How to Handle a Social Media Crisis

Getting a lot of engagement on your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts is something that all savvy inbound marketers strive for. But not all attention is good, unfortunately. In the age of social media, a PR crisis that, years ago, would have fizzled out can really gain ground as people share the story. Don’t let your online reputation get out of control! It may be something out of your hands, or could be something your company is responsible for, but either way- it’s not an option to ignore the messages and comments coming in. If you ignore the rising tension, it will likely get worse. Using the same social media accounts that are being flooded during the crisis can be an asset when used correctly. Here’s what you need to do to come out on the other side of a scandal with your company’s reputation intact:

Create a Plan Ahead of Time

One thing you don’t want to be doing when a social media crisis hits is to be scrambling. When you’re in crisis mode, you will feel like you’re in over your head. However, if you have a plan and prepare ahead of time, you can be much calmer and respond with class. You may want to have a team of social media experts specifically ready, and even a website or phone number created to handle people. When GM had recent recalls that flooded their social media accounts, they pointed people to a stand-alone website and got them off of the main pages. A crisis team and crisis website center like this will lighten the load on your social media channels.

Stay Away From Arguments

Whatever you do, don’t begin attacking your followers, even if you feel like they’re ganging up on you and your brand. A good rule of thumb is to never answer someone a third time. A third response is an argument. Instead of continuing, offer the user your email or phone number so you can take the discussion offline and out of the prying eyes of other followers. People tend to be much more bold behind their keyboard, and getting someone on the phone will usually dissolve the anger.

Own Up to Your Mistakes

If you or someone at your company is responsible for whatever happened, you need to take responsibility right away. While it may be uncomfortable, it’s the best way to stop the bleeding and begin the healing. Your first response should always be “yes, we realize something has happened” even if you have no answers yet. If you say you’re sorry, and are sincere in it, people will forgive, forget and move on. Afterall, people still eat at Applebee’s and drive GM cars.

Learn From the Situation

We love a good comeback story, but the public has little patience for a company that makes the same mistakes over and over. You’re sincere apology will only work once. If a staff member accidentally sent a tweet from the company account instead of their personal, that’s probably an easy fix. If you were caught doing some illegal or largely unpopular, that’ll probably be a larger issue, but it’s still an action you can’t repeat. Document exactly what happened and inform all of your employees, so you can all move on from the crisis as a team.

With social media, crises can easily spread, damaging your brand’s reputation within minutes or even seconds. But it doesn’t have to happen that way. If you’re well-versed in the world of social media, you can handle it effectively and maybe even come out better on the other side of the scandal. For more expert tips on how to prepare your brand, download our free eBook Mastering Social Media for Business.