In addition to the rapid dissemination of content, the social networks save time and resources. They provide us with detailed and concrete statistical data on the organization's performance, stimulate a sense of community, interaction, dynamism and are the major communication trend in B2C and, increasingly, in the B2B segment.
However, as with all stories, there is the other side: social networks as a means of negatively affecting an organization's reputation. No company gains from the quick and easy spread of fake news about its business. This is not a new situation. Big brands have always fought against untruthful stories about their organization in the media.
The question is: how can we prevent this situation from unfolding in the new media? There is only one solution to the fight: Public Relations.
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Being transparent
This is the main principle of any PR professional: always choose to tell the truth. This clarifies and translates into credibility.
Especially for professionals who are at the head of a major brand, if misleading information about your organization appears on social media, in addition to providing clarification on social media, you should make statements to the media. Working on trust and goodwill in favor of bringing the matter to a close.
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Building Relationships
In addition to our final audience, we need to work with relationships that play an intermediary role. These allow us to reach the target more effectively.
The media relations have been a priority for public relations. With social media, journalists have been joined by bloggersand the importance of opinion makers has grown. This growing number of intermediary audiences is due, in particular, to the facilities listed at the beginning of the article, especially the ease with which information can be disseminated.
If there is no ongoing relationship work, the spread of false or negative news becomes greater.
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Building an online reputation
Building a company's online reputation depends on the strategy it has defined. However, here are a few tips to help build a positive reputation: encourage honest criticism and evaluations on social networks; share content that interests followers; encourage interactions, including comments; create alliances with other companies so that they share your organization's content, generating a new audience; and above all, be authentic and creative.