Negative Articles: How They Hurt You and How to Stop Them

When destructive articles about you or your business surface online, your reputation can take a major hit. It acts against all the work you or your business have done to market your interests and places you in the awkward position of needing to defend them. If handled inappropriately, your reputation will continue to unwind. Take care of negative articles by pausing and really thinking about what your next move will be. First, gather information on the source of the defamation and grasp the impact of the words spoken against you or your business, then take the appropriate action.

With the number of websites that exist online, only a handful are known by the majority of the public. Some sites, although accompanied by a following, steer clear of the public eye. Figure out the history and current state of the article's origin to understand if the source has the capability to spread the article further across the Internet and thus endangering your interests. If you decide that the source is indeed noteworthy, or even if you feel the situation will worsen if left unattended, then the next step is to swallow your pride and listen to the article.

It may feel like listening to a negative article about you or your business will just add to your stress, but doing so will give you the proper perspective of the issue at hand. Determine if the words in the article are slanderous and overly-personal or level-headed and unbiased. If written without bias, it's possible that the article may be something to take into consideration and a possible way to grow your business by showing you listen to complaints and express a desire to continue improving yourself or your business. Articles that land on the side of insult and slander should be handled with great professionalism. Never re-engage through insult or argument, keep yourself calm and collected.

Now that you've got a solid grip on the article's source and impact, it's time to take action. If you've decided that the article needs to be dealt with, and then find a reputable firm that can help suppress the article from public view. Centel Media™ offers this service and you can find out more on the Centel Media™ home page.