What to do with negative publicity in 4 steps

What should you do to keep this negative publicity from hurting you? Here’s how I recommend you handle the situation.

1. Act fast – Naturally, you should be monitoring the social and web worlds for both positive and negative comments. Responding quickly will help reinforce the positive press and smother the negative press. Don’t let bad press blindside you. You should not be the last to know. You should be one of the first…and you should respond promptly.
2. Don’t absorb the insult – If you’ve done a good job of keeping up your profile and extending your influence, then remember this when a negative comment comes your way: there are a ton of people who really like you. Plus, negative comments are usually generated by people who woke up on the wrong side of the bed or can’t be calmed down with a level-headed reply.
3. Never delete the comment – Instead, respond directly to the comment. It’s more than likely many people have already seen the negative comment. Deleting it will only make you look like a sore loser. Responding quickly will show people who are watching that you have nothing to hide.
4. Sort out the situation in private – Respond with something like “I am grateful for any feedback, no matter how brutal it is. Your opinion is valuable, and I’d love to talk to you in private to take care of the situation.” Never turn a customer service situation like that into a public spectacle. Send them a direct message and then try to win them over.

Responding to negative publicity quickly and kindly is one of the best ways to minimize any kind of damage you might suffer. Ignoring it will only hurt you.