Every business has one or two moments they wish they could erase. For example, you may have run an ad campaign that you thought was clever and cool, but it turns out that it was confusing, insulting and just not the right moment for it to be released. But they say the internet is forever and you can’t get away from your past business blunders.

Well, that’s only half true as you can at least manage your way out of a media storm. Business blunders are common but so many organizations have no idea how to get out of them. It’s not so easy but it is possible. Here are some things you should try.

Redirect to a Cleaner Image

Maybe you wrote a business blog that was critical of a rival. It’s not so uncommon these days as major brands like to poke fun at each other in public. Social media has a large reach and so too does your business blog. So if you have ever written something negative about another brand and you don’t want them to come back and potentially sue you for words that could be taken as slandor, then you should get online reputation management services. They will redirect users from the bad links of your business blog to another post. This can mean that if someone clicks on the negative article you posted, they will not be shown it and instead, linked to a more positive piece that reflects who you are and what your brand is about in a good light.

Do an Interview

One of the simplest but potentially most effective ways to get some bad heat off is to do an interview with the local media. This can save a lot of face. Just be open, apologize, admit a mistake, tell the public what you will do to change it and learn from it for the future. Doing this can be painful at first but you’ll find that many people are forgiving and willing to give your brand a second chance. It will also impress investors, showing them there is accountability in your company and the boss takes charge of the situation without hesitation.

Make Light of the Situation

If you don’t want to trend on social media for the wrong reasons, you need to take ownership of a blunder and then go on the media offensive yourself. Make light of the situation, admitting that you got it wrong and perhaps sharing some memes that are relatable. Everyone messes up from time to time and customers like it when brands show their human side and don’t act so robotic. Ask your followers to sum up a situation and then retweet their comments on Twitter, along with your own comments as well. It can show that you relate to how customers feel, you would be upset too.

No you can’t always erase business blunders but you can take away the heat from a situation by doing an interview, sharing your thoughts and of others on social media and working with online reputation management services.