Five Tips to Fight Negative Online Publicity

So that blogger, or this discussion board, or www.yourcompanysucks.com had some more bad things to say about your company? Here are five tips on fighting negative online PR.   

First, be proactive. Ever hear that the best time to look for a job is when you don't need a job? The same applies to building relationships with influencers. Invest time now to identify your influencers and build strong relationships with them. Make them part of your community. Give them access to your executives for interviews. Allow them to see your site redesign early and provide feedback. Ask if they'd like to be on your media distribution list.

Too late to be proactive? Take the high road. Contact the blogger who wrote the negative post directly and see what concerns he or she has with your company. Are there ways you can correct their problems? Is the feedback genuinely constructive criticism? Sometimes a personal touch and genuine interest in the influencer's opinion is enough to turn a "badvocate" into a champion.

 

Still no dice? Be direct. And redirect. Address the problem head on. If your company is being called out on something, clearly identify your stance on your own site or blog. Avoid nebulous, corporate speak like: "recently it has come to light that in some instances certain people are posting negative comments about a subset of our services." Instead, say: "You may have seen the blog that claims our account team is slow to respond." Then, present your position in clear concise language . Remember, no one wants to ready a manifesto online.

 

Know when to ignore it. Most blogs have one reader: the person who writes the blog. If you immediately send out cease and desist orders to every blogger who writes anything bad about your company, you'll spend a whole lot in legal fees, give credibility to the blogger, and create a David and Goliath story (where you are Goliath). Remember, the media and consumers love the underdog.

 

All us failed? Embrace controversy. Controversy is inevitable. It's okay to embrace it as long as you're not offending your core audience. In fact, embracing controversy will likely endear you to your core audience. If your company sells big hunks of beef to red-blooded, rural. blue-collar men and vegetarian groups comprised of suburban college-aged women are creating negative publicity related to your products, jump in to the conversation. Post a "Page for Vegetarians" on your site and include quips like "Salad is What Food Eats" and "Vegetarian is the Native American term for 'Bad Hunter.'" Sell t-shirts and bumper stickers with the slogans while you're at it. Will you get the media and consumers talking? Probably. Will you win points with your market? Yes.