360DigitalInfluence

As a blogger, you will inevitably deal with detractors online – either in the form of comments on a blog, a post about you/your company on another blog, a Twitter thread, a Facebook status update, etc.   Not everything you publish on blogs will be agreeable to everyone, no matter what your expectations are. 

Blogging is all about exchange and creating relationships – it is about developing a discussion, not having passive readers.  You give to your readers, why shouldn’t they give to you?

If your blog post feedback doesn’t go exactly as planned, here are a few tips to help you in your response…

• Always Say Thank You.  Being courteous and saying thank you is just as important in the face of a critic as when you are being complimented.  Thank the blogger for sharing their experience, and caring enough to express their opinion.  Being gracious and appreciative can diffuse most situations. 
• Address The Issue.   Acknowledge the comment, and admit when you are wrong.  Your readers will respond better and respect you more if you can admit mistakes.  Everyone can make a typo, forget to say something important or just be plain wrong. 
• Correct Any Misinformation.  If appropriate, provide factual – not emotional – information in response, along with an offer to elaborate or provide more detail if needed through backchannels. Provide contact information for a real person for follow up.  
• Be Transparent And Honest.  Always identify who you are and/or what company you represent.  Don’t be terse or defensive, and be honest – nothing kills your reputation faster than getting caught in a lie.  
• Recognize The Opportunity.  A negative blog post can provide an opportunity to demonstrate just how willing you are to listen to feedback, accept constructive criticism, and address an issue through the blog.  Detractors come in many different forms, but in most cases, these are individuals that want you to improve your product/service, so embrace them, acknowledge them, and get them involved in providing solutions. More often than not, after they see the effort you’ve gone through to respond and engage, they could become an advocate for you.