4 Effective Ways To Handle A Social Media Crisis

In this day and age even the slightest problem on your social media can quickly get noticed, gain momentum and spiral out of control. If you’re prepared and have a plan in place it can be much easier to manage your predicament and come out with your reputation still in tact. 

So let’s take a look at some of the ways you can avoid social media disasters, prevent them from escalating further and even how you can handle when everything seems to be going wrong.  

Have A Plan 

A social media problem can cost your business time, money and customers, often leaving you feeling like you’re in over your head which is why it’s so vital that you have a plan in place ahead of a potential crisis, mapping out how you would respond ahead of time, allowing you to take control of any situation when a problem arises.

Your plan should consider who will be involved in handling the responses, an internal communication plan and also what your message should be when it comes to admitting an issue. Once you consider all the possibilities and have analysed all angles, you can create a well thought out plan in response to your problem.  

Respond Quickly 

You should aim to respond to an issue as quickly as possible, the quicker you acknowledge the issue and take responsibly for it, the better. By informing your customers and followers as soon as you notice a problem or even as soon as others spot an issue, you show that you are completely aware and looking to resolve the issue.

By monitoring what people are saying about your brand through searches you can aim to respond to every concern in a positive manner, even the more negative comments, showing that you care about your customers and what they might be thinking or feeling, helping reinforce brand loyalty.

Don’t Lose Your Cool 

There might be times when everything is going wrong where you may disagree with your customers and what they have to say, however don’t get mad and lose your cool. By being rude or attacking them on social media platforms and forums you can instantly lose your reputation, showing your business as unprofessional and aggressive. 

Instead you should aim to address concerns politely, even to the most rude customers, if nothing gets through to them and they continue to be aggressive then ignore them, but at least try first to be positive. Don’t take these negative comments personally, everyone needs an outlet to vent to sometimes and it could be that your customers have chosen your brand as a whole to be angry at.  

Pause Scheduled Posts

It’s often a good idea to pause your scheduled posts or planned posts from your brand or business whilst you’re trying to resolve an issue. Failing to pause your scheduled posts can make it seem like you’re ignoring the problem, going about your regular posting schedule as if nothing is happening. 

You don’t want to look like you’re ignoring what is happening, instead you should be showing that your brand is focused solely on sorting out the issue. Once the situation has been fully resolved you should look at re-establishing your usual communications and scheduled posts. 

Remember, every business makes mistakes, but with a solid plan put in place to address any backlash or complaints, you can look at preserving your company’s reputation both online and offline. By showing that you care about your customers and you care about going the extra mile to resolve any issues you might have, you can exceed expectations and keep your customers happy.