Online reputation management-The language of corporate blogging

Most companies have quite rightly hosted corporate blogs both in complaint boards like mouthshut.com and also as a part of their website. In this age of consumer generated media, corporate blogs are just what the doctor ordered. It immunizes your business against negativity, acts like a tonic to consumers who feel that their pain and anguish are being addressed, and makes your business grow in a healthy manner.

While writing corporate blogs and seeing the absurdity and exaggeration of some of the posts, you may feel like flying off the handle and giving a fitting reply. Well, you may but in the end, you may be losing out on business purely due to the ‘tone’ of your content. You may be right and the consumer may have got it wrong this time but understands the universal paradigm-the consumer is always right. You have to explain your point politely, carefully and in a loving manner.

For every complaint, generally follow a three step plan:, ACKNOWLEDGE, APOLOGIZE AND ASSURE. At times, you may not need to apologize, but then again, make sure you make the consumer feel that his complaint or grievance is being addressed forthrightly. A reputation manager does not take things lightly; he has to keep a track of every blog post. Here’s how he maintains a track of all possible blogs that refer to his products/ service and formulates a plan to successful online reputation management. Bear in mind, that online reputation management is about smart PR skills combined with intelligent search engine optimization.

While writing a corporate blog, be honest and to the point about what you want to say. Do not keep your customers guessing. Even if your mistake is embarrassingly unpardonable, you should acknowledge it. There will be some way to convince the customer and provide him with incentives to keep him happy rather than take the risk of being involved in a law-suit, or face the risk of losing a lot of potential customers, thanks to a grating blogpost or infamous word of mouth publicity. The online reputation management should work in coordination with product support, tech support, and the marketing department to get a full picture.

Here is an example of a corporate blog post

Dear Keith,

Thank you for your time in replying to the message on X2B and providing the required details. We have taken cognizance of your comments and the manner in which you have shared your feedback. It is regrettable to note that your recent interaction with us has not been satisfactory to you.

We are issuing you a cheque for the differential amount, which will reach you within the next 48 hours. We sincerely appreciate your co-operation and are looking forward to give us the opportunity to service you better.