As much as we would like to think that everything will go as planned with our social-media campaign, there is a chance that, at some point, you will experience negative attention, one of the most detrimental things for a social-media campaign. If you are keeping up with your social-media networks like you should be, you will be able to spot a developing crisis. In the event of a social-media crisis, follow the tips below to make the best of a bad situation:
1.) Have a Plan – The most important thing to combat these undesirable situations is to have a solid plan of action beforehand. Studying other social sites and the problems they’ve had in the past can help to prepare you for what is to come. The social-media world is highly unpredictable, and having that foreknowledge will set you above the others.
2.) Identify the Crisis – Pay close attention to the discussions occurring in your social-media space. Listening to the conversation will enable you to understand what everyone is thinking and saying, and lead you to a clearer understanding of what has gone wrong. Once you know how the crisis is affecting people, you will have a better idea of how to help.
3.) Pay Close Attention – Paying attention to what is happening and knowing the facts before you act is absolutely recommended. Going into a crisis blind is never a bright idea. If you don’t use Hootsuite already, it will be a powerful tool to use in the future as it allows you to monitor and interact with all of your social-media in one place, with a convenient dashboard interface.
4) Let People Vent – People need to vent… let them. Allowing people to vent allows them to express their opinion and get your feedback, boosting their trust in you. Their feedback will allow you to learn more about what is being said, and in turn being able to manage the situation better. Addressing this will help immensely when handling a social media crisis.
5.) Turn the Crisis into a Positive – Allow people to vent and get some of the crisis out of their system, and then hit them with a positive in a professional way. There are many ways to avert people’s attention to something more positive and worthwhile, and knowing when to pull the trigger is key when turning a negative into a positive.
If you’re using LinkedIn and we’re not yet connected, you can find me here: www.linkedin.com/in/joshmillar/