I have been working on a social media strategy document for a major real estate franchise group and, as part of that strategy, I have been analyzing the impact of social media on brand building and especially the impact blogging has in consumer purchasing decisions.

Blogs play an important role in influencing the purchase decision among women in particular, and in a recent survey in the US, 85% of female regular blog readers said they were influenced to make a purchase as a result of a review or comment posted on a blog. So with that in mind, if you are the company doing it right, you have a good chance of getting the sale, but what if you get a negative review or comment? How do you protect your brand and how should you respond?

Your customers can now read, listen, discuss and research their purchasing decisions and you need to work harder than ever in customer service, if you find negative or damaging reviews about you, your brand or service, use this as a call of attention. . The world of social media, business review sites, and blogging has given the disgruntled consumer a voice.

Every employee in your company is now responsible for your brand reputation, and when you, as a company, start to live up to your reputation, it becomes much easier to manage your brand effectively online.

If you find a negative review on any of the sites, resist the temptation to respond defensively, and don’t allow anyone on your staff to respond, you could set the Streisand effect in motion.

What can be used to convey a negative can also be used to promote a positive, so use it wisely. Remember that it is very difficult to remove a negative comment or search engine result, but you can promote a positive one.