How To Handle Social Media Crisis In 2020

How To Handle Social Media Crisis In 2020

Going viral on social media can be one of the best things to happen to a brand, especially if you sell your products or services online. This publicity really boosts your brand image – you get more customers, more referrals, more money, more publicity.
Now, imagine if you did go viral, but this time for all the wrong reasons.

The Fear of Dragging is the Beginning of Wisdom

Business on social media these days is an adventure. You might be showered a million accolades today and “dragged” tomorrow, perhaps for making the wrong delivery, or worst still, delivering “what I ordered vs what I got”. They say bad news travels like wildfire, on social media, it moves with the speed of light.

3-tips-to-help-you-manage-a-social-media-crisis
 
1. Be Proactive – Plan
 

How to handle social media crisis

A business leader once said, “Every minute you spend in planning saves 10 minutes in execution…!” When you plan, you are better prepared to handle any crisis that may occur and are able to resolve it faster. This also frees up time for you to focus on other areas of your business.

Planning will help you:

• Identify loopholes in how you relate with your customers
• Discover how to prevent the crisis before it happens
• Promptly manage the crisis before it gets out of hand
• Reduce the number of times crisis occurs
• Keep the customer at the centre of your efforts
• Save time, money and valuable energy in the long run.

What should a good plan contain?

A plan is a simple guide that clearly shows what you intend to do. Your crisis management plan ought to be straight to the point and outline how you intend to manage a crisis. It should highlight –

• Your “apology statements”
• How you will compensate the customer (Refund, Product exchange, Voucher option, etc.)
• How long it should take to resolve the crisis.
• Your preferred means of communication with the customer (Social media, phone call, physical visits, etc.)
• The person assigned to speak with the customer
• Situations that you can respond to and when to be silent.

You can find templates to help you create a crisis management plan on Google.

2. Control The Narrative
 

How to handle social media crisis

The nature of social media crisis makes it very tasking to manage reactions of the upset customer and others who interact with the “call out” message. Likes, Reactions, Shares, Comments, Retweets, etc., all contribute to expanding the conversation.

It is essential to ensure that the version of the “story” spreading is accurate and that the position of your business on the matter is clearly stated. After the issue is resolved privately, also let the “public” know that the case has been resolved. For instance, If the customer called you out on the timeline and you resolved it in the DMs, respond again on the timeline to show that the issue has been sorted.

 

3. Learn From Other Brands
 

How to handle social media crisis in 2020

As the popular saying goes, “experience is the best teacher”. In this instance, it is always a great idea to refer to the mistakes of competing brands, learn lessons and apply them your business.

A Few Last Things Before You Go

You can also create a feedback system. This will help you understand how your customers feel about your brand and give you a better perspective on how to handle their concerns.
In addition, customers are put off by lies and dishonesty, be true to your word. It is better to own up to mistakes and seek to correct them instead of covering up. Even when a customer is not being nice, still treat them respectfully.
Getting dragged on social media may not be avoidable, but managing it correctly helps you keep your brand on track.
Let us know if you found this helpful and share your experiences too, just head to the comments section!

 

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