-- CHICAGO, IL – Seasoned Chicago entrepreneur and business strategy specialist, Darlene Ziebell, has launched a new blog series. This coincides with her recently published book, new podcast, business-related giveaways, and other initiatives to promote her new “Million-Dollar Business Startup Workshop.” Her latest post in the series, “Social Media Words and the Law,” focuses on managing positive and negative reviews on social media.
Ziebell’s “Social Media Words and the Law” emphasizes the damaging effects reviews on social media can have on businesses and the importance of business owners addressing the issue head-on before an incident even occurs.
“Many people face an experience involving negative reviews, whether the review is justified or, in some cases, totally unfounded. Nobody wants to talk about it; they hope it goes away,” said Ziebell. “I want them to know that there are important steps they should be taking to be prepared for potential incidents like this before an incident even happens, as this type of issue is extremely difficult to resolve even when you are prepared.”
In her post, Ziebell highlights the difficulties and frustrations of resolving negative review issues. The difficulties include:
● Trying to address fake reviews written by people who were not actual customers of the business
● Inadequate laws to address reviews
● Policies that make it easy for reviewers to remain anonymous and extremely challenging to identify them
● Costly legal fees to even begin addressing the issue with no guarantee it will be resolved.
Although addressing negative reviews online can be an uphill battle, there are many steps Ziebell spotlights that business owners can take to be prepared in the event this unfortunate circumstance happens to them. Some of the steps she highlights are as follows:
● Have an online defamation attorney selected and on retainer in the event a problem arises
● Find a professional internet reputation company to manage the online review responses
● Request and obtain positive reviews from the day the business launches so potential negative reviews won’t have as great of an impact
● Responding to all reviews (especially negative ones but the positives, as well) so customers know the business is responsive and cares about customers.
“Bad news travels much faster online than good news, and it’s very difficult to get people to change a bad review once they leave one,” noted Ziebell. “Even when customers receive a refund or are otherwise appeased, many are still reluctant to remove or change the negative review they left. Some customers also don’t realize the large impact it can have on your business long after they left the initial review.”
Ziebell also notes how serious a challenge online defamation can be, and not only for small businesses. Until better laws are enacted, and social media companies set policies to discourage anonymity, she foresees this to be a continual problem. Some online review websites even reward people based on how many reviews they leave, whether the reviews are positive or negative.
Also stressed is the importance of responding to negative feedback about the business immediately. If the business knows who the customer is and the review is legitimate, it is vital to respond as soon as possible. Furthermore, the likelihood the matter can be resolved amicably is much higher. If it’s an anonymous poster or a case of unwarranted online defamation, contacting the attorney to start sending letters on your behalf immediately will increase the chances of a more successful outcome.
This is one of the numerous blogs Ziebell will create to help business owners avoid common pitfalls encountered over the course of their business. To learn more about her “Million-Dollar Business Startup Workshop” or read more of her blogs containing million-dollar startup secrets, visit the blog here: https://www.training-darleneziebell.com/blog
Release ID: 88995518