Managing Online Reputation summary

There’s a good chance that you’ve clicked on a well-placed ad on Twitter or Facebook to find out more about a new product or special offer.

And since it costs relatively little to launch a social-media campaign, more and more businesses, both big and small – as well as groups operating outside the mainstream – have started using them to spread the word about their products and projects.

Though online media has its risks, it also has undeniable advantages. After all, it wasn’t so long ago that the average entrepreneur's best option was to run an ad in the local paper. Today, anyone can reach the masses at little to no cost.

The internet has also given activists more power than they’ve ever had before.

Customer service used to be a one-on-one affair. Unsatisfied customers would call in and talk to someone directly, which made it hard to ignore their complaints. These days, things have changed. With the advent of the internet, it became much easier to deflect, or totally ignore, customer dissatisfaction.

But it’s in a company’s best interest to know how to properly deal with an irate customer, and it’s also important to make sure you react quickly to emerging crises. But not so quickly that you fail to get all the facts straight.

Back in the day, nearly all businesses stuck to a simple rule: The Customer is King. Disputes between customers and employees would almost always end in the customer’s favor. But times have changed. The internet hasn’t led to downright regicide – but it’s certainly empowered employees.

Yes, overly assertive employees can cause their companies a lot of trouble. Nonetheless, giving in to customer pressure isn’t always the best response.

There’s an uneasy relationship between companies and the press. Businesses need journalists to promote and review their products, but the results often aren’t what the businesses had hoped for.

This puts journalists in a powerful position. One bad article can seriously damage an entire company, especially if the reviewer doesn’t take the company or the product seriously.

If a friend betrays your trust, it may take years to repair the relationship. The same is true of relationships between customer and company. Trust is crucial, and any breach could drive customers away forever.

If you want customers to remain loyal after a crisis, you need to respond quickly and appropriately.