Polaroids

Leaving comments is also a big problem..

written on January 15, 2008· (6) Comments · posted in General

The recent “happening” made me realize that it is difficult for businesses to reply to comments of bloggers because their authenticity is not known. For example, it is easy for competitors or detractors to simple reply on behalf of a company, but in a very bad way.

However bloggers still demand replies and quick ones too. How then, will it be possible for the reply to be authentic, and go through to bloggers and whoever who reads the post?

Leaving comments is ideal because everyone who reads the comments will know that you replied and have a way of solving the problem. Thus, a way must be found to balance authenticity and the mass replying effect that leaving a comment will give.

One simple way that I have thought about is this:

The company collects all the complaints made on the blog within the past 3 days or do. Then, they craft their reply on their own blog. After all, how can someone else post a post on your blog? This allows us to believe its authenticity.

How then, can we make sure everyone gets the message? For it is that not everyone will read your company’s blog.

Then, the company has to go to each of the individual blog and inform them that an official reply can be found at a given url. Curious or enraged personnels can then follow the link and see the official reply. This can effectively solve the problems. However, there is much need for manpower use.

What do you all think?

6 replies to this conversation

Had NN done that all along instead of going around to answer selectively, this wouldn’t even have happened.

said xizor2000 on January 15th, 2008 at 8:39 pm. Permalink
ignorantsoup talks

I think we can’t really blame Nuffnang for this. Josh from Advertlets also went around answering questions on blogs, its just that they have not found themselves in this situation where there is supposedly an imposter impersonating Nuffnang’s management.

But perhaps we should just all have a better way of making sure that person’s identity?

said Ignorantsoup on January 15th, 2008 at 10:21 pm. Permalink

True, Josh goes around answering comments selectively too but those probably weren’t queries that a lot of people are asking. Say _IF_ person A ask Josh why he’s hit $100 and he hasn’t received his cheque, I think it’s perfectly alright for Josh to answer to that person individually. However, after person A did so, and then persons B, C and D start doing the same on their blogs, then these become not just a single user issue but a user base issue. It would be better to answer to them once on your corp site with an official announcement, as that official announcement will put an end to anyone trying to make an issue out of it as well.

I mean, that’s simply what companies should do.

said xizor2000 on January 16th, 2008 at 4:23 pm. Permalink
ignorantsoup talks

Yes I would agree with what you have said. Ultimately its a company’s effort to stem the problem fast. However, I think Nuffnang doesn’t have any blog of its own is it? I have never seen it, but I have read Advertlets’.

said Ignorantsoup on January 16th, 2008 at 7:55 pm. Permalink

Doesn’t have to be a blog. Just a page on the site to make corporate statements. Like Apple got their own Steve Jobs keynote thingie and M$ got their own CEO stuff..

said xizor2000 on January 16th, 2008 at 10:48 pm. Permalink
ignorantsoup talks

Hmm…That is true. Anyway I realize they do have a blog for announcements, just that its a rather small box on their main website.

said Ignorantsoup on January 17th, 2008 at 9:43 am. Permalink

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