Sometimes we forget how much media has changed. Before the days of the Internet and social media, brands used to be able to spoon feed their message. They only needed to concern themselves with a couple of media channels — three network TV stations, a handful of national newspapers, and maybe a few trade magazines. The message was easy to control. It was neat, clean, and sanitized. Well, my friends, those days are gone.
With the onset of social media, the public controls the channel. There are literally millions of media outlets and tens of millions of contributors. Control is gone, and the control freaks are freaking out. If a community gets behind your product, the brand value is enormous. But even the most vaunted products are criticized, bashed, and dragged through the mud. So what is a marketer to do to protect and grow a brand? We have three recommendations:
1) Build a presence in the community
Figure out which communities are important to you and your brand, and get involved. If it’s a forum, start contributing. If it’s a blog, start commenting. But don’t spam the board or the blog with self promotion. Be helpful, unbiased and objective. In doing so, you will build your virtual bank account of goodwill with the membership, which will come in handy some day. By helping others through the sharing of knowledge, ideas and assistance, you will ultimately be helping yourself and your brand.
2) Respond, both to praise and criticism
In addition to helping others, respond to the praise and criticism your brand receives. Responding to praise is easy. A simple thank-you will do. Criticism… well, that can be a bit tricky. First, you MUST respond. Silence implies guilt. If the statement is untrue or misleading, try to clarify or offer a rebuttal. Provide supporting data. Stay focused on the facts and the issue at hand. Keep your cool. Never, ever make it personal. And if you made a mistake, admit it. Mistakes happen. You will be remembered by how you handle them.
3) Accept that not everyone will love you
Sometimes, no matter what you do, you will not be able to win over an unhappy customer or a vocal critic. It’s going to happen. Just accept it. However, you can take comfort that the audience is smart. Media is no longer neat, clean and sanitized. As a result, consumers of this media do not take everything they read as the gospel truth. They understand that not everyone can be pleased. They understand that there may be hidden agendas. Your brand will be judged on the overall sentiment. It will not be condemned for a handful of negative remarks.
With these three simple steps, you can minimize brand bashing and maximize brand building. In the brave new world of social media, it’s as close to “controlling the message” as you can expect.
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