Why Your Business Can’t Overlook Blogging
(businessandblogging.com) Regardless of which side you and your business take on the “To Blog or Not to Blog?” debate, there is one reality you must face:
Bloggers are talking about You.
They are saying what they like, what they don’t like, what they would like and what they could like. They are repeating news, gossip, features and fantasies. And lest you think that no one listens to bloggers - beware, bloggers have created and distributed stories that have crossed over into mainstream media - on such businesses as Dell, Apple, Walmart, JetBlue and others.
As a business owner:
- You must know what is being said about you, your competitors, your products and your suppliers.
- You must know what your customers like and what they don’t.
A recent article published at CNN Money, Don’t Let Blogs Pop A Firm’s Reputation, describes what two companies went through when news broke in the blogging world that pertained to their companies.
One, a popcorn distributor read a story about a potentially harmful ingredient in popcorn. The other, a lock manufacturer read customer complaints about some of its locks. Both companies chose how to react, and learned what went well and what they’d do differently, the next time.
The CNN article extensively quotes blogging expert Ted Demopolous, author of e-book Effective Internet Presence Now Required for Success in Business and Life. Ted provides insight into the blogging world that all businesses would do well to understand.
After reading the article, the following Business guidelines became clear to me:
Always have an ear listening to what is going on in blogs
- Hint: Set up Google Alerts for your name, your businesses’ name, your product, and the names of your competitors and vendors
Know which comments to respond to and which to ignore
- Ted says that if a comment isn’t credible it can be ignored.
- Hint: Credibility is sometimes in the eye of the beholder and can quickly change depending on who has picked up the story - don’t get complacent.
Have a strategy in place before the crisis hits
- Information can spread rapidly - you want to respond, not react
- Be aware that sometimes just interjecting in a blog will quiet the reaction - people react to faceless companies, but interact with real people
- Develop a relationship before things get out of hand - it’s okay to network on topics that are of interest to your business and to let bloggers know you are out there
- Compliment bloggers who give an accurate or even-handed story - they will help you defend yourself
- Focus on the happy customers and good anecdotes as well as the bad; leverage the immediacy of blogs and forums to improve good relationships
Don’t be afraid of criticism
- If it’s true, take ownership and action
- If it isn’t true, don’t get defensive - at least listen and try to understand their viewpoint
- If it’s mean spirited or abusive - stay professional; many times other commenters will come to your aid for you. In any case, you want to maintain the high ground
Don’t try to manipulate bloggers
- Bloggers see themselves as independent speakers of the truth; do not try to plant stories with them about your business or product
- Don’t try to pressure them or persuade them into printing your version of the story
- Don’t mislead them about who you are - let them know you represent the company either directly or as their public relation’s firm
Don’t underestimate blogs
- Ted points out that stories on the internet stay around longer than newpaper stories
- Your comments and reactions become part of the story - and stay forever as well
Tell me, what did I miss? How are you preparing for the new rapid-fire media of blogging?
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POSTED IN: Blogging
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