Forums and Blogs

Blogs are important because consumers use blogs to gather information. Blogs can quickly develop a following and influence reader’s views. Blogs also make reputation management challenging because of the speed at which information is exchanged.

The millions of blogs in existence today have made the blogosphere the world’s largest and most influential form of interactive media. Small, unknown blogs can link or syndicate to larger, more influential blogs, which in turn can supply story leads to traditional media. Those stories, once legitimized by the mainstream press, are then spun back out into the blogosphere. The blogosphere dramatically expands the reach of your audience, which means the potential for more supporters, as well as more detractors.

Industry forums exist to exchange information within an industry. Forums are often organized by categories. Participants can post industry related news, developments, and issues, thereby encouraging discussion. Forums are used for information sharing, education, and idea development.

Consumer opinion sites are platforms built to solicit feedback from consumers about products so that others can make informed buying decisions. These sites provide valuable information for buyers, but should be closely monitored in order to gain insight into customer’s views and concerns.

Interacting with Blogs and Forums

Engage with contributors to blogs and forums and attempt to build a relationship with them. Make these two-way conversations and use the comments sections to get your viewpoint across.

One major principle of reputation management is that if you attempt to hide the truth it will come back to haunt you. Therefore, be honest in your online conversations. Respond directly to critics. The end result is that speaking the truth builds trust in your audience even if the truth is negative.

If a blog or forum does include inaccuracies about your brand you should send them clarifying evidence and ask them to remove the error. Again, this is part of building a relationship. If you are truthful with authors and offer to continue the dialogue in the future, possibly by sending them your latest news, a successful resolution can be achieved. If not, you may want to add a comment with your own perspective on the situation. If the negative information is true, you may want to post an honest public comment that will encourage a continuation of the dialogue.

If there is a negative posting in a forum, try to contact the source directly in order to resolve the issue. This personal offline contact will give you the opportunity to create a potential advocate for your brand.

Identify the most influential sites for your industry and participate in them. You may want to empower a member of your organization to participate in these industry blogs and forums. Along with participation, you may want to consider sponsorship opportunities. This will help to build relationships and alliances with these outlets.