Social media can give your business immense opportunity to elevate its brand image through strategic marketing on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and more. But what happens when something goes wrong? Whether your customers are tweeting at you with a complaint about your latest product or your account passwords seemed to have leaked to the wrong people, we’ve got you covered with tips on how to manage an online crisis.
Start here:
- Establish what counts as a crisis.
One annoyed customer does not count as a crisis, but hundreds might. Defining when a problem turns into a crisis will benefit your business in the long run and help you avoid damage to your brand before it gets too late.
- Have a plan…and if you don’t, make one.
Crafting a social media crisis plan with your entire organization is extremely worthwhile. When each person within your company knows what to say, when to say it, and what to do next, responding to a crisis becomes much less stressful.
- Own up to your mistakes.
Consumers lose trust in companies when a serious problem is pushed under the rug, even if it’s their favorite brand. It’s important to recognize your mistake and share what you’re going to do to fix it.
Things to keep in mind:
- Don’t share false promises.
I’m sure we all know actions speak louder than words. It’s one thing to promise that something bad will never happen again, but you have to make sure you’re going to prove it by following through.
- Don’t argue.
Yes—replying to comments on your posts shows that there is a human behind the screen, but be careful. Arguing with your customers when you don’t agree with their statements can start a new crisis of its own. Start with simply acknowledging their concern.
- Don’t forget about it.
So, you successfully stopped the crisis. Now what? Perhaps the most important thing to remember is to learn from the situation. Secure your passwords, craft a new crisis plan, encourage more communication within your company, and make sure it never happens again.
Creative Spot is a full-service marketing and advertising agency in Columbus, Ohio. If you would like to learn more about how we can help your organization with crisis communication, please contact us.