Social media is an excellent marketing tool for businesses but it can be risky. If you say the wrong thing on social media and people are upset about it, mob rule quickly takes over. One small blunder could lead to a lot of bad publicity when it goes viral and everybody piles on. These situations are very difficult for businesses and it's vital that you learn how to manage them properly so you don't make it worse. So, what should you do if your business makes a social media blunder?
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Assess The Damage
The first thing you need to do is assess the damage and work out how bad it really is. Is this a rant from a single disgruntled customer or a major PR disaster? The first thing you need to do is look at who made the mistake. Was it a junior social media manager who didn't think things through before they posted it on Twitter, or an executive head of marketing responsible for all messages going out from the company's social media accounts? See whether you've been blocked on Instagram or if people are calling for a boycott of your company. Remember, the news cycle moves quickly, so small blunders will be forgotten in a matter of hours. It's important to know how bad it really is so you can respond appropriately.
Acknowledge The Mistake
Once you've worked out the damage, it's time to apologize. This is one of the most important steps in managing a social media crisis. You have to show that you are contrite about what happened and that you're willing to take steps to fix things. People who do this properly will gain respect from their customers for taking responsibility, even though they may still be upset about the issue. There's no point just deleting social media content and trying to pretend it never happened, this will only enrage people even further. Don't try to cover up your mistake with silence either - you're opening yourself up to more bad publicity by not saying anything at all.
Don't Censor Negative Comments
If you get negative comments, don't delete them. Instead, respond to them properly and work out what the person is unhappy about so you can resolve it for future customers who visit your social media pages. If you just keep deleting the negative comments, people will get more upset about the situation and it will prolong the issue for much longer.
Show How You Are Improving
If you're really committed to repairing the damage, show people how you are improving. Have a meeting about the issues in your business and make real, tangible changes to make the business better. You can then show people that you are actually learning from the situation and using it as an opportunity to make changes instead of trying to brush the controversy under the carpet. You can use social media influencers to help spread your new message and improve your image.
Although people are quick to judge businesses that make social media blunders, they are also quick to forget. If you follow these simple steps, your business will come out of the other side unscathed.
