Blogs: March 2008 Archives

In a recent post, I discussed how a business blog plays an indispensable role in reputation management and crisis management. However, for the millions of small and midsize companies with no real exposure to a public crisis, and for the larger firms that never experience one, a business blog is still a necessity.

Talkin' 'bout their generation

Baby Boomers, who still call most of the corporate shots, are accustomed to thinking in Baby Boomer terms. When I speak on business blogs, people often make the comment, "That all sounds great, but my customers don't read blogs."

My reaction to that is, fine, but what about tomorrow's customers? What's your transition plan for the day when today's customers become yesterday's customers?

Two things are critically important about the younger segment of the market.
1. They demand two-way, transparent communication.
2. They prefer to communicate digitally.

This is so obvious it barely needs stating, yet consider how many company Web sites have the following attributes.
1. They push the company message without giving customers a way to respond.
2. They use digital communication as a means to move customers into a phone conversation or live sales presentation.

Unfortunately, a growing number of people don't want to move into a phone conversation or be engaged in a live sales presentation. Instead, they want a completely digitized buying experience. Is your company able to provide one? If not, newer, younger customers are going to seek out - and find - the Amazons in your industry and become their loyal customers, not yours.

A business blog is a key part of a digital buying experience. Online conversations make it possible for customers to understand who you are and what you offer. Just as important, online conversations make it possible for you to understand what customers want and need. And, since customer wants and needs are continually changing, a company fully tuned in to the market will adapt faster and better than the competition.

True, some customers would rather communicate with you on the phone or face to face, regardless of their age. However, in a diverse market like ours, it's imperative to offer communication options for every taste. Lots of folks will say things you need to hear in a blog comment -- things they would never tell you on the phone or in person.

In Glengarry Glen Ross, the formula was ABS - Always Be Selling.

Today, the formula is ABL - Always Be Listening!

 

Stop the Presses is a sobering book. Its tag line -

Bullet-proofing Brands and Protecting Reputations in an Age of Peril

Yikes! The authors, Richard A. Levick, Esq., and Larry Smith are writing about crisis management. Throughout history, large corporations have been vulnerable to a media inspired or inflamed crisis; but more and more, smaller companies are vulnerable as well. Why?

• More and more people are using the Web to gather information about companies
• More and more niche bloggers are writing about companies and industries
• Some of these bloggers have an agenda
• Small stories broken on blogs can become viral overnight and seriously disrupt a firm's reputation, or worse

In such an environment, silence is not golden. Say the authors -

"Savvy bloggers and readers won't stand for corporate rhetoric or tactical obfuscation ... Developing and implementing a substantive blogging strategy in advance of a crisis is therefore critical. A blog gives businesses a way to stay ahead of the news cycle by presenting, testing, and refining a company's message, distinguishing facts from fiction, and correcting any misinformation that may be circulating and propagating through the blogosphere." (p. 87)

Of course, another outstanding communication benefit of a blog is that it allows customers and interested third parties to have conversations with your company. A great deal of misunderstanding and misrepresentation can be cleared up by talking with consumers, not at them. Some of the most powerful - and most persuasive - communication in the business world now takes place in the comments section of a blog post. Remaining silent or aloof is no longer an option, because people are going to have conversations about your business whether you're participating or not.

Ironically, many firms shy away from launching a blog because they believe it will attract or magnify controversy. The idea of publishing a negative comment - a rather common occurrence these days - still sends shivers up some corporate spines. In reality, as the authors of Stop the Presses explain so well, a business blog serves to alleviate controversy; provided, of course, the firm has a well thought out content policy and capable, well schooled writers.

The best news of all is this. Even if the crisis never comes (and we hope that's the case), a business blog still contributes mightily to the corporate cause. More about that next time.

Although much has been written about promoting a business online, one thing that has impacted businesses today way more than mere web presence is the "new" power of the online customer. All the positive influences of having a state-of-the-art web site, miles of thought-provoking blog entries and virtual reams of up-to-date newsletters may be easily written off by a flick of a button when you encounter a negative customer feedback or review. For almost every industry you will find sites dedicated to reviewing its products/services; sometimes even a customer's own personal blog is capable of broadcasting personal feedback in a way that could reach hundreds or thousands of people.  

This is certainly not a new phenomenon, but the popularity of myspace sites and other social-networking portals have redefined the term "word of mouth". Case in point - the Steak and Shake episode as outlined in Liz Fuller's post Crisis Case Study: Steak and Shake Refuses Service to Deaf Mom   - an awful incident of bad service becomes a post in a blog and as you can see the rest is history --

The next day, she (Karen Putz) itemized over 80 blogs that had picked up her story.  The story was also picked up that night by ABC News and Fox News.  Today, approximately three weeks after it happened there are almost 1000 hits on Google when typing in the search words, "Steak and Shake" and "Deaf Mom" and worse yet  "this story appears in positions #3 through #9 on the front page of Google when searching on the terms "Steak and Shake".

So what is a company supposed to do in this instance?  Shel Holtz gives a primer on Crisis Communication Fundamentals  that might help you outline actions that need to be taken in case of negative PR hits such as that of the Steak and Shake incident. Liz Fuller also addresses crisis management in her post When A Crisis Hits, Where Do You Want To Be?  where she has this to say about crisis management-

 
The best case scenario is where your business already has established a blog. Using the existing blog to manage the crisis is a natural extension of the blog's reach to your customers.

The coin does flip both ways, the "power" of mass communication that some consumers/customers have may be pretty devastating when turned against you, but on the other hand, the positive influences of good word of mouth can certainly turn the tide in your favor as well. Understanding the online sphere that your business "lives" in and where your customer finds information is one step towards keeping a finger on your companies' identity and reputation.

(Image courtesy of FreeFoto)