It was published under the Food category, it had a huge photo of an array of chocolates in the actual blog post, yet still, Kaci Fennel is being maligned online, and people have twisted the intention and topic of her tongue-in cheek post “Just for the Record”- from chocolates, to that about racism. Readers left some very nasty and baseless comments and the conversation went on Twitter and also Facebook.
The general sentiment from the negative nancies and normans, seek to propose that, because she is a public figure, she represents Jamaica, and that also “she is also speaking/joking (in a veiled way) on a topic which is very serious and very sensitive. this was very irresponsible.” Due to the negative comments, she posted a follow up post to explain herself “Made You Look Didn’t I” .
I really wish she hadn’t.
Who is Kaci Fennel? Yes she is a public figure, she was Miss Universe Jamaica 2014 and placed 4th runner-up in the Miss Universe Competition. She recently started her own blog http://www.fenmade.com
What she did right?
-As my fellow tech entrepreneur Dwayne Samuels said “Kaci got people who aren’t interested in popculture and racial issues to start speaking about it. She did her job and did it well.”
I agree 100%.
– Write the perfect blog post – One that polarises the readers and creates conversations, beyond what was intended.
What she did wrong?
– Explain. Why do I think this was wrong? IMHO, I believe she ought to have stood by her post and not cower to the trolls and others who simply didn’t get it. Now instead of acting like ah boss through this little fire, leaving it for people to carry on the conversation, they now own her. She may have made them look, but they made her explain…apologise.
The Question is, will she seek to censor herself, tone down her natural instincts and ideas and write personality-free, non-offending PR type pieces or will she allow her boldness continued free reign. We’ll see.
– Not publish a similar follow up blog post right after and ride that wave of attention which is so scarce and is every bloggers and marketer’s goal. Attention is the prize in this noisy social, mobile, online world, so when you have it, milk it.
What can she do now ?
– Kin pupalic and split with joy, smile at those numbers in the Google Analytics Dashboard.
– Write alot more like this post…soon…and stay true to the vision of her blog.
– Execute a Seth Godin type strategy and shut off the comments, make the social share button clear and big, which allows for people to take the conversations elsewhere. It takes nothing away from your stats and people will always come back to the source – the blog.
” I’m mastering my destiny and you’re invited along for the ride” that’s what Kaci’s blog statement says. As someone blogging for 10 years, I raise my glass to you – Welcome to the world of blogging Kaci and may you from here on in, continue to have the courage to keep blogging in an authentic manner and allow the chips to fall where they may. It won’t be easy and well you know the rest….
