There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on the situation.

But one thing I can tell you for sure:
Stop giving the blogger material!

Recently I wrote about this topic, and last week my blog was selected as one of UpCity’s Top 25 Inbound Marketing Articles of the Week.

I’m sharing this for two important reasons:

1. There are 24 other articles that I didn’t write mentioned in that list, and they all have good information. Check them out.
2. My blog would never have been written if the person mentioned in it hadn’t asked me to take down a blog that I wrote last fall about SEO and reputation management.

If negative information about you or your company gets on the internet, don’t pretend it isn’t there. But while you should determine your course of action quickly, take enough time to think it through and be sure that whatever you decide to do (or not do) won’t just add fuel to the negative fire.

Photo by Jerry D Clement

The person mentioned in my recent blog did exactly what he shouldn’t have done — and he didn’t just add a little fuel to the fire, he poured a couple of gallons of gasoline on it. Through electronic messages and a telephone conversation, he gave me enough material for several more blogs.

Now, I don’t personally have an issue with him or his company. I was just using the situation they’re in to illustrate a point I wanted to make. And because the purpose of my website is to provide information on content marketing, I’m not going to write further about this individual or situation by name. But if I wanted to attack him, I could have written several more “what not to do” articles based on the things he did after the second blog went up.

Back to the original question: What do you do if a blogger writes a negative post about you?

First, take a breath. Then take another one. Evaluate the impact of the post and consider consulting with a reputation management expert before deciding on your response — and sometimes the best response is to do nothing. But whatever you do, be sure the action you take is thoughtful, deliberate and controlled.

And remember: The best time to develop your crisis response plan is when you’re not facing a crisis.

Want to share your thoughts? Join the conversation below.

Jacquelyn Lynn is a business writer, ghostwriter and executive ghost blogger who creates the content for your content marketing strategy.

I do not have a personal issue or complaint with JT Foxx or the JT Foxx Organization.

Unless you count a few conversations a couple of years ago about the possibility of ghostwriting his book, I’ve never done business with him, never attended any of his seminars, never purchased any of his coaching products and never even met him in person.

In September 2013, I posted a blog discussing the SEO and reputation management strategy JT Foxx used after he and some of the executives in his company were sued for sexual harassment. The strategy was extremely effective and one I’d recommend to anyone in a similar situation. In fact, I’ve created content for clients to use as part of just such a reputation management effort.

A key reason to blog is to educate current and prospective clients. I routinely use real-life situations in my blog as examples of things to do and not to do because I think it’s the best way to share information with my readers. I thought I would post that article and it would eventually get pushed down on my site and in the search rankings by newer content.

I was wrong.

It has gotten more comments than anything else I’ve written on this site. And when JT Foxx saw it shortly after it was published, he asked me to take it down. I declined but told him I would be happy to publish any response he cared to submit. He chose not to respond.

Recently, he sent me a message that the lawsuit I mentioned in that blog had been dismissed and said he would like me to take the blog down. I did an online search and the only reference I could find to that dismissal were statements issued by the JT Foxx organization. I decided to do some additional research.

I learned that the original suit had indeed been dismissed. What Foxx failed to mention was that the law firm handling the initial case has refiled to include more parties and causes of action. Keep reading for those case numbers.

But first, here’s the key lesson from this situation:

If a blogger writes something about you that is true, even if it’s negative, don’t ask for it to be taken down.

Consult with a crisis management and/or public relations expert to determine whether or not you should ask to be able to present your side of the story. If, for example, the issue is a situation where you have taken corrective action, you may want to share that. If you decide that a response isn’t in your best interest, don’t contact the blogger at all (and especially don’t make any overt or veiled threats against the blogger). Don’t fuel the fire, simply continue to work on your own search engine optimization strategy.

Details on the JT Foxx lawsuits that are currently being litigated:

Case Number:  BC493127
KELSEY ELL ET AL VS J T FOXX ET AL

Case Number:  BC506332
KELSEY ELL VS J T FOXX

Case Number:  BC505317
LEANNE RUMBEL VS TOP 1% COACHING LLC ET AL

A summary and the current status of each case is on the Los Angeles Superior Court website.

Let me stress, as I did previously, that I have no firsthand knowledge of or opinion on these lawsuits. I do not know if they have merit or if, as JT Foxx insists, they are extortion. And while I wouldn’t recommend it, I would still publish a response from Mr. Foxx or his representative.

Jacquelyn Lynn is a business writer, ghostwriter and executive ghost blogger who creates the content for your content marketing and online reputation management strategies.

Caution: Don’t “set and forget” your social media posts.

When a crisis occurs or a major news story breaks, immediately check your prescheduled social media and blog articles to be sure you aren’t posting anything that might be interpreted as insensitive – or worse.

For example, because I had friends running in this year’s Boston Marathon, I had prescheduled a Tweet wishing all the runners well. That Tweet went live on the morning of April 15 as I was driving to a meeting – hours before the two bombs exploded not far from the place where I stood cheering my husband when he ran this marathon a few years ago.

But what if I had scheduled some post-race congratulatory messages?

Remember the backlash when the American Rifleman Tweeted “Good morning, shooters. Happy Friday! Weekend plans?” just hours after the shooting in the Aurora, Colorado theater?

Your content marketing strategy and crisis management plan should include checking the content of any prescheduled material to make sure that you don’t cause or become collateral damage in the event of a tragedy.

Responsible team members should have access to your various content and social media tools at all times. Authorize and train them to suspend any posts that might be questionable in light of unexpected events.

Jacquelyn Lynn is a business writer, ghostwriter and executive ghost blogger who creates the content for your content marketing strategy.

A ghostwriter is paid to write books, articles, blogs or other content that is officially credited to another person. Ghostwriters do not create the information; they simply organize it into a format that meets the needs of their clients and their clients’ audiences.

The content, of course, is that of the named author; the ghostwriter simply provides the wordsmithing necessary to get the thoughts and message organized and into a readable form. A variation on ghostwriting is to hire a collaborator who may or may not get bylined credit (either as an equal, as in “John Smith and Mary Jones” or in a support role, as in “John Smith with Mary Jones” or “John Smith as told to Mary Jones”).

In many ways, working with a ghostwriter or a collaborator is like exercising, wearing makeup, having your hair styled, and choosing flattering clothes – it’s packaging what you know in an appealing manner so that others will want to pay attention to it.

Using a ghostwriter does not mean that named authors are anything less than completely honest and authentic. Nor does it relieve named authors from complete responsibility for the material that goes out under their names.

As a ghostwriter, I take great pride in helping my clients get their messages out accurately, with integrity, and in a way their audiences will appreciate. For more information, check out How to Hire and Work with a Ghostwriter.

Jacquelyn Lynn is a business writer, ghostwriter and executive ghost blogger who creates the content for your content marketing strategy.

The deception was exposed when a huge number of accounts posted the exact same Tweet about Maddow’s show.

The most important take-away from this situation is: It is absolutely essential to be honest and authentic on social media.

Why? First and foremost, lying and cheating is wrong. Period.

If that’ s not reason enough, consider this: If you try to cheat on social media, you will get caught — and the damage to your reputation (your own and your company’s) will be far worse than any benefit you might have gained by whatever you were trying to do.

One writer commenting on the Maddow incident speculated that Maddow might claim that this was done by her staff or fans without her knowledge. I don’t know what she’s going to say, but I know that if others are responsible for your social media content, your social media policy should prohibit any posts that are misleading or outright fraudulent and you should take immediate action if that policy is violated.

Is it okay to have more than one Twitter account? Of course. It’s acceptable to have them for individuals, for companies, for brands within a company, for a variety of strategic reasons. And it’s quite acceptable for those accounts to cross-post and retweet. Just keep it open and honest.

What are your thoughts? Join the conversation below.

Jacquelyn Lynn is a business writer, ghostwriter and executive ghost blogger who creates the content for your content marketing strategy.

That will drive sales and referrals?

That will increase profits and grow your company?

The solution is content marketing –
and 91% of B2B and 86% of B2C marketers are already doing it.

Let’s begin by answering this question: What is content marketing?

Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action. (Source: Content Marketing Institute)

The next question is: How do you do it effectively?

Here are five tips:

1. Begin with a plan. Though it’s possible to have some accidental success with content marketing, if you’re going to do it well, you need a plan. The plan should include your goals, resources, budget and the specific strategies you will use.

The foundation of your plan is to identify your target audience. Know who you are trying to reach and what you want them to do, then build on that information.

2. Create a publishing calendar and stick to it. Regular publishing is important. Before you produce your next item, put together a schedule for your content. How often will you blog? Or publish e-books, white papers or special reports? What about your social media efforts?

A publishing calendar lets you plan for seasonal content and schedule themed messages that may involve external resources. It also makes it easy to identify gaps far enough out to fill them with quality content, not something created on the fly at the last minute.

3. Answer the questions your customers are asking. Your content should give your customers and prospects the information they really want – not just the marketing message you’re trying to deliver. Make a list of the questions your customers ask your sales and customer service teams, then create content that answers those questions.

Don’t be afraid to address sticky issues like pricing or the circumstances under which your product might not be the best solution. There are positive ways to handle these types of topics that will set you apart in the eyes of your customers – and the search engines.

4. Choose quality over quantity. It’s not about volume, it’s about value. Your materials should be well-crafted and attractively designed.

Be sure to allow adequate time for proof-reading. At best, content mistakes make you look careless; at worst, they can damage your reputation and create liability issues.

5. Get everyone involved. Share your content marketing plan with everyone in the company and encourage them all to be involved in some way. The people who are on the frontline dealing with customers every day have a great perspective for coming up with content ideas – take advantage of that resource.

In addition to suggesting that team members submit topic suggestions, photos and videos, remind everyone that they can share your content through their own social media networks. Of course, it’s up to you to be sure that content is high quality and relevant so your employees will be proud to share it.

Got a content marketing tip? Join the conversation below! I’ll be offering more tips in future articles.

Jacquelyn Lynn is a business writer, ghostwriter and executive ghost blogger who writes books, ebooks, articles, blogs, case studies, social media copy, white papers and more for a wide range of clients. Let her help you develop and implement an effective blogging strategy.

Before you and a writer can determine an appropriate fee, you need to figure out exactly what the project is going to entail, including who is responsible for doing the research, how you and the writer will work together, and what the final product will be.

For most medium-sized book projects where the named author provides the majority of the research, you can expect to pay a writer in the range of $15,000 to $45,000 plus expenses for a completed full-length book manuscript. Book proposals (for submission to agents and commercial publishers) can range from $7,500-$14,000.

Photo by Jerry D Clement

E-books tend to be shorter than traditional books and consequently the fees will likely be lower. Blogs and articles typically range from $200 to $750 or possibly higher, depending on the length and complexity. The fee for special reports, white papers, op-ed pieces and so on will vary widely depending on the scope of work.

If you want to write a book and your goal is to work with a commercial publisher but you don’t want to complete the manuscript until you have a contract, be aware that some ghostwriters are willing to work in stages. For example, a writer may be willing to work with you on the book proposal with the understanding that the remainder of the book doesn’t get written (or paid for) if you don’t get a commercial publishing contract.

Payment terms vary, as well. Smaller projects may be paid on completion; book projects are typically billed in increments with the first payment due on contract signing and additional amounts due as the work progresses.

Jacquelyn Lynn is a business writer, ghostwriter and executive ghost blogger who writes books, ebooks, articles, blogs, case studies, social media copy, white papers and more for a wide range of clients. Let her help you develop and implement an effective blogging strategy.

If all you’ve got is a title, you’ve got a lot of work to do.

Photo by Jerry D Clement

A couple of years ago, I received a call from a prospective client (we never reached an agreement) who wanted to write a book and was looking for a ghostwriter. Within the first few minutes of our conversation, he told me the title he’d come up with and asked what I thought.

I liked it. It was an attention-getting title that a marketing team would love. But when I asked about the content of the book to determine if it was on a subject that I was interested in and qualified to write about, the answers I got were in the range of “maybe this,” “maybe that” and “I haven’t decided.” (As best I can determine, that book is yet to be written.)

I could go on for pages with similar stories from other clients and even people I meet socially who want to write a book. Certainly what’s on your book’s cover is important – but it’s what’s inside that really counts. And even the most talented ghostwriter can’t write your book if you don’t know what you want it to say.

Playing around with the title is fun, but the first step in developing a plan for a book is a clear concept. Many of my clients decide to write books because they want the credibility being able to add “author of …” after their name. For information marketers, consultants and other professional service providers, having a book out there is a great lead generator and a key content marketing strategy.

But to get that credential of having written a book, you need more than a title – you need to have a message. And you need to know what your message is before you or a ghostwriter can write your book.

In my experience as an executive ghostwriter, the best book titles are usually developed either during the writing process or after the manuscript is finished. We start with a working title that describes the book’s message – we don’t worry about making the title jazzy, we focus on creating a well-written book with quality content. A strong title that everybody loves always comes at some point along the way.

Jacquelyn Lynn is a business writer, ghostwriter and executive ghost blogger who writes books, ebooks, articles, blogs, case studies, social media copy, white papers and more for a wide range of clients. Let her help you develop and implement an effective blogging strategy.

How should you respond to a legal threat about your blog? First, congratulate yourself for creating a blog that is so successful folks are noticing and/or that’s bugging someone. Second, don’t panic — but don’t ignore the threat. Lior Levin explains what to do if someone either threatens to sue or actually does.

… Read the full post

If you save your company money, make sure the powers that be know. Doing better than expected is usually a good thing — but if you spent less than you projected, it might mean that you’re just not very good at forecasting, and that needs to be corrected. Other people use your projections to make decisions, so if you’re way off target, you can cost your company big bucks. Paul Smith explains how unexpected savings can cost your company millions.

… Read the full post

Photo by Jerry D Clement

Start a company book club. Baron Christopher Hanson says one of the most effective ways to get your employees on the same page is to ask the entire company to read a strategic book together. Give them 30 days to read the book and then listen carefully to what they have to say. Hanson says the employees who love their company and care about their career will respond favorably; those that don’t, won’t.

… Read the full post

Join the conversation! Your comments are always welcome.

Jacquelyn Lynn is a business writer, ghostwriter and executive ghost blogger who writes books, ebooks, articles, blogs, case studies, social media copy, white papers and more for a wide range of clients. Let her help you develop and implement an effective blogging strategy.

Great content is written for the reader – the human reader.

Before you start writing, answer these questions about your readers:

• What are their demographics? Your blog readers are your market, so you should know things like age, gender, marital status, occupation, income, education level, location and so on.
• What do they want to know? Your blog needs to provide information they care about.
• What problems do they have that you or your product can solve? If not problems, then think about questions you can answer or information that they can use.

With a clear picture of your reader in mind, choose your topics and write in a tone they will relate to. The style of a blog written for high-level academics seeking advanced information will be quite different from a blog written for twenty-something parents of young children looking for ways to save money. The key is to “speak” at their level – don’t be too complex and don’t be condescending.

Great blogs are conversations. Engage your readers. Ask for feedback. Make them a part of your community.

Join in the exchange! What makes you want to engage with a blogger? Share your thoughts below.

Jacquelyn Lynn is a business writer, ghostwriter and executive ghost blogger who writes books, ebooks, articles, blogs, case studies, social media copy, white papers and more for a wide range of clients. Let her help you develop and implement an effective blogging strategy.