Almost every company with a moderate following will likely go through some sort of bad publicity that will really impact their presence on social media. Using the good and bad examples of the worlds largest companies can really help moderate any crisis situation for the company you manage social for.
Contingency
Make a contingency plan. Preparation for how to manage any situation that comes your way.
- write a press statement — have a statement ready to go in the event your company gets bad press. The statement can have fill in the blanks with apologies and certain language you will want to use when drafting the statement prior to publishing. You can always tweak it for any situation, but knowing where to start will push you ahead for any press you are about to receive. Publish it on your site and post it on your social with appropriate captions, no hashtags, just a sincere caption.
- know how to delete posts and webpages — this is a big one. If ever something that was posted or shared on your website gets your company in hot water, know the means of removing it to somewhat prevent the spread of the post.
- it’s not your fault — you will have a lot of people online attacking your brand. They aren’t after you. It isn’t you job to save the world or your company especially if the mistake wasn’t yours. It is your job, however, to do your best to alleviate the situation and be as kind as you can if you are responding to comments. In most cases, silence in the comment sections is the best answer. Don’t delete comments unless absolutely derogatory, but especially don’t respond to comments. They are 99% of the time seeking attention.
Be ethical
The easiest way to say this is “just be a good person”. Don’t be a jerk online. Understand that your job as the ‘social media person’ is to represent the company well. As much as people love how Wendy’s account’s act online, they have built that presence and it is not for every company.
You are not the court
If ever a legal matter is brought up to your social media accounts, follow the three step process above. You are not the court. It is not your job to convince the online jury on your social media accounts. You are not a legal professional and your job is to post creative informational pots, not be a judge. This goes along with the section about not responding to comments. No one needs convincing from the social media manager, it does not help in the long run.
Represent your company
This is a topic I have mentioned several times throughout this article. It is your job to be the best you can be at managing social media. You have an obligation to your employer to do your best and represent the company well. By respecting people online and representing the company in a decent light, regardless of the crisis caused by someones else's actions, you will be looked up to in high regards. If you can alleviate any reprimands online by doing your best and being kind, in the midst of crisis, that is huge.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk.
