the self-absorbed-me, me, me type of writing. And there is also the fact that a lot of bloggers have sponsors, product placement, etc. But there has to be some kind of balance, right? Otherwise the entire process of blogging will have changed. I try so hard not to sound like I am here trying to lecture you on how to live your life, how weekends should be done, or what you need to wear this season. I feel like I have failed sometimes, however even though it is a constant battle, many bloggers have been able to succeed and my faith in (good) social media is fighting to prevail. 

I read this interview on Monday with the Social Media Manager of Clementine Daily, Stella Blackmon, and she mentioned a little something special about her job that was really inspiring and gave me a little bit of hope: " (...) its is better to engage in meaningful conversation than to lecture and to be lectured to. Social media gives everyone a voice and gets individuals involved. This freedom to be a part of a national conversation, is not only powerful, it's empowering."  

Is pushing content empowering? I don't think so. Is demanding people's likes, follows, replies, a way of using the tools that you have in an inspiring way? Nope. Can bloggers and other online voices feel empowered by empowering others? I really hope so.  

I have no intentions of bad mouthing or criticize anyone out there. I am just opening my heart and trying to understand how we can still be creating good content and doing online marketing without letting go of the passion we all started with. How we can hold on to our humanity even though we are typing into machines and sending out codes to something so randomly vast and untouchable as the internet.   

xoxo,

m