lossDon’t underestimate the power and speed of social media to break and spread bad news…

Not, for the first time ever, more than 1.7 billion people have the ability to access information and communicate with each other in near real time, they are doing it for free and this level of access equals power.

While you may not have a presence on any or all of the social media sites, that doesn’t mean your customers don’t. Rest assured they are talking. The questions is “what are they talking about”?

If the worst happens, take note of these tips designed to help you handle a crisis communication.

  1. Never delete a bad comment or negative review (unless it violates your social media terms of service).
  2. Always respond quickly – Anything that happens on social media can go viral within minutes!
  3. Acknowledge the situation and be honest. Never attempt to cover up or skirt the issue.
  4. Your first response should be on the social network where the situation broke, then worry about other networks.
  5. Apologize if it is appropriate – social media is about people being human.
  6. Let people know you’ve done that or are doing to address the situation.

In the aftermath, analyze what has happened and make sure all your staff are involved. Discover the lessons learned and what you can do to improve your crisis communication policy and procedure (of course if you don’t have a crisis communication policy and procedure, now would be a good time to create one).

As more and more businesses adopt and embrace social media, more and more are becoming concerned about this very issue. Planning, preparation and developing a solid social media strategy are the best ways to ensure minimal damage to your brand and reputation.

If you are concerned about your social media strategy, social media policies, or reputation monitoring and management, contact us to learn more about how we can help your business.