Cancel culture is a term that is used too commonly nowadays and gives us a hint of how much someone’s career, business, or even their lifestyle choices can be impacted. It does not matter if it’s an outrage on social media or an all-out controversy; managing the risks that come with cancel culture requires smart strategies for online reputation management.
No one is completely safe and secure in this world – anyone from public figures and businesses to an everyday person can have their name destroyed within minutes. The good news is that in order not just to survive but to prosper in the world of the internet, strategies do exist.
By the end of this blog, you will understand how to effectively manage your social media presence, build trust with followers, tackle negative comments correctly, and most importantly, how to build your reputation even after facing backlash.
What Is Cancel Culture?
Cancel culture has its roots in social media, where people were given the chance to hold each other accountable for their actions. It can serve as a useful tool that reprimands unethical conduct, but on the other hand, at its worst, it serves as a mob mentality that creates false information or does not allow one to develop or be forgiven.
Effects on People and Companies
Cancel culture can negatively impact a person’s career, relationships, and mental health. With brands, they risk boycotts, losing valuable clients, and irreparable damage to their reputation. This is why they need to be prepared for such events by having the necessary management tools and strategies.
How To Monitor Your Reputation Online
Reputation management starts with monitoring how your name or brand is perceived online. Without first knowing of your existence, it is impossible to address an issue.
How to Monitor People’s Mentions
Here are some tools to help you track your digital presence:
Google Alerts: Free and easy to set up. You can use it to monitor mentions of your brand or other keywords by turning on alerts.
Social Media Monitoring Software: Platforms like Hootsuite and Brand24 monitor the number of mentions in social media accounts and the overall sentiment and attitude in real-time.
Sentiment Analysis Software: Tools like Sprinklr and Talkwalker help you go a level deeper and find out how people are addressing you, whether positively, negatively, or neutrally.
By addressing positive and negative feedback early, you can immerse yourself in a plethora of opportunities. Always intervene before minor issues turn into bigger problems.
Creating a Story From Real-Life Events
Does it seem like politicians and corporate figures apologise without making an effort to sound sincere? In that case, it means that the narrative is poorly crafted. If the story is relatable and transparent, people will empathise with you much more.
Here’s how to go about this:
Get Real: Take ownership of mistakes without reasoning. Perfection is impossible. Make sure you understand that people value honesty.
Maintain Principles: What is your mission? What are your goals? Whether it’s an individual or a company, the narrative should be built in a way that aligns with the mission and purpose.
It All Comes Down To Maintaining: Consistency. Whether it is communication or actions, make sure that there are no contradictions because they negate reliability.
For example, Patagonia’s commitment to environmental activism strengthens the brand. Speaking of issues, unwavering narrative mitigates customer loyalty challenges.
The Approach Towards Criticism
One thing’s for certain: criticism is something that you can surely count on. The way criticism is handled determines whether it escalates out of control or utterly fizzles out.
Here is how to Approach It Effectively:
Focus On Evidence That Addresses The Concerns
Treat the valid critique as a threshold issue. Always take feedback seriously; you are bound to hear people out and be willing to resolve issues that concern them.
Provide A Sincere Apology
One simple solution to dodging accountability during an apology is to take ownership right away. It is a lot more forgiving and you don’t have to go into the steps that led to the incident.
Corrective Action
We all know actions speak louder than words. Make sure to take steps to bring out a positive impact, and don’t shy away from sharing it with the public.
If there’s anything to learn from Netflix’s backlash to their mass layoffs, it is how to implement dialogue to soften the blow, or in other words, take corrective action like providing proactive career support and resources.
Taking control of one’s reputation is easier said than done.
Strategies for staying ahead:
Quality Original Content Generation
Write new ideas, thought leadership pieces, or create videos to showcase yourself as an expert.
Community Engagement
Engage with the audience in a genuine manner. Respond to comments, share user-generated content, and connect with them on a deeper level.
Ethical SEO Novices
Use SEO to optimise your brand’s positive stories, reviews, and press so that the first things the audience sees when searching for you online are something impactful.
Professional Help
Online reputation management services are here to save the day when your reputation actually seems too difficult to manage.
When should you consider getting professional help?
When the misinformation campaigns are targeted, and you’re struggling to manage them.
When a person needs to put a professional PR touch on a malicious story that has troublingly gone viral.
When it’s just too overwhelming to check the internet for sentiment or if it’s simply too time-consuming to monitor.
Companies such as ReputationDefender and ORM firms focus on managing complex issues where they can assist with the cleanup of search results, altering the sentiment toward the client, and putting together bespoke strategies for their clients.
Case Studies
Explaining a particular concept can be best achieved by the case study approach of observing real-life examples of a global enterprise in a great deal of their reputation management.
Success Stories:
Taylor Swift executed a masterful rebranding during the era of her “Reputation” album, showcasing that consistent messaging and owning your narrative changes public perception through cultivation.
By accepting criticism, Lego was able to maintain their brand’s good image throughout the Greenpeace controversy by cancelling the partnership with the oil company.
Failures to Watch Out For:
Some brands, like United Airlines, lose public respect due to bad reputation by the fact that they are opening themselves to public interaction after the backlash they received over improper handling of customer complaints.
In 2017 Pepsi’s advertising campaign proved to be the most poorly illustrated advertisement as they completely avoided authentic real-life narratives and ended up not including any.
These are clear signals that demonstrate that it is always best to clarify or even remove and set in place a sound detailed strategy plan before making huge brand changes and obtain a more contextual approach.
Building Long-Term Reputation Resilience
Long term, remember how managing reputation is continuous and not a one-off exercise, especially in the modern world. Social norms, demands, challenges, and the expectations of the audience are always changing.
Keys to Long-Term Success:
Maintaining Consistency
Ensure that you are at the forefront of mentions, reviews, and social media related to your brand to understand the public perception.
Adjusting to Cultural Expectations
Be daring when keeping up with the world’s advancements, such as embracing diversity or taking care of the planet.
Getting Consistent
The critics, cynics, and trolls will show up to attack overnight; build trust gradually to help shield you against their attacks.
Companies like Starbucks rely on long-term reputation management through policy modification and endorsement of certain social causes to ensure they react to societal changes.
Reputation Control
Adapting to the unreasonable demands of cancel culture isn’t about being perfect; it’s about having the right strategy. Building an online presence helps establish a strong reputation. Telling your authentic story actively and engaging with the community sets the right tone. Such steps help build credibility that can withstand even the worst of circumstances.
So, if the task ahead is too daunting, don’t worry. For those high-stakes days, consulting or hiring an online reputation management service can work wonders.
Now step up and start controlling your online reputation before the trolls get to you.
