When Your Reputation Is On The Line: Are You Prepared for Negative Attacks?

One of my clients recently came to me with a sticky situation that involved negative personal attacks against him from someone he knows. I hate to see ANYONE go through online attacks, but since it happened to one of my clients I felt even more compelled to write about online reputation management again -- one of my favorite topics. In my PR 101 days in college, it was hammered into our brains to always have a contingency plan no matter what. 

How PREPARED are you for negative attacks online? Do you have a plan? 

You can't control what people say about you, but you can stay on top of your online reputation. Unfortunately, there are negative people out there who like to stir the pot. Even if the negative comments they post are false, you need to be alert and prepared.

A word of caution: DO NOT engage in online 'debates' or fire back with personal attacks in retaliation against that person. You just open yourself up for further retaliation and you come across as unprofessional. Also, you never know people's mental status online and it's easy to track down personal information about you and your company. Play it safe. 

As I mentioned in previous posts, if the negative comments cross the line and you aren't sure how to handle the comments, please seek legal counsel. A lawyer can help you further clarify your situation and give you proper legal advice. Refer to the definition of libel below: 

"Libel is defined as the defamation of a person, business, group, product, government, or nation that is made in written or printed words or pictures. In order to be libel, the claim must be in writing, it must be false and the person making it must state or imply that it is factual. In other words, libel means printing or implying something negative as if it were true, when it is not. The publication where the libel occurs is assumed to be read by persons other than the person defamed." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Have a Social Media Crisis Plan?

Online reputation management is one of my favorite social media marketing topics. Companies need to take proactive steps just in case a social media attack happens. However, most people wait until the last minute and take the 'knee jerk' approach to their online reputation. They also don't have a full grasp on what their followers, customers and clients really say about their brand.

Don't wait until the last minute to throw together a plan. If you don't have a social media crisis plan in place, here are 3 easy steps you can implement today to protect your online reputation:

1. Don't delegate your social media campaign to an inexperienced intern or employee - Many companies make the mistake of handing over the social media reigns to a younger 'Gen X' intern or employee. If you are a one-person team, take charge of your social media or hire a social media consultant to manage your campaign. If you work for a larger company, delegate social media campaigns to your marketing or communciations manager. Implement strategies to build solid relationships with followers and implement a social media editorial calendar. It's important to stay on top of your campaign and be consistent with posts and updates. 

2. Practice social media 'fire drills' - Sit down and create a step-by-step social media crisis plan. For example, what if your company was attacked by a disgruntled customer and blasted your blog, Facebook, Twitter, website, etc. with nasty comments about your company? Don't live in fear, but remember to forge key relationships with customers and industry leaders. It helps your reputation if you have followers on your side who can publicly defend your brand. 

3. Beware of Facebook page 'hijacking' - There's a nasty trick that's running rampant on Facebook pages. Competitors are sneaking onto company Facebook pages and overrunning them with negative comments. This is commonly seen with social cause campaigns - the equivalent to a virtual sit-in/protest. Check your Facebook page on a regular basis, get rid of spam comments (spam runs rampant on Facebook pages as well) and respond to attacks in a professional, courteous manner. If a customer becomes over the top and makes threatening comments against you or your employees, make sure you have your lawyer's number handy. Don't hesitate to seek legal counsel if you aren't sure how to handle defamatory comments.