One of the biggest fears PR people have about social media is negative comments. First, everyone assumes the worst when it comes to interacting with stakeholders on the corporate  blog, YouTube, Facebook or other online social networks. When I’m consulting and the topic comes up, there’s typically push back about trusting the community to police itself.

It’s okay for people to write bad things about your brand online. While it can be intimidating to know that someone can write malicious comments about your business, you have to remember that there is a greater world of participation. If your organization is doing what’s right, there will be far more positive comments to follow the negative prick who wants to vent and spread lies about your brand. If your organization is doing what’s wrong, monitoring social media will offer you a red flag warning before the situation gets out of control. There are far greater benefits than risks when it comes to opening comments on social media (e.g., obtaining feedback, sharing information, improved customer service).

Even still, I find that argument is not enough to convince executives to consider opening comments and relinquishing their perceived control over the Web presence. Perhaps then, an alternative approach is to post a “Code of Comments.” One of my favorite blogs, The Consumerist, posted a Code of Comments this week, and I think it’s a great example. I’ve shared it with my clients in hopes that with a little time, I’ll gain their buy-in and we can start getting them to participate in social media the way it is intended.