Comments on: Worried About Bloggers Dissing Your Company? Read This.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:37:31 +0000

Excellent post on how to deal with negative pr in a blog. I’m preparing our company’s first corporate blog so this is very good actionable information on how to deal with such a situation if it arises.
Thank you!
Nathan Lands
http://www.hiyaya.com

By: Aruni

Aruni — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:03:31 +0000

@Jennifer – I definitely learned something from the experience from wording press releases to otherwise! I guess the best we can do is learn and move forward!
Thanks for the post. I’m working on my own one right now.

By: Jennifer Laycock

Jennifer Laycock — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:55:18 +0000

Ahh…the joys of seeing the stupid things you’ve done brought back to life.
No worries though, this really is a fantastic example of how companies should respond when bloggers go negative and is also a potent reminder to us bloggers of the need to remember we aren’t just impacting our readers, we’re also impacting the companies we write about.
I’d like to think my post gave Aruni some insight into better ways to word future press releases (the line about proudly showing what you did all day still makes me giggle) but I also can’t read it without wincing at just how brutal I was. Aruni definitely took the higher ground on this one and I commend her for it.
I ended up writing my own side of the tail as a cautionary post to bloggers over at Search Engine Guide in response to this one.
http://www.searchengineguide.com/jennifer-laycock/bloggers-need-to-accept-responsibility-t.php

By: Tony Eyles

Tony Eyles — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 08:31:13 +0000

Cheers Mack and Connie – key lessons for me include the importance of facing the music and responding. There’s more to gain than jus stewing and igoring it.

By: mack collier

mack collier — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:02:54 +0000

Connie and Aruni, this is why I really liked your case study. I think it dispelled two big myths that companies have about blogging:
1 – That a critical post from a blogger is a disaster
2 – That bloggers are just out to rip companies
Thanks again Connie, this is a great learning example!

By: Aruni

Aruni — Fri, 30 May 2008 19:14:52 +0000

Hi Mack – It was an odd sensation seeing this in print on Connie’s blog and now here because it brings back some stressful memories, but I’m glad I listened to Connie’s advice.
I have a great amount of respect for Jennifer Laycock. She has done a lot for women and breastfeeding women in particular so I know that even if she isn’t the type to use our software that hopefully I at least gave her pause to think that there are other new moms who could use such a tool to get them over the hump on to a successful breastfeeding path!
For some, breastfeeding happens naturally…for others, like me, we sometimes just need a little help. That’s what I hope to accomplish…give people a tool to help them when they might just give up instead.
She and I have the same goal with regards to promoting breastfeeding. At Babble Soft we provide what I like to refer to as a little bridge to help them to the other side.
Thanks for sharing my story! I hope it helps others out there.
Aruni

By: Connie Reece

Connie Reece — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:06:03 +0000

Mack, thanks for writing about my case study. Aruni was a stellar client — smart enough to look past her anger and disappointment and listen to sound advice. That’s not easy to do, and many company founders have caused damage to their business by responding in the heat of the moment.
When Aruni did her homework on reading more of Jennifer’s blog before responding, she discovered they were both passionate about the same cause: donating to milk banks. That became a point of connection between them.
Kudos again to Jennifer for handling it so professionally. She won a loyal reader in Aruni. And in that “it’s a small world” way, we’ve all had the opportunity to interact with each other and establish online relationships.

By: Aaron Fish

Aaron Fish — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:28:32 +0000

A great example of how to manage a blog. As someone looking into blogging as a marketing tool, this is a great “teaching moment” before I even make a mistake. Thanks Mack!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 29 May 2008 19:42:08 +0000

Aruni’s response was brilliant. Thanks for sharing this excellent example of a very smart way to deal with bad press in the Blogosphere.

By: Gina

Gina — Thu, 29 May 2008 18:59:34 +0000

Great example of damage control. It definitely shows how just a confident (but friendly) comment can change things.
-Gina
http://www.salesconx.com

By: Paul Chaney

Paul Chaney — Thu, 29 May 2008 17:59:51 +0000

What was it Chuck Swindoll once said? “Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond.”
I’ve found that a measured, well-reasoned response will help to win over the opposing side much more often than a fanatical, knee-jerk rant.
Like the Good Book says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.” Good advice for any company responding to blogger criticism.
And, Mack, you’re right. Most bloggers are usually reasonable.

By: mack collier

mack collier — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:11:19 +0000

Thanks Paul, I think we can try to tell companies how to interact with bloggers, but case studies such as this one are always easier to grasp, IMO. There’s still a ton of misconceptions that companies have about the blogosphere, and I think examples such as this one help debunk the myths.

By: Brick Marketing

Brick Marketing — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:50:27 +0000

This is a great post and example of how a bad situation can be sometimes turned into a good one if handled properly. We commend her for thinking things out and not acting impulsively and ruining her business. It’s easy to do that – that’s for sure!

By: Paul Barsch

Paul Barsch — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:27:00 +0000

Mack, I think these types of write-ups are terrific; they provide excellent best practices on how to deal with potentially disgruntled customers. I find one of the most effective strategies for dealing with these types of situations is to not respond right away. Take a break, grab a cup of coffee, walk around the building. Then come back to it. I’m usually able to offer a more rational and cogent response instead of flying off the handle…

By: mack collier

mack collier — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:22:17 +0000

It’s a tightrope to walk Tim. I can definitely see how a company can panic, they’ve poured their finances and lives into launching a product, then it’s immediately roasted by the very people they were hoping would promote it. Aruni handled it the exact right way, and got great advice from Connie.
And I think Jennifer’s response was just as important. Bloggers aren’t just sitting back looking to rip companies. Jennifer did rip the product, but when some of her readers disagree, she came back with a sort of ‘hey I could be wrong’ admission.
Good example of how many companies might not know how to respond to bloggers, and that they might misinterpret our motives. Most of us are actually pretty cool people

By: Tim Jackson

Tim Jackson — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:43:31 +0000

Yes Mack, that is the point; YOU hold the key to what happens next and how good/ bad things can get.
Believe me, more than once I’ve wanted to reply, “Dear Mr. Jackass…”, but it’s important to see past the sting and look to the recovery. Your critics can be your best allies because they may help you tailor the product better to your audience or, as with Aruni, allow you to more fully explain your thinking. In the end, they can provide you with an excellent platform to fully and more thoroughly engage that audience.
Basically, knowing WHO the audience is- again, getting back to being involved in the community of your target customers/ audience- will help you deliver the correct response.
Great post Mack.