"Your Company + Sucks" is Your Worst Enemy, or Best Friend

February 26, 2008 Comments (4)

Mack Collier

Mack Collier

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As the dynamic CK points out, "Your Company" + SUCKS is the new Google barometer for how well you are satisfying your customers.  And sometimes, it's not very pretty.

So how do you change the conversation that your customers are having about your business?  By listening and participating, of course!  And that doesn't necessarily mean you have to start blogging.  In fact I would never advise a business to begin blogging UNTIL they have begun to monitor the online chatter about their business, as well as what others are saying about their competitors and industry.

If you want to change the 'You SUCK' reaction online from customers into 'You RULE!', follow these steps:

1 - Monitor.  Find out what is being said about your business RIGHT NOW!  I've already detailed exactly how to launch a plan to monitor the blogosphere in a previous SEG post.

2 - Participate.  Once you find these online conversations, join them.  Reply to bloggers, address their comments and concerns.  Launching such an initiative can be done in one day.

3 - Engage.  Challenge your customers to continue the conversation.  Encourage them to give you more feedback, and address and RESPOND to the feedback they give you. 

4 - Co-Create.  You can't change your bad perception by yourself.  And you can't do it by listening, either.  You have to bring your customers in and listen to and act upon their complaints.  You have to work with them to co-create your online reputation.  Remember that passion that's ignored can become anger which leads to a bad online reputation.  But if you embrace the passion of your customers, and apply that passion to creating and improving a dialog with them, then that passion can become evangelism for your business.

But remember that these conversations are happening online about your business, whether you are a participant or not.  Indifference and ignorance are no longer viable excuses, if they ever were.    

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Comments (4)

Great advice. It is too easy to panic and want to try and 'clean it off Google' (completely impossible by the way) if such a search produces results. It is so important to engage and get involved in the discussion.

It really isn't that much different to good customer service...but lots of people seem to forget that.

Posted by: Nancy Williams on February 29, 2008

Right on target, Mack!

I once worked for a major shipbuilder. The new president was great! He made life a lot easier for the employees. Renovated offices, etc.

However, he one major problem: he hated negative reports. He'd shoot the messenger. Middle management soon learned to hide bad news from him.

The result was that when the company was in deep kimchee, he didn't know it. Everyone works somewhere else now.

Posted by: Al Kalar on February 29, 2008

Thanks for the comments, Nancy and Al! It's funny because when many companies see that there are negative blog posts about them, they want to ask 'How do we get rid of these?!?' The best way to change a negative perception in the blogosphere is to LISTEN to bloggers, and begin to INTERACT with us!

When that happens, the negative posts will begin to change into positive posts, and they will bury the negative posts. But so many businesses think the solution is to try to STOP the conversation, not join it.

Posted by: Mack Collier on March 3, 2008

I've seen some companies that post hundreds of "sucks" comments about themselves all over the web and in their own blogs or site copy. However, the comments are positive or neutral. I think they do this to bury the true negative comments with noise of their own.
Example of a forum post: "That really sucks, but if you deal with xyz brand, you'll be a lot happier."
Instead of falling for it, I assume there are some real problems out there that they are covering up and go elsewhere.
(Sorry about the double post. Didn't think to include it earlier).

Posted by: Al Kalar on March 3, 2008

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Search Engine Guide > Mack Collier > "Your Company + Sucks" is Your Worst Enemy, or Best Friend

Mack Collier is a social media consultant, and author of The Viral Garden, a blog focusing on marketing and social media. He also is a frequent contributor to the website Marketing Profs, as well as the marketing blog Daily Fix.

Known for his 'community-first' approach to blogging and social media, Mack focuses on teaching companies how they can use social media to excite and engage their customers, as well as better understand and market to them.

Mack is a requested speaker and has advised companies of all sizes on their social media strategies, from small businesses and startups, to companies as large as Dell and Nettwerk Music. His writings have been referenced in several mainstream publications and websites, including The Washington Post, MSNBC.com, Ad Age, CNET, and The Boston Globe.

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