Avoid a social media crisis

Strategies to get your messaging back on track 

A social media crisis usually refers to a situation that is being played out publicly on social networks through comments and sharing, amplifying an issue to extreme proportions, often involving inaccurate or inflammatory content. The situation could be something occurring offline and being discussed online or something that happened online that caused a problem. 

The crux of a social media crisis is the loss of control of the message while the erroneous and negative comments increase exponentially. Avoiding a social media crisis is possible, but it takes vigilance and a highly strategic approach to how you respond to messages. 

There are many reasons a social media crisis may be brewing or could occur including: 

• A legitimately negative situation occurred offline involving your company. This can range from a disgruntled client or customer complaining to a major incident, such as an oil spill. Often, total strangers may jump into negative conversations to give their two cents, adding to the messaging chaos. 

• You have posted something controversial or that is perceived as controversial or inflammatory in some way, and you receive an onslaught of comments addressing what was said online. An example could be publishing about a sale on boating equipment while your community is experiencing dangerous flash floods. 

• You could be the victim of a spamming or “flaming” campaign, either targeted or random, where bots are deployed to amplify negative comments on your social media accounts. This is less common and harder to resolve. 

While not every crisis in social media can be avoided, taking some specific steps as quickly as possible can help minimize the damage and get the messaging back on track. 

1. Pay attention

Monitor your social media accounts diligently to help identify potential issues before they turn into a full-blown crisis. If someone is complaining publicly about your company, products, or services, have a plan in place on how you should respond. Using a social media management tool such as Sprout Social or Hootsuite can often bring issues to your attention more quickly than checking social networks you manage directly. 

2. Acknowledge promptly

Timing can be everything. A quick and appropriate response to a first complaint may help diffuse a situation before a crisis occurs. Often, people who use social media to vent or express their concerns are looking to be heard. Even if you don’t have an answer or solution to someone’s complaint, acknowledging them so they know you are paying attention and are making contact could minimize some fall out. 

3. Check your attitude

The best defense against a social media crisis is to not react in a defensive manner. Instead, always be respectful and demonstrate caring and empathy. Honesty and transparency will also help during social media crisis communications. Apologize but be careful not to admit fault in digital communications to avoid issues down the road if legal proceedings take place. The goal is to resolve the issue, when possible, or to have productive communications to diffuse the situation. 

4. Move it to private messaging

If someone is posting a complaint publicly, first acknowledge them publicly to demonstrate that you are listening and trying to communicate. As soon as possible, even in the first message, ask the individual to contact you directly through a private message. This not only shows the person complaining that you are ready to communicate but also shows anyone who sees the complaint that you are responding promptly and ready to address the situation. Moving things to private messaging makes it easier to handle the situation without the noise of the social media “crowd.” 

5. Resolve it quickly

Not every situation will have a fast or easy resolution but making the effort to rectify an issue or to offer some kind of remedy can lay a crisis to rest. If the situation is beyond your control, being honest and transparent is important. At the same time, finding some way to help make the person complaining feel heard and supported can help, too. 

You will have many opportunities to avoid a social media crisis if you are vigilant, respectful, kind, open and honest. The key is to have a plan in place that will help get your messaging back on track.  

• December 13, 2024
• Community
• Alpine Bank Staff

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