Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Viral Marketeers on Blogs

I recently found this article on the BBC website: Blog Advertising

In my time blogging, I have browsed many sites... not least because I'm affiliated with blog trafficking sites that increase your readership if you view other member blogs. Very often now, I get annoyed because of the amount of business or marketing blogs that are out there... to me it isn't what blogging is about. It is like bumping into one of those tacky business magazine periodicals that are routinely mocked as "guest publications" on BBC's Have I Got News For You.

I'm not interested in learning about the specifications and tensile strength of vulcanised rubber or anything like that. When I blog I'm just interested to know what interests the author, what makes them tick as a person... and what they think/believe about what is going on in the world around them... whether it be serious or jovial.

When it was just about blog types, I could choose to ignore or dismiss the business or marketing sites (which believe me I take great pleasure in doing). However... according to the BBC article, the advertisers have gone on the offensive. They are using the comment fields to insert adverts and trackbacks to their own website. I agree with the Beeb on this, I find it highly disrespectful. As it is, I'm not entirely comfortable with the view that you can go on to someone else's blog and advertise your own blog out of context. I think you should leave comments and trust that your opinion and manner of approach to the blog's author should be enough to encourage a return visit from them. I think stuff like a comment I received the other day (blatantly advertising your blog while showing no interest in what the author has to say) is a bit rude.

However, I have been lucky so far. I have not had any detergent manufacturers or salesman abuse my web site. Have you had visits of this nature yet? I pray they don't become more commonplace. Rest assured all you sales and marketing people... ANY product placement on this blog will be treated with the disdain it deserves and will be summarily deleted on sight... just try me and see.

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