Written by: Vickie Sullivan  |  January 18, 2024

How You Can Fight Misinformation in the B2B World

This year is a presidential election year, which always brings out the crazy from both sides. Regardless of political persuasion, misinformation is everywhere.

The spread of bad information isn’t limited to politics. The B2B world is filled with false narratives that derail effective solutions. However, if you can navigate how silly stories spread, you can pave the way for what works.

Here are two misinformation dynamics that you can interrupt and help bring clarity to a topic:

• Misinformation takes advantage of an information vacuum. Bad ideas look like common sense when isolated to a particular group. That is why a common political ploy to redefine a phrase or idea works so well, especially when the verbiage can elicit a strong emotional reaction. (Example: critical race theory.) The vacuum of information allows the false definition to thrive. What you can do: Create a barrage of content that identifies the correct definition.

• Misinformation taps into an emotional truth. The key phrase here: emotional. It doesn’t matter if the facts are wrong. If someone strongly believes something, false stories about why it happens and who is to blame can take off fast. (Example: who is to blame for inflation, climate change, etc.) What you can do: Create content that acknowledges the feeling but fact-checks the story.

Listen: Two Ways to Fact-Check a Story  

Behind every wrong idea, you’ll find misinformation that makes it look right. You can be known as the straight shooter when you impact the environment that allows those stories to spread. Be the voice of reason by debunking myths and focusing on what really works.

Now Read This:

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