Dealing with comments tips from special guest, Mike Zammuto.
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For companies, online reputation is a serious matter — though tragically, there are numerous ways in which a company’s online name can be dragged through the mud. Sometimes, these online attacks come from outside; a rival company will talk smack about your brand, or a consumer will post an adverse review to a site like Yelp.com. Sometimes, though, defamatory content hits a little closer to home — sometimes even taking the form of comments posted to your company’s own blog!
The Problem with Negative Blog Comments
Of course, blog comments are hardly bad things — at least, not inherently so. Every professional blogger thrives on user feedback, and companies are no different. Positive comments and even instances of constructive feedback can go a long way toward cultivating a strong online image for your brand. It is when those comments are less than positive and far from constructive that there can be a problem.
And make no mistake about it: This is not just a problem for the business owner’s ego! If your business’ blog is overrun with negativity, it reflects poorly on the company, and can lead to online reputation disrepair. Consider the fact that, in this day and age, more and more consumers are using the power of Google to locate information about products and services. If a Google search leads consumers to your business blog, that is potentially a huge opportunity to win them over — but if the blog page reveals that your company is beset with negative consumer feedback, all of that potential is squandered, and the consumer is sure to think twice before doing business with you.
That is why it is so important for companies to consider blog comments a serious component of their online reputation management efforts — but how?
Responding to the Good
First and foremost, remember that it is crucial to post kind, prompt responses to any positive or laudatory comments that your business blog receives. These comments do not have to be much longer than a simple thank-you, but acknowledging praise — indeed, encouraging it — is of the essence. As a business owner, one of the most important things you can do for your brand is to be proactive in building up a positive online reputation, whether that means asking your best clients for good Yelp reviews or spending time fostering positive blog comments.
Think about it in terms of that consumer, seeking information about your brand via Google search. If he or she finds negative comments about your company, it could prove ruinous, but if your blog is filled with positivity, you are in good shape to win people over. Encourage positive feedback, and even gently constructive criticism.
Protecting Your Brand from the Bad
Sadly, there is nothing a company can do to prevent negative comments from appearing on its blog — though there are some ways in which a business can protect against needless spam. Does your company blog require login via Facebook, or does it use some kind of software to guard against robo-spammers? It is something to consider, as a spam-ridden blog is hardly a professional-looking one.
Beyond that, you will probably incur some negative comments from clients or customers who have, for whatever reason, simply not been happy with your company. Try to resolve these issues and to appease these commenters, but do so privately, if at all possible. Try to get in touch with the commenter via e-mail; apologize, explain yourself, and perhaps even offer discounts or refunds, if appropriate. By going the extra mile, you may be able to talk the dissatisfied client into taking down that negative blog post!
Extreme Cases
Of course, you will get some blog comments that are simply, outright unreasonable, even defamatory — and you can usually tell just from the tenor of these posts that there is little chance you will be able to talk the commenter down. These difficult-to-deal-with blog comments can come from a variety of sources — including not just unreasonable customers or blog readers, but also disgruntled employees or even business rivals.
It is tempting to simply start whacking away at these posts, deleting them and hoping the problem disappears. This is unwise, because it will likely inflame the commenter and make your problem worse; besides, other blog readers might notice the disappearing posts, and begin to think ill of your brand. With that said, you can post a set of guidelines for blog commenters, and ask everyone to abide by certain standards of conduct; if a comment is in clear violation of a written policy, you are on firmer footing when you delete it, especially if you also send a note to the commenter to explain the situation.
Another temptation is to post long responses to these negative blog comments. This is highly discouraged, because it usually does little or no good, and in fact it only draws further attention to negative comments. Better to more or less ignore it, or perhaps dismiss it with a very brief apology, and focus your efforts on suppressing it an diluting its impact — through the cultivation of more positive, brand-enhancing blog posts.
Above all else, remember to exercise vigilance in reviewing your blog posts. Your brand’s online reputation is of paramount importance — and your company blog comments play a huge role in it.
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Mike Zammuto is the President and COO of www.reputationchanger.com. The company offers online reputation repair and other reputation management services.