One of the biggest concerns companies have about venturing onto social media is a fear that detractors, competitors or others who dislike their brand will comment publicly, venting their problem and leaving open the door for a lot of negative viral buzz. Their thinking is that if they aren’t on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or any of the other major sites, those naysayers or disgruntled types will have no public venue through which to flog them. The fatal flaw in this strategy is that angry consumers or clients don’t need a home base through which to damage a company and its reputation. They have their own home base through their individual social media platforms.
This quote is from a featured article in the latest Crisis Manager newsletter. Written by much lauded online branding and marketing expert Cindy Ratzlaff, the article explains in clear terms why avoiding social media not only fails to stop stakeholders from speaking poorly about an organization but actually inflames what would otherwise be minor issues because they are left unheard and unresolved.
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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. , an international crisis management consultancy, and author of Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training.]