Communication Tools
Blog Attacks: All Bets Are Off
There was a time when the blogosphere was widely perceived to be
the realm of kooks and conspiracy theorists – a corner of cyberspace
where any self-proclaimed crusader with an Internet connection could
excoriate corporations (or anyone else) without regard for fact or
fairness.
Today, the line between bloggers and traditional journalists is
gone, and so is any perceived credibility gap between these comparably
powerful media voices. In fact, bloggers break and shape news stories
before they reach the mainstream press. They demand and increasingly
get media credentials for news conferences. They call public affairs
offices for quotes.
And, they generate “viral” coverage and commentary that shows up
everywhere. In a recent study by the Center for Media Research, 70% of
reporters said they check a blog list on a regular basis. 20% said they
spend more than an hour a day checking blogs. And 57% said they read
blogs two or three times a week.
For companies that find themselves subject to this worrisome worldwide spotlight, utilizing a digital reputation management
response plan is critical. A first step is to assess the attack’s
potential credibility. Bloggers may be more credible than they were ten
years ago but not all bloggers are due equal attention and respect.
Identify the “high-authority” bloggers covering your industry. They
are, and deserve to be, the online resources taken most seriously
Second, research who is responsible for the blog. Unfortunately,
this task is often difficult as attribution is the sole prerogative of
the author. The blogger could be a well-funded NGO with a long-term
agenda. It could be a front for a plaintiffs’ coalition enlisting
members in a class action. It could be an employee venting about a
recent policy decision.
Third, if the adversary is a serious one, try to learn if the
posting is but one piece of a well-integrated campaign to pressure a
policy change or force a lawsuit settlement, or if it’s simply a
generalized attack on the company’s reputation.
Strategic and tactical determinations can only be made if there are systems in place for blogosphere monitoring,
where manual and automated monitoring combine to gather all mentions of
the company in the blogosphere. Such monitoring is now an information
age necessity. Proverbially, forewarned is forearmed.
In cases where a response is deemed appropriate, it may be
advisable for companies to respond in kind with optimized blogs of
their own. If so:
- Update the blog regularly to demonstrate to the blogging community that the company takes the medium very seriously;
- As appropriate, diversify the communicators to offer, not just official C-Suite positions, but the rank-and-file perspective that journalists value as well; and
- Accept some safe degree of controversy in the responses that get posted
Finally, link to other blogs that are likely to support the
corporate position. In this critical online culture, such online
resources represent the best kind of third-party endorsement.
Related Articles: