FEATURE future-proofs your name and brand from any unwarranted media or social media attacks in the future .
NEGATIVE ONLINE CONTENT ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS POTENTIALLY DAMAGES YOUR GOOD NAME , HOW POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS VIEW YOU AND THE BOTTOM LINE .
Here ’ s how to deal with a personal or business reputation crisis online :
1 . Take ownership and hold your hands up to the problem
The first – and most crucial – step is to publicly acknowledge that a mistake has been made . Show that you know it ’ s happened and that you are now working to fix it .
2 . Talk about your company values
Now is the time to show what your business cares about . Underline your values to bring the focus back to the strength of your company ’ s ideals . This loops back to showing you are committed to customer service and acting on issues when they happen .
3 . Communicate empathy and action
If the crisis has victims or potential victims , speak up about them . Show that you empathise with them . This shows the media and the public that you are taking full responsibility . Talk about what action you will take to address the problem . This grabs control back and shows how you ’ re handling the situation .
4 . Take preventative steps before a crisis even hits
Reputations can bounce back very quickly by talking directly to the people involved .
This shows that you care and that you will commit to putting it right . Staying quiet just isn ’ t an option . Trying to ignore this kind of reputation crisis invites in untethered speculation that will do further damage .
If you take pre-emptive steps you will naturally limit the impact of any reputation crisis . This means having a crisis management strategy ready to go . But it also means having strong and positive relationships with stakeholders , employees , customers , clients and the media . Set up Google Alerts so you are always on top of any coverage of your business or your name . x
32 www . intelligentcxo . com