How to Use Negative Reviews in Favor of Your Online Reputation

When dealing with negative feedback, you must fight your natural urge to retaliate. You shouldn't react violently or try to get rid of it right away. You should maintain your composure and first analyze the situation to develop the best strategy for handling such reputation risks. As a Business Owner, this could result in an immense loss and could prevent one from attracting and acquiring new customers.

Negative Feedback on Social Media

Social Media is a useful method to maintain a connection with your customers and reach your target audience easily. However a tool that helps a business solidify itself as a trustworthy entity can cause huge losses to your business. One wrong statement related to an issue or a missed statement where one is needed and a business owner would have to pay a lot to mitigate damages.

A customer shared a negative review regarding Starbucks on Facebook shortly after the company's entry into the Indian market. This review remained visible on their page, accumulating approximately 5,200 likes and 300 comments. In an effort to minimize attention, Starbucks opted not to respond to the comment. However, as the post gained traction and went viral, the company decided to delete it rather than address the issue directly. This attempt to suppress the complaint only intensified public backlash, resulting in widespread criticism of the company across various social media platforms.

In similar circumstances, it is crucial for a company to avoid the deletion of negative feedback. Such an action can be perceived as an acknowledgment of fault while simultaneously evading accountability. Customers tend to disapprove of companies that resort to such measures, particularly when it pertains to unsatisfactory experiences with their products or services.

A more effective approach for a company is to recognize the feedback received and express appreciation for bringing the issue to your attention, which you intended to address. This demonstrates to customers that you are committed to improvement and that you value their contributions. Such actions will enhance your positive online reputation. It is essential to remember that the customer’s perspective is paramount; they prioritize how much they are valued over your personal sentiments.

Negative Media Coverage

When a comment or incident escalates, your brand’s reputation is in jeopardy. In a situation like this, one should not hesitate to hire some professional help that can repair online reputation. Companies specializing in Online Reputation Management (ORM) can effectively address such challenges.

An example of such a situation is the oil spill case for British Petroleum (BP) which resulted in online media channels filling up with negative articles about the company and the damage done to the environment.

As a result, all the search engine results for “oil spill” and “British Petroleum” were dominated by negative reviews. We all know that it is impossible to perform complete content removal from search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Recognizing this issue, What BP did to handle this situation to defend their reputation was commendable—-they ran a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign.

BP began to display paid advertisements on Google and Yahoo, which overshadowed the organic search results for terms such as “oil spill” and “Gulf disaster.” This approach allowed them to elevate links of their choosing above those that presented unfavorable narratives about the company. The content they promoted emphasized the initiatives BP was implementing to support environmental recovery. They accepted full accountability and initiated efforts to rehabilitate their corporate image by investing over $11,000 daily in PPC campaigns.

A PPC campaign can serve as an effective tool to counteract negative publicity for your brand by pinpointing and targeting specific keywords. Blue Ocean Global Technology possesses the expertise and experience to assist anyone in need of such professional services.

Competitor’s Sabotage Attempt or Disappointed Client

One of the worst events that can take place for your company is if an old employee, angry customer, or a “hater” decides to share their negative thoughts about your company on RipOffReport.com. This can result in the review becoming the primary search result when individuals search for your company name along with terms like "spam," leading to often irreversible reputational damage.

Your best bet would be to try to find out who it was that uploaded the bad review. If a review is posted by an account that has not been verified, it can most likely be removed. RipOffReport.com has a program that verifies users who are posting negative reviews. In addition to this, they contact the company in question 14 days before the post is published so that the company is given a fair chance to resolve any potential misunderstandings with the customer.

Tips for Solutions

If the issue or review is not featured on prominent platforms like RipOffReports.com, it may be easier to get rid of. Here are a few tips for dealing with negative reviews popping up on Google searches.

1. Organize the Response

When addressing a negative review, try being concise and to the point. Avoid using the company name, as this will ensure that your company name doesn't appear on search engines with it.

2. Your Best Offense Is Defense for Negative Reviews

A PPC campaign is an essential initiative; however, it should not be viewed as a sustainable long-term strategy. It is crucial to broaden and enhance your campaign by leveraging your company's public relations department to disseminate favorable information about your brand. This content should be designed to counteract the negative keywords associated with your unfavorable reviews. By doing so, your positive content will be prioritized in search results, making it more challenging for individuals to find criticisms and negative feedback. A reputation management specialist will possess the expertise to strategically craft this content, ensuring the inclusion of advantageous keywords.

3. Consistently Share Your Brand

Any search query will show one result per domain; make sure you promote your name consistently so that it is your content that appears first. This tactic will solidify your online presence. Ensure a constant repetition of your brand name with your content, improving your ranking in search results related to your company.

4. Diligence Is the Mother of Good Luck

The best thing you can do is to prepare for any problems that you may encounter.