I was just reading an interesting post on Communications Overtones about the “Top 10 Risks for Corporate Blogs.” Risk number 1: negative comments. For corporate blogs that I oversee or advise on, this is a real concern for those that manage companies. Heck, Larry and I discussed the issue for this blog and how we would handle such comments. At the end of the day, negative comments are a good thing. Here’s why:

  1. Comments are a two-way street. Take a negative comment and respond to it! What a great opportunity to speak directly to a “concerned” public. If this person has taken the time to post a comment, others are probably thinking the same thing.
  2. There are tons of places to posts comments. Some companies don’t allow comments on their corporate blog so that there is no risk of negative comments. Wrong! There are tons of places to post negative comments; the difference is that you might not have a place to post a response. I’d rather have all of my negative comments in one place so that I can appropriately address them.
  3. I’d much rather respond to a negative comment on a blog than a “surprise” question from a reporter. Again, other people are probably thinking it. I’d much rather had a heads-up on an issue from a negative comment than from a reporter who springs the question on my CEO. At least with a blog, I can prepare a good response that can be carried to all key messages.
  4. Negative comments give your blog legitimacy. By allowing negative comments and addressing them, you show your audience that you take comments and feedback from clients seriously. It also shows that your blog is “truthful” in what is being shown to the public.

I’m sure that there are more, and it’s possible that some of these are off the mark. Fortunately, we allow negative comments so that I can be set straight.