How do you currently gather and use feedback? It's a hard question to ask and it's harder to answer, but it can ultimately help generate some buzz if used correctly. Feedback is a powerful tool - even negative feedback can help build a positive reputation... keep reading.

The internet is a place where businesses can be transparent and individuals can be anonymous. That's a dangerous combination if you're thinking about the marketing implications. For example, you can create a business profile on Yelp! where customers can share their honest reviews of your products and services... and suddenly, a forum is created for one disgruntled employee or misinformed client to sound off. It's a scary prospect for many businesses, but it's a risk worth taking.

A lot of websites have a feedback page where they list filtered comments about how great the business is. It's nice to have, but most visitors recognize that these reviews are hand-selected; you're not going to paste a negative review into your website content. But services like Yelp! and Google Local are not as easy to filter. Unless there are swear words or offensive jabs, your reviewers can say whatever they want about your business. At that point, it's up to you to respond efficiently and professionally.

That's how negative feedback can build a positive reputation.

If someone complains about coffee grounds in their favorite drink, you can explain that there was an equipment malfunction and none of the workers caught the mistake in time... that you're sorry and you're happy to give them a free drink if it makes up for the blunder. If a client complains about poor customer service, you can respond by asking for more specific information and promise to sit down with your staff to review the company policies.

Your business isn't perfect, no matter how hard you try. But you can respond to your imperfections if you give people an opportunity to voice their opinions publicly. They'll feel empowered and respected, and you'll feel like you can keep improving on your weaknesses instead of ignoring they exist.