5 Tips to Protect Your Business From Internet Defamation
A business owner is only as successful as their reputation online. Online reviews can make or break your company, and it’s essential to make sure your reputation remains untarnished. It can be stressful to know how to handle false accusations being made about your business on the internet.
On the one hand, you need to stay informed and informed about what’s being said about your company and respond accordingly if you feel that it isn’t entirely accurate or fair. On the other hand, you don’t want to give the bad review poster any more attention than they deserve because that could potentially bring you more negative attention in the long run.
Always consult with an attorney regarding any legal issue.
If an individual or business has posted something online about you that isn’t true, there are several steps you can take to protect yourself against internet defamation. Here are six tips to help your business defend itself against false accusations online.
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Contents
What Is Internet Defamation?
Defamation is a general term that refers to false statements that are damaging or prejudicial, made about an individual or entity. The person making these statements can be anyone-an employee, competitor, or someone with an ax to grind. Defamation on Internet forums can be particularly damaging because they’re easily accessible by millions of people in just minutes. It’s hard for a company to defend itself against accusations when there’s no way of contacting its accuser.
Be Prepared for Social Media Interaction
Social media provides a way for customers and prospective clients to interact with businesses. While these platforms offer you a great opportunity to get instant feedback and connect with potential clients, they also open up a direct line of communication that you need to be prepared for. To help manage interactions on social media, make sure your representatives respond quickly and positively-responding negatively can cause all sorts of issues online.
Don’t Be Quick to React
It’s tempting to turn an online barb into a public display of outrage, but it’s not always wise. It’s best for all parties involved (you, your company, and anyone who may be reading) if you take a moment or two to process what happened before responding. The same is true for social media posts: You want to respond with smart, professional energy-not with knee-jerk reactions that make matters worse.
So, instead of yelling back at everyone in 140 characters, try taking some time to think things through first. That will help you craft a response you can be proud of instead of regretting later.
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Check With Sources
When people spread rumors online, they don’t always cite a credible source. If you find yourself on the receiving end of damaging rumors, ask yourself: Does it make sense? Is there evidence behind it? Can I debunk it with some research?
Before making any public statements in response to a rumor, run through these questions and try to use reputable sources. If you can’t-or if rumors won’t stop-consider taking legal action. In many cases, including those that aren’t defamatory but hurt your company image or sales somehow, you may be able to recover damages. Always consult a lawyer before pursuing litigation, however. The risks associated with lawsuits are serious and could be expensive for businesses.
Preserve Evidence
Once you have an inkling of a problem, make sure you save copies of any emails or text messages where people threaten or defame your business. It’s a good idea to create backups and printouts of everything. If somebody accuses you of something false on social media and you have no proof, it can be extremely difficult to get them to back down.
For example, if someone posted on Twitter that your company is going out of business without providing any evidence, they might just face a quick rebuttal by customers who know better. But if you’ve saved evidence showing how well your company is doing and what projects are in store for the future, you’ll have much more leverage when dealing with unfair accusations.
Hire a Lawyer When Things Escalate
No matter how righteous you are in a situation, hiring a lawyer can help you defend yourself against false accusations. The best part about hiring a lawyer for online defamation is that it’s completely passive-you can rest easy knowing they’re out there protecting your reputation while you go about running your business.
There’s a lawyer email database that you can use right now to find one or more lawyers who specialize in cyber-harassment or Internet law. While not every case involves a lawsuit, if something gets too intense and personal, having someone on hand who knows how to handle a cease and desist letter properly will put your mind at ease when things get bad.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways that someone can take down your business. Unfortunately, there is a lot of false information out there on how to deal with it. We’ve discussed six tips for defending yourself against false accusations. Hopefully, you find these helpful.
Good luck!
Ken Boyd
Author: Cost Accounting for Dummies, Accounting All-In-One for Dummies, The CPA Exam for Dummies and 1,001 Accounting Questions for Dummies
(email) ken@stltest.net
(website and blog) https://www.accountingaccidentally.com/