To build and maintain a good reputation requires an investment of time and energy. Once established, your reputation is much easier to lose, and it is an asset worth protecting.
Negative press can appear suddenly and spread faster than a wildfire. Virtually everyone has a voice on social media today. All too often, they share their frustrations publicly, rather than resolving the problem. It is critically important to manage these situations correctly.
As the public information officer for the Arizona Rangers, one of my primary responsibilities is to preserve and enhance our rich reputation. Threats to that reputation can be internal or external. Regardless of the threat, the proper response will mitigate the potential damage, and enhance the organization’s reputation at the same time. Try these tips to do the same for your organization.
You must monitor what is being said about your brand on social media channels. Tools like Google Alerts will inform you about these conversations. When something negative appears, do not ignore the situation. Failure to respond causes unnecessary damage in every scenario. Instead, gather the facts and deliver an effective, timely response designed to deflate the situation before it escalates.
The natural response is to defend yourself, especially if the statements are false and you did nothing wrong. Do not make this mistake, it almost never ends well. A defensive response usually turns the masses against you, escalates the situation and may cause it to go viral.
If you are at fault, take responsibility and be accountable. Express a desire to correct the situation and attempt to shift the conversation to a private conversation. Do not delete public conversations or try to hide them. Instead, cast yourself in a light of honesty, transparency and integrity. A splash of humbleness will go a long way.
Be sure to read next week’s Biz Tip article. We will craft a good public response to a hypothetical negative press situation.
