Why Business Blogs Should Welcome Negative Comments
Some organizations are absolutely spooked by the idea of people leaving negative comments on their blog. That kind of thinking, while understandable, is not only wrong, it is 180 degrees wrong. Let me try to make the case. Here’s what I would tell a client thinking about launching a blog but worried about comments.
First of all, negative comments about your company are going to be made — the only question is, where. With the proliferation of social media sites that exist today, there are forums aplenty for people to spout off about what they don’t like. Therefore, you might as well grab home field advantage. Invite comments on your blog, where you have the ability to, number one, quickly and easily see the comment, and then respond to it thoughtfully and in a place where other people are likely to see it.
Second, people are less likely to go totally insane ballistic on your blog than they are somewhere else. Most people are going to be much more careful about what they say to your face than what they’ll say behind your back. Your blog is your business face.
Third, having a blog as a forum for conversation in and of itself diffuses anger. Not having a blog in and of itself creates anger. Perhaps the biggest customer hot button of all is the feeling the company doesn’t care. Companies that stonewall, which today means not engaging in online conversations, are a frequent target for enraged, frustrated consumers. And, since misery loves company, their negative social media commenting draws a sympathetic and equally vocal crowd.
Fourth, negative comments on your blog send a positive signal. Yes, you heard me right. When a customer or prospect blows of steam to your face (i.e., your blog), it’s reasonable to infer s/he wants to resolve whatever the problem is. Sure, there are exceptions, but most of the time customers will simply drift away rather than raise an issue to your face they don’t really want to solve. For some customers, a blog comment may be the most comfortable way for them to start a conversation about a problem — especially if your blog posts invite questions and feedback.
Fifth, negative comments in and of themselves are unlikely in and of themselves to drive business away. Other readers are more interested in your response to a negative comment than the comment itself. For example, the comment “How come your sales rep never calls on me?!$*” by itself doesn’t look good. However, if you respond with, “We are extremely sorry about that. It is never our intention to ignore any customer. You will be hearing from your rep this afternoon, and we hope it’s not too late to rebuild our relationship,” you may find yourself actually attracting new business and turning indifferent customers into evangelists. Of, you could choose not to blog, and risk having customer tell twenty of his friends how unresponsive you are.
Sixth, if you fear you’ll get 100 comments about reps never calling on customers, then you really need to blog. If you don’t realize you’ve got a problem of that magnitude, thank goodness you launched a blog so you could find out! If you do realize you’ve got this problem, then by all means fix it before you launch a blog. But whatever damage has been done by a chronic customer relationship problem can be repaired with the help of a blog.
Have I made the case, or at least given you something to think about? Comments are a touchy issue, to be sure. What would you tell a business leader fearful of negative comments on a blog? If you are a business leader, what’s your take on negative comments?
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It’s tough if you’re like me, The Worlds Greatest At Avoiding Conflict. The prospect of setting myself up for negative comments is terrifying at best - but you make very strong points, Brad.
Needless to say, communication is the key to any relationship, especially customer relationships. Even if it’s a bit like taking medicine, it can lead to eventual positive results (at least it can if you do your part too, that is). But you have to take that first step.
Come to think of it, it’s kinda like a step of faith, wouldn’t you say?
Robert Hruzeks last blog post..First Thoughts About Ike
Robert, Taking the first step is very much like faith. For a company to jump into blogging sometimes takes a leap of faith. But the ones who take the plunge the rewards can be amazing. Also like faith?
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Why Business Blogs Should Welcome Negative Comments
I must admit that the title of this post had me intrigued and you argue this very persuasively but I am going to disagree…
No - I am only kidding. This is not a negative response. I had not thought about the positive aspects of negative comments but this advice is great - especially about being able to respond first hand.
Thanks Brad
Jackie Camerons last blog post..Young employees and social networking -using the best skills for the job
Hi Jackie, Hey, we can agree to disagree! One thing I should have explained, I guess, is that I’m thinking of business-related negative comments, not the personal type that in my mind are never legitimate. Companies that stay silent on the Web are sometimes going to be the victims of negative buzz - it’s just a fact of life these days. So yes, you might as well respond first hand and quickly if possible.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Why Business Blogs Should Welcome Negative Comments
Hi Brad, like Jackie I was drawn in by your headline…
I think I might disagree slightly and say you shouldn’t be *afraid* of negative comments - for all the reasons you list.
I’m not sure I’d say you should welcome them though - let’s face it a lot of negative comments are not genuine customer concerns, they’re snarkiness, or people trying to score points, or just being negative for the sake of being negative.
There are lots of things you can do to avoid that happening - including the way you handle comments, and get rid of comments which are just poisonous and don’t add anything to anyone’s understanding of the issue.
But I’m not sure I’d tell people to go out of their way to welcome them… just to be ready for them, to know how you’re going to handle them, and to write in such a way that you don’t provoke more than you were going to get in the first place!
Joanna Youngs last blog post..Confident Writing Is a Top 10 Writing Blog
Joanna, You make excellent points, but I’m sticking to my guns. You can’t eliminate the snarky comments and such, but you can’t wish them away, either. Whether you choose publish that sort of comment is another question. A corporate blog needs to have a comment policy to contain the conversation and keep it tracking in a constructive direction. That said, I think it’s a shame if, out of fear of dealing with the worst type of comments, which are usually the vast minority, companies cut themselves off from constructive dialog with customers and prospects who more and more crave conversation with the companies they deal with. As a business person, I can’t allow myself to be distracted by the snarkies (new word?). In my experience, when customers complain, even vehemently, it’s much better than when they clam up. When they stop talking, you know you are in real trouble. That’s why I think the proper mindset is to welcome those negative comments. Hope I’m not drawing too fine a distinction. I do agree with you about not provoking them. With all the emphasis on conversation and transparency (the latter being a term I abhor), people in general still expect and accept that a company will portray itself in a generally positive light, don’t you think? I wouldn’t advise a company to do a post titled “Please Tell Us How Screwed Up We Are”, unless the company was consciously making a guerrilla marketing play. But that’s risky and certainly not a good standard practice for mainstream businesses.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Why Business Blogs Should Welcome Negative Comments
We’re probably splitting hairs Brad - I think we’re basically on the same lines.
One thing I’d add - companies are as likely to provoke negative comments by blogging about how brilliant they are as they are asking us to tell them how screwed up they are.
The trick is to indicate you’re interested and want to listen - I think that in itself is likely to diffuse a lot of negativity (a point you of course make in your post)
Joanna Youngs last blog post..Confident Writing Is a Top 10 Writing Blog
Joanna, Great point about bragging. I can put that reminder to work right now as I write some Web copy for a client. Thanks!
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Why Business Blogs Should Welcome Negative Comments
As you know, I’m not in business. Even so I welcome comments that disagree with me. My posts are presented as food for thought and I love it when people think about what I’ve written and tell me their viewpoints.
That said, when I was Acting Group Leader at work once I passed on some information about proposed room changes to one of the fellows in the group. He blew up right in my face. It was uncomfortable but I told him I appreciated him letting me know how he felt, and I listened to his concerns. He ended up being embarrassed and apologizing, more than once, and I told him not to worry. I didn’t care about how his anger came out initially, I’d much rather have that than him not saying anything. I meant it, and the incident created a relationship we hadn’t had before. Yes, I agree with you.
Jean Browman–Cheerful Monks last blog post..Is This Really The Best Use of My Time?
Jean, Thank you for sharing that story. When those situations happen live, they can be very upsetting to say the least. On the other hand, do you think it’s easier to deal with negativity face to face because you get a better sense of where the person is coming from? Part of what makes negative comments so disconcerting is that you really can’t tell what prompted them or in what spirit they are being offered.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Why Business Blogs Should Welcome Negative Comments
It seems to me in either case the best strategy is to try to listen and find out where the person is coming from. I find it easier in print, I think. It gives me a chance to think.
Hi Brad - that last point is an excellent one. Encouraging customer complaints is a good think. But I hadn’t thought of using a business blog as a way to find out if you do have problems. That seems a good enough reason for anyone to set one up.
Cath Lawsons last blog post..Free Gift Ideas That Help You Sell More
A well presented case with very sound arguments.
Whilst I can relate to Robert’s feelings in relation to the avoidance of conflict, it would appear to me to be difficult to argue with the case outlined above.
I feel that the first three points are particularly strong. With the proliferation of social media, disgruntled consumers have plenty of avenues to voice their grievances. If I were managing a company, I would rather have such negative feelings voiced in a forum where they can be managed and dealt with (on the corporate blog), than in other forums where they cannot.
Andrews last blog post..Fixed term contracts and ethics part 3 - current employer’s viewpoint
Cath, Being able to engage in dialog with customers on a blog is a way to find out where you stand with them. Maybe that’s one reason business blogs are a little scary. Andrew, Thank you for the feedback. I wonder how many companies even monitor what’s being said about them online. Large manufacturers of consumer products seem to be taking notice, but in time, I think social media monitoring will spread to many other sectors and lead to more blogging.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..In Praise of One Liners
[…] Thanks for visiting! If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to by RSS, or by Email. And if there’s anything else I can do for you, feel free to drop me a line.Brad Shorr from Word Sell, Inc shares six reasons why business blogs should welcome negative comments. […]
Brad,
As I see it, everyone knows that no business is perfect, and few people actually expect one to be. What customers do expect is the assurance that the company cares enough to correct its mistakes. If a business owner expresses concern for a customer’s problem and demonstrates a willingness to correct that problem as soon as it arises (and ultimately does so), that’s usually enough to satisfy the customer and help reinforce or restore both the customer’s and the public’s faith in the business. Often, in the process, a company will create a die-hard fan (as you’ve said in slightly different words).
So, I agree that businesses shouldn’t fear negative blog comments but should rather welcome them as opportunities to demonstrate the company’s concern for its customers’ needs, as well as its personal commitment to growth.
Hi Jeanne, Good point - only real cranks expect perfection. But small problems often become big problems if the customer feels ignored.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Zero Strategy Causes Financial Crisis
True, Brad. That’s why one of the most important things a company can do is work to prevent those small problems from becoming big ones. And blog comments can help, because they let the company know what the customer is thinking.
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