One of my favorite Twitter truisms is “Don’t piss off the Tweeple.  They’re opinionated, easily convinced, and roam in packs.”  A few weeks ago, I saw a phenomenon that caused me to add “or online news site commenters” to the list of people not to mess with.

Observe this article about a local coffee shop opening a few locations in Boulder and Longmont.  What started out as a typically innocuous and celebratory Daily Camera feature quickly turns into a virulent dumping-ground for Boulderites’ venom against Vic, who apparently has a reputation for not treating his customers like kings and queens.

Treat your clients right lecture aside, this is a great example of why social media is so vital to reputation management.  If Vic’s had a Twitter feed for example, or, oh, a website, Vic himself would be able to guide the story and at least respond to his customers’ complaints and accolades in a public manner.  Instead, I assume he is glowering in private and cursing the Daily Camera for providing a forum in which disgruntled customers vent their spleen against him.

Moral:  You can’t control a conversation in which you take no part. Most of the time, simple communication trumps reputation management.  A bit of transparency goes a long way.

related posts:

1. this week in marketing, social media, and brand strategy (week of january 25)
2. Witness The Power Of Social Media
3. Backscratchin’: 10 Ways to Use Social Media to Promote Others

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