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10 Ways to Avoid Negative Publicity by Julia McCoy #489
Brands avoid negative publicity by researching content before posting, staying away from controversy, responding to criticism quickly and professionally, and delivering consistently outstanding performance that outweighs isolated bad reviews.
Key takeaways
- Do a quick Google search before posting any meme, image, or opinion to catch unintended associations.
- Write emotional responses but do not send them until you have cooled down and had others review them.
- Respond to criticism publicly so other people can see how your brand handles complaints, then follow up privately.
- A large volume of strong reviews reduces the damage any single negative review can cause.
- Community managers must represent the brand voice, not inject personal opinions, because social media is a giant microphone for the company.
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About this episode
10 Ways to Avoid Negative Publicity Is it possible to eliminate bad press in a world where users are entitled to express their opinions freely online? Definitely not, but here are 10 proven tips will help you keep away from the vulgar and ugly side of online publicity.
Questions this episode answers
What is the most important step a brand can take to avoid negative publicity on social media?
According to the episode, the single most important step is doing your research before posting anything. A quick Google search on any meme, phrase, or image can reveal unintended associations, such as the 2016 Wendy's incident where a Pepe the Frog meme had become a symbol of white supremacy without the social media manager knowing.
How should a business respond to angry or negative online reviews?
The hosts recommend responding publicly so other people can see how the brand handles complaints, keeping the tone professional, avoiding emotional or retaliatory language, and following up privately to resolve the issue. They also suggest having multiple people review a response before it goes out, using what one host calls three eyes before it flies.
Should a business ever apologize even when the problem is not its fault?
Yes. The episode says apologizing is a powerful way to diffuse a situation even when the issue is outside your control, such as a shipping carrier problem. Taking the blame or falling on the sword signals good character to customers and can turn a difficult situation around.
How does having many positive reviews protect a business from negative ones?
The hosts note that with a large base of strong reviews, for example 120 five-star reviews, a single bad review has far less impact. Consistently delivering outstanding performance builds that buffer, and the crowd-sourced aggregate of reviews lets the public make a fair judgment about the business.
In their words
It's okay for your brand to have a fun, witty, even snarky voice. That can be fun and engaging. You can express strong opinions to get attention. Always remember to do enough research before posting anything online.
Host
I do believe it's important to respond publicly, so other people see how you respond, and then I think a private response is also important, too, to try to solve the problem.
Guest
if you're emotional, write it, but don't hit the send button, and then have someone maybe look at it, or come back and revisit it when you've cooled down a little bit, and go, do I want to send this, and what's the impact if I do
Guest
Terms defined in this episode
- Three eyes before it flies
- A review practice mentioned in the episode where multiple people examine a response before it is sent, helping catch emotional or off-brand language.
- Community manager
- The person responsible for managing a brand's social media presence and public responses, who must represent the brand voice rather than personal opinions.
- Contingency plan for bad press
- A pre-established process for handling negative feedback, such as escalating responses to a senior team member and getting a second opinion before replying publicly.
Full transcript is being added.
This episode answers
Matthew Bertram
AI keynote speaker · Owner & CEO, EWR Digital · President, ModalPoint
Matthew Bertram is an AI keynote speaker, creator of DIG™ (Digital Information Governance), and owner and CEO of EWR Digital. He helps energy and industrial leaders win visibility in AI search (GEO and AEO), is President of ModalPoint and CMO of the Oil & Gas Global Network, hosts The Best SEO Podcast, and has authored eight books including LLM Visibility. More about Matthew Bertram.
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