Brand or Reputation Getting Trashed Online?
It takes months, even years, of time, consistent performance and often considerable budgets to build up a brand or reputation. How can you protect it?
In the Digital Age, years of work can be annihilated in a matter of hours. I talked with expert Pete Blackshaw (now with Nestle and author of Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000) at AD:TECH a while back. His comments on building trust and authenticity could fill numerous blogs, but he especially emphasizes active listening and responsiveness to combat negative word of mouth online.
In a time when Content Marketing reconfirms that content is indeed king in marketing and influencing, Blackshaw warns of a relatively new digital phenomenon: consumer-generated media or CGM. There can be positive or negative CGM, and the latter is what often takes the viral stage, electronically rocketing around the globe in a matter of seconds, leaving your brand or reputation in tiny shreds.
The pros over at wordofmouth.org serve up 10 tips (Go to 10 Ways to Turn Around Negative Word of Mouth for the whole story) that reflect and add to Blackshaw’s advice. They rightly emphasize that when negative comments appear online, don’t panic – negative comments offer up a real opportunity.
A summary? If you’re not investing automation into tracking key issues and then paying attention by reading or listening to digital conversations, your reputation or brand can be destroyed while you’re sleeping. Finding out at the empty shopping cart or the vacant room is a terrible way to learn that your brand was blown to bits online.
Secondly, once you see negative content, don’t react in a panic – figure out whether a response is worth it. Is the criticism realistic and grounded in fact? Or is it a nutcase who’s trying to pick a fight?
If you’ve decided to respond, be real, not mechanistic (and never, NEVER get angry). Also, if you try to make amends or offer an apology, make it real, not half-hearted.
Remember that the Internet is an instant medium with no production time allowed, so don’t wait long if you decide you need to respond. Coming in at the bottom of a thread of 60-90 comments doesn’t speak terribly well of your timeliness.
Somebody have their digital fists up? Forget the fight – if people read/listen/see that you actually care and are legitimately trying to make things right, an online pugilist will quickly lose ground.
Don’t forget to enlist your allies. Other people who love your brand or know your reputation are usually more than willing to weigh in and defend you.
Finally, the best defense is a good offense – in this case, the best offense is previous high performance and an established reputation for being true to your word.