The value of a story is timeless, but the medium in which stories are disseminated has changed dramatically in just the last decade.  Tom Cochran, chief technology officer at Atlantic Media, said, “If you don’t have a digital presence today, you don’t exist.” The fastest way to influence a group of followers is through a digital story, whether it be through a short tweet or through a well-crafted blog post.  And the thing is, even if you don’t create a digital presence for yourself or your company, someone else will do it for you.

The advice given by Word of Mouth Marketing author Andy Sernovitz is to embrace digital and join the conversation.   It’s more important to be responsive than to be right.  Below are four digital recommendations offered by Sernovitz:

1. Build credibility before you need it: Build a community that knows you and knows your brand.  If any negative PR does occur, you’ll already have a support team of fans and a platform in which to respond.
2. Bring it inside the tent:  You are better off if criticism happens on your own blog or website because you will be able respond more quickly and contrast the negative comment with positive comments from all of your other fans.  Do not remove criticism, but use your forum to respond in a helpful and caring way.
3. Let your fans do it:  If possible, have your fans respond to negative comments.  A defense from a fan is more valuable than a defense from within the company.
4. Never get caught by surprise: Stay plugged in to what your fans are saying and respond immediately.  Conversations move quickly in the digital world.  If you want to have an influence, participate in the moment.

A Dell customer service disaster gone viral via social media by Jeff Jervis in 2005 points succinctly to the power of the internet, the influence of customers, and the customer’s expectation of engagement and response.  Dell had a hard lesson to learn about the power of the consumer voice in digital media, but in the end, they have strengthened their relationships with their customers and created a forum in which customers can interact.

You have a choice, an opportunity, to participate in digital platforms.  Join conversations, offer helpful insights, maybe even defend and rectify every once in a while.  What do you have to lose?  The only way that you will find out what people are saying and what people are waiting for you to say is by engaging in the digital story.