Fight, Flight or Flood – How to Respond to a Negative Online Buzz about You or Your Business

People talk about things that are meaningful to them. They’ve been talking about products, brands, businesses and people offline since the first means of communication were created. Therefore, it’s not surprising that people today talk on the social Web. The global conversation is loud and powerful, and it can positively or negatively affect your, your brand, and your business.

But what should you do when someone says something negative about you or your business online?

This is one of the most common fears of individuals and businesses considering leveraging the social Web conversation to build their reputations, brands and businesses, and unfortunately, it’s one of the main reasons that people and companies are not getting the results they want and need from their social media efforts.

Don’t be afraid to let the audience take control of the conversation. That’s where the power of the social Web comes from in terms of building brands and businesses. And if someone publishes something negative about you or your business online, don’t try to squash the conversation. Overtly trying to control the conversation can do far more harm to your reputation than good. Instead, follow one of the three paths described below to effectively respond to a negative online buzz about you, your brand, or your business.

1. Fight

While you don’t want to appear controlling nor do you want to stop the online conversation (even if it’s negative), you can fight without looking like a bully. Join the conversation and nudge it in the right direction (i.e., the direction that is best for you and your business) by addressing misconceptions, admitting mistakes, and demonstrating your desire to fix them and put customers first. The more time you spend building your audience of brand advocates across the social Web, the more you’ll start to see those people standing up for you. Therefore, the fight path offers two effective options — nudging conversations yourself and allowing your band of brand advocates to nudge it for you. [Read more]

Promote Your Business on Google Places and 10 More Local Search Directories

Have you checked Google Places (formerly called the Google Local Business Center) to make sure your business is listed and listed accurately? You can log into Google Places with your Google account username and password (you already have one if you use Gmail or another Google tool) and then add your business or claim your business listing.

Each business listing includes the business name, address (it even shows the location on a Google map), hours of operation, payment options, and more. Even better, you can publish coupons, photos, and videos to go along with your listing, and customers can publish reviews about your business. All of these features are offered for free. You can also track some of the statistics related to your listing, including where visitors come from and what keywords they used to find your listing. When you see certain trends or parts of your listing working well (or not performing at all), you can change them at anytime.

Google Places listings rank very high in Google search results, and since most people find businesses, products and services through Google searches, your business needs to be represented.

If you own a business with multiple locations, you can even upload a data file with all of your business’ information to make creating your listings quick and easy.

Check out the video below that explains all of the features Google Places offers to businesses.

For maximum exposure and business growth, your business needs to be represented across the Web, and that includes securing your listing on the most popular search engine. With that in mind, you should also make sure your business is listed on the following local search directories:

1. CitySearch
2. Yahoo! Local
3. Yelp
4. Yellow Pages
5. Kudzu
6. DexKnows
7. MerchantCircle
8. Topix
9. Local.com
10. Go City Kids

Burger King Bets on Tony Stewart and a Polygraph Test

Burger King’s newest celebrity endorsements are coming from NASCAR driver Tony Stewart.  I just saw my first Burger King commercial starring Tony Stewart this week, and it wasn’t bad.  Considering how popular NASCAR is, I’d imagine the pairing of a popular driver with fast food is decent.

Then I heard that Tony Stewart is taking a live polygraph test online where he will be asked if he really likes Burger King Whoppers, and the appeal of this campaign from Crispin Porter & Bogusky became clear to me.  It’s a clever attempt at creating an integrated marketing program driving television audiences to Burger King’s special website — where visitors can submit their own questions for Stewart’s polygraph test.  And that site is in addition to the existing BKracking.com site that already has interactive features and a sweepstakes game.

Will the effort sell more Whoppers?  It’s hard to say.  I’m not well versed in the NASCAR audience demographics, but it certainly can’t hurt.  If nothing else, it’s got people talking, which has to be good for the Burger King brand.

However, I’m not so sure about the Carrot Top and Erik Estrada appeal (check out the commercial below)?  Since Carrot Top got all pseudo-buff on steroids, he’s disturbingly freaky to look at.  On the other hand, what person older than 35 doesn’t get a bit nostalgic when they see Frank Poncherello?

What do you think?

KeySplash Creative Conversations Included in Junta42 List of Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs

For the second quarter in a row, KeySplash Creative Conversations made it onto the list of Junta 42 Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs.

This quarter’s update to the list included a record 276 blogs, up from 224 last quarter.  According to the Junta 42 website, “the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs list highlights the best bloggers on the web discussing content marketing. Each blog on the list has been rated by our expert staff in terms of content strength, depth, regularity and, to a very small extent, popularity.”

Here is the list of the Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs according to the Junta 42:

1 TippingPoint Labs
2 Copyblogger
3 Marketing Interactions
4 Online Marketing Blog
5 PR 2.0
6 Marketing with Meaning
7 Post Advertising
8 Conversation Agent
9 Brain Traffic
10 Web Ink Now
11 Buzz Marketing for Technology
12 EyeCube
13 ContentMarketingToday
14 Convince and Convert
15 Influential Marketing Blog
16 Internet Marketing Blog
17 Dan Blank
18 The Harte of Marketing
19 Writing on the Web
20 The Toadstool
21 PR 20/20
22 Keysplash Creative
23 Chris Brogan’s Blog
24 Social Media Explorer
25 Content Rich
26 Drew’s Marketing Minute
27 Seth’s Blog
28 9 Inch Marketing
29 The Content Wrangler
30 Greg Verdino’s Marketing Blog
31 IdeaLaunch
32 Hard Knox Life
33 Direct Marketing Observations
34 Nigel Hollis
35 Rexblog
36 Daily Fix
37 Sales Lead Insights
38 Techno//Marketer
39 Eat Media Blog
40 Savvy B2B Marketing
41 Social Signal
42 Web Strategy by Jeremiah

You can follow the link to read more about the Junta 42.

Building the Perfect Website

I’ve been giving a lot of thought about online content lately.  One of the terms I often use when discussing online content and marketing with my clients is the shift that happened many years ago with the birth of the social Web that is at the forefront of the online environment today and still growing — that is moving from destination-centric to audience-centric in web design, web development, online brand building, and web usability.

No longer can websites exist simply as an online destination.  Instead, they must be 100% audience-focused and deliver the information consumers are looking for — and they must do it fast!

So what’s the first step to building a perfect business website in the early years of the 21st century?  Make sure every page, every sentence, every image, and everything else on your website is audience-centric.  Focus on the consumer, not you.  That’s one of the core rules of social media marketing success, but truth be told, it has become the core rule for online marketing as a whole. I even discuss that rule in my book, Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps, as it relates to copywriting.

For example, a website like YouTube is great as a destination for online video.  However, it can be challenging to find the specific content you’re looking for on YouTube.  In 2009, highly targeted niche sites are all the rage, and the trend from creating destination sites to audience-focused sites makes sense — consumers have neither the time nor the desire to sift through page after page of useless information.  They want specific information and they want it fast.  Deliver it to them on your website by developing the structure and content with your audience’s needs and wants ranked as the top priority.  Be audience-centric, not destination-centric.

Your thoughts?

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Free eBook from Newstex – The Truth about Blog Syndication

I wrote an ebook for one of my clients, Newstex, which is now available for free download on the Newstex website.  It’s called The Truth about Blog Syndication, and its purpose is to teach bloggers the facts about licensed blog syndication (which Newstex offers) versus free and ad-supported blog syndication.  There is actually a very big difference, and many of the myths about blog syndication that bloggers hear are true of the free and ad-supported syndication models but not the licensed syndication model. 

Without giving away everything in the book, licensed blog distribution gives bloggers a way to increase their exposure to audiences that are not likely to find them through traditional web searches, and it gives bloggers royalty payments when their content is viewed by end users.  It’s worth looking into, learning the facts, and considering for your own blog.  At the very least, don’t make a decision until you know the truth about blog syndication.

You can download The Truth about Blog Syndication on the Newstex website.  It’s free and licensed under Creative Commons, so you can share it, tweet it, blog about it, repost it, etc.

I should also mention for full disclosure purposes that I’m a marketing consultant for Newstex, and I syndicate my blog through Newstex.

Online Video Advertising Tips

My newest article is now live on Entrepreneur.com.  This month, I wrote about online video advertising, which is a great opportunity for businesses to connect with the rapidly growing online audience that actively watches online video. 

You can read the article here and start thinking about how you can add online video advertising into your own business’ marketing plan or add related services to your client offerings.

And you can follow this link to view my previous articles about copywriting and marketing communications published on Entrepreneur.com.

Social Networking and Blogs are More Popular Than Email

Have you shifted your marketing investments to match consumer habits?  Did you know that statistics show social networking and blogs are now more popular than email?  Is your brand represented where it needs to be?

Learn more in my guest post on the Womenkind.net (an ad agency based in New York City) blog, Social Networking and Blogs are More Popular Than Email.

Brand Building for Search Engine Optimization

My go-to-person for SEO, Gab Goldenberg of SEO ROI wrote a great post that’s full of resources to help internet marketing companies merge brand building and SEO, but much of the information included in the article can be applied to any blog or website. 

Gab provides more than theory in his article.  He cites examples and provides case studies as well stories from his own experiences to support his tips and suggestions.  It’s worth a read!  Follow the link above to check it out.

Special K Ad Embraces White Space and Gets Noticed

Every advertiser knows (particularly online advertisers) that white space is important, yet it can be so easy to fall victim to the allure of that unused space and fill it up with more messages.  The result is inevitably a confused customer who doesn’t know where to look and ends up simply looking away.

That’s why it’s great to see an ad that makes great use of white space, clean design and simple colors to get noticed in one of the busiest of places – the home page of Yahoo!

Several times yesterday I found myself on the home page of Yahoo!, and each time, my eye was immediately drawn to the ad on the right side of the page.  An ad always appears in that spot, and my eyes have been trained not to notice it.  However, sometimes an ad jumps out at me and makes me take a second look.  Yesterday was one of those days, but instead of just making me take a second look, this ad made me take a second, and third, and fourth look.  Each time I visited Yahoo.com yesterday, I stopped and looked at this ad.  Check it out below.

Taking the ad out of its context, you’d never guess that it could be so visually compelling, but amdist the cluttered mess of the Yahoo! home page, this simple red and white ad for the Special K Challenge stood out like a beacon.  It simply catches the eye and makes you look at it.

Is the message compelling enough?  That’s another story entirely, and the design details could use some tweaking.  But the point is this – the design concept with the stark red and white colors and heavy use of white space worked. 

Just food for thought next time you’re creating an online ad that has to compete with clutter on all sides.  White space is good!  Embrace white space.

What do you think?

Image: Kellogg

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