SmallBusinessNewz

Businesses are often hesitant to operate blogs and social media personas. They are also wary of how their reputations will be shaped, and this is certainly a concern they should have, but the prospect of negativity being introduced with regards to your business isn't necessarily the gallows pole. In fact, negativity can often breed positive results in the long run.

Jason Miller wrote an interesting piece on this at WebProNews, which looks at how businesses can sometimes take the negative things people are saying about them and use them to address issues, which will in the long run improve their businesses. Miller writes:

It’s a reckoning for management too concerned with the short term, too concerned with beating down dissent instead of listening and addressing. And now, much like how similar shortsightedness caused the financial crisis and thus, reform, companies are having to reform how they handle communication. That’s a good thing.

Open internal criticism via blogs and social media forces transparency from the upper echelons, and thus better message shaping and control. It also reinvigorates the case for corporate blogging.

Operating a blog and/or social media profile gives your company a voice to not only defend your business against negative attacks, but to be open with people about what your business is doing to fix problems as well as keep them informed about positive things that you are doing.

The human element is something I've talked about in a number of articles, and it certainly applies here too. Give your blog/profiles personality. Show people that your business is run by REAL PEOPLE. People understand that humans make mistakes, as well as innovate, and the personality you can bring to the table through these formats is a step toward showing the public that you are one of them, and a good way to earn trust and respect.