Dear GiGi: One blogger has been writing nasty posts about my company. How do I handle this without soliciting more negative publicity or giving the blogger more attention than is due?

First off, don’t panic! There’s a robust toolkit for these situations, so let’s take a moment to strategize and discuss just a couple of best practices.

The overarching principle for dealing with negative publicity is to keep it contained as best you can. You shouldn’t give the negative post any more light, particularly if the blog is not held in high esteem. That said – since even a relatively minor blog post can be problematic down the line – you should take action.

The simplest way to deal with a negative blog is to overwhelm it with positive publicity. Work on getting constructive coverage on other blogs; if you generate enough of the good stuff, you’ll push the negative blog to the margins.

Consider asking a respected third party to respond to the blog by writing a positive post you can place elsewhere. In tough situations, it’s often best to have others speak on your behalf. A friend of your company will offer additional credibility, and you won’t be in the position of defending yourself. The tone and content have to be right – and that’s dependent on the specific circumstance.

This is just a start. Every situation is different, and I would advise you to employ a tailored strategy. And stay tuned for more best practices on this topic in forthcoming posts.

Stay on message,