Cyberbullying was once a concept more frequently referred to when talking about how bullies interacted with other individuals, usually through social media. However, the definition of cyberbullying has expanded in recent times, turning into a massive global issue that has negatively affected many online entities and businesses.
Cyberbullying, combined with cancel culture, can spread quickly; it may even turn into viral news without any context into the situation. Once your online business is under attack, its negative implications could multiply within moments. Researchers call cyberbullying one of the major threats to an online brand’s survival.
Please continue reading below to learn why brands need to be cautious of cyberbullying and how online businesses can protect themselves.
Why do Online Businesses Need to Worry About Cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying can cause recurring waves of instability in the e-commerce world, damaging your online business permanently.
Online business owners need to worry about cyberbullying because:
- It could permanently tarnish your brand’s online reputation. Brands may find it pretty hard to re-establish that reputation without spending a significant amount of money on rebranding campaigns;
- It could lead to a significant loss of customers and sales. Many times, this loss alone is enough to break an online business;
- It could shut down your online business.
How to Protect Your Online Business from Cyberbullying?
Due to the severity of the effects of cyberbullying, you must protect your online business.
Have a Proactive Approach
It is always better to be informed and prepared than to plan a course of action after an incident. Hence, invest time and resources to learn about ongoing trends and global issues. Your research findings would help you please your consumers and would offer a better understanding of the world of e-commerce.
Doing so would save you from making an insensitive mistake that could potentially lead to your brand getting cyber bullied.
Interact with Your Customers
Direct engagement is the best way to learn about your customers’ needs and wants. You can interact with your customers in the comments section or post engaging content on your social media platforms. Doing so would help humanize your brand, making it easier to share your side of the story and make your business appear considerate.
In case of a cyberbullying incident, loyal customers that you have directly engaged with could save you from facing further backlash.
Be Responsive
Other than just reaching out to your customers, be attentive to what they have to say. If a customer’s query or problem gets ignored, negative word of mouth could snowball into your brand getting cyber bullied.
Hence, be prompt with your responses and check your digital platforms daily. Intervention at an earlier time can be better in the long run, even if it involves accepting your mistake.
Final Thoughts
Cyberbullying can cause mental distress to online business owners and could severely damage a business’s reputation and chances of survival.
Hence, it is better to proactively act to protect your brand from getting cyberbullied. You need to be sensitive, aware, and responsive to develop trusting relationships with your customer base.
