As the world moves toward a Web 2.0 experience, thereby allowing users more and more control over what content gets put up on the World Wide Web, it has marketers everywhere throwing fits as they try to figure out how to control it.

Experts in reputation management have started to appear out of the woodwork offering companies a false sense of security by claiming to be able to control user-generated content, promising to squelch anybody who posts negative comments about your company anywhere on the Internet.

While it is important to protect your reputation from those who would slander you, one of the best ways to do so is by bringing the fight home.

Keep the Fighting In House

An acquaintance of mine once worked for a business-to-business company’s marketing department. He proposed that the company implement a discussion board on the site. However, he met large opposition to his proposal, especially from the manager of technology who argued that it would simply encourage members to openly talk negatively about the company, which did not have a particularly glowing reputation.

The marketer argued that this would be just fine. To begin with, they had plenty of evangelists that would come to their defense. Second of all, the griping and negative talk would be in a forum where they could quickly and easily respond (and probably learn things from their customers they might not ever hear otherwise). Third, it would generate free content, even if it does have a negative slant towards the company.

In essence, my acquaintance saw any company bashing as an opportunity for the company to actually improve its reputation.

How Does Allowing Trash Talk Help My Company?

A little over a year ago, General Motors held a contest. They invited consumers to create homemade TV ads for the Chevy Tahoe and post them on Chevrolet’s website. While the expected flow of incoming videos including some good and positive commercials, there was also an influx of Tahoe-bashing videos, especially from people who viewed the SUV as an unnecessary gas-guzzling monstrosity that only served to destroy the environment.

Chevrolet’s response? They left the videos up.

Know Who You’re Talking To

In Chevrolet’s case, it’s well known that environmentalists don’t like SUV’s. Anybody looking to purchase an SUV already knows that they get bad gas mileage. They don’t need an angry consumer video to tell them that. However, the angry consumer videos, thanks to all the talk they created, might get someone considering a competitor’s SUV to visit Chevrolet’s website instead, at least to see what all the fuss is about.

Adjust, or Die

Old-school marketers can’t handle not having complete control over everything. Fifty years ago, company mascots such as the Jolly Green Giant, Michelin Man, Tony the Tiger, and so forth were invented from marketers that wrote down everything the mascot could say and not say, do and not do.

Today, consumer generated comments are considered among the most reliable sources for legitimate information about a product or company. Consumers trust the word of people they don’t know far more than anything a marketer can cook up.

To adjust, you first have to accept that users are now in control of what is being said. Next, you have to allow visitors to your website to communicate with each other. And finally, let go. Don’t edit what you don’t like, don’t attack those who say things against you.

This is your opportunity to listen to what your customers are saying, to take steps to improve your company, and in that way control what is being said about you.

If 9 out of 10 people that speak about your company are speaking ill of it, it might be time to take a long hard look at yourself. You’ll never be able to please all the people all of the time, but at least you’ll be able to please most of the people most of the time.

In Closing…

So what should you do when user-generated content on your site doesn’t go the way you want it to? The answer is: do nothing! Thrive by accepting that users control the Internet, or die trying to control the masses.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 4th, 2007 at 8:01 pm and is filed under Online Marketing, Content Creation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.