Posted by Helen M. Overland, Search Engine Marketing Specialist, non~linear creations...
A few months ago, I recommended to a client that they create a blog. It was appropriate for their audience, suitable for their subject matter, and would help them move towards their goals. The idea was, if not to actually create a blog, at least to participate in the discussions already occurring.
"We don't want to do that", they protested, "someone might say something bad about us".
I often wonder about this response... and the meaning behind it. After all, the inverse is also true - someone could say something good about you.
But when you think about it, this sentiment sums up why organizations have been hesitant to join the online conversation. There are two opposing fears at work here... fear that responding might draw attention to criticism, and fear of being passed by in the never ending noise of the Web.
As recently as 2003, there were only 100,000 blogs total online. As of October 2006, there were over 57 million blogs, and every day 100,000 new ones were created. The growth has been phenomenal.
And many of these blogs are busy conversations... the topics sometimes diverse; the response and argument sometimes emotional and fast-paced.
In all of this roar of human conversation, opinions are being expressed, recommendations are being made, and companies are being assessed, commented on, and sometimes dissected.
All of this happens with or without each company's input. If an organization is criticized, and no-one at the company responds, no-one hears anything but the criticism.
Sometimes organization say, "we don't want to respond to criticism, because that just means more people will read it". Yes, that can be true... but doesn't the final judgment really depend on how the company responds?
Consider the response Google recently made to a blogger who complained that the many changes to the AdWords system were giving him a headache. Did Google ignore the complaint? Respond angrily that they were only improving the program? Whine that the complaint wasn't fair? Refer them to a manual or customer service? No. Google did none of these things.
Instead, they sent the blogger some Asprin and a handwritten letter wishing him well. And the positive response and goodwill that this small act generated was huge.
Did this really cost Google anything? No, not really. This was "taking the high road", while responding to the issue in a friendly and open way.
If a company wants to have a voice, a chance to respond, a way to show the market that it cares, then it has to join in. The public assessment of your brand is going to take place whether or not you participate. Only by joining in can you really have a voice.
After all, someone who was upset before, might just say something nice about you.
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