Social media is a powerful marketing tool for mission-driven organizations. It’s a great way for organizations to create awareness, engage with and activate their followers. But for all the perks, there are a few things you should know about interactions before you start using social media for your brand.
No matter how great or how loved you think your organization is, at some point, you’ll have to deal with negative tweets, comments and feedback from the online community. Brands interacting on social media need to create a policy for handling negative feedback. Some things to be considered in the policy would be:
- When to respond and when not to
- When to delete comments and when not to
Here are some takeaway tips to think about when developing your policy and responding on social media.
Always respond appropriately:
Seeing a negative comment on your organization’s Twitter or Facebook page might make you a bit frustrated, but it’s important to give these particular comments some thoughtful attention. Responding to problems via social media in a positive and diligent way shows that your organization cares about the quality of service your customers receive. When replying, always offer an apology and try to help fix the issue. People will see how you deal with feedback and these quick responses will help build a sense of trust between your organization and your followers.
Never delete comments:
Unless a post is incredibly vulgar, spammy or doesn’t make much sense, don’t get into the habit of deleting them. If a post gets deleted and a customer brings up the issue on your social channels again, it makes your brand appear as if there’s something to hide. These kind of interactions break trust with customers and give your brand a negative reputation.
Be brief:
Think back to the last argument you saw unfolding on Facebook. They’re pretty cringeworthy, right? No matter which person was in the wrong, everyone involved in airing of their dirty laundry on social media looks silly. The same thing can be said for brands. If a customer’s problem is complex, try to direct them to talk via private message, email or phone. This way, issues can be solved quicker and there isn’t a string of angry comments left on your social media channels.
Do you have other ways your organization responds to negative comments on social media?
Photo Credit: Sofiaperesoa
