How to manage social media in a crisis
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that time moves at a different pace on social media. One moment your customers love your content and wait for every post to come live. The next, you weren’t quite as cautious as you should have been, and your followers are criticising you and dropping off. A social media crisis is inevitable for a lot of brands, and this is not to frighten you.
The good news is that these crises do not have to mean the end of your company or reputation. You can get your followers back and get your audience dedicated to you again. Whist crises are not the end; it is still important to know how to manage social media in a crisis. In this blog, we are sharing our best practices for navigating negative feedback and controversy so if a crisis strikes, you’ll be better prepared for how to handle it.
What we mean by a social media crisis
Chances are, you read the title of this blog and are fully aware of what we are talking about. However, if you are new to the world of social media, you may not fully grasp what we mean by a social media crisis. A social media crisis refers to an activity on your social accounts that could negatively impact your brand’s reputation. It is much more than simply negative feedback from customers; it is when an activity strikes a flurry of negative comments, or in the worst-case scenario, a boycott.
You may be reading this and thinking the likelihood of sturring customers this way is slim, but ending up in a social media crisis is not so impossible. Sometimes, it comes down to using the wrong language or wording or taking a joke too far. Some brands that have faced a social media crisis have received backlash for their hypocritical activities, poor employee behaviour, and out-of-touch or insensitive comments. One of the most well-known examples is when the global fast-food chain, Burger King, made a misogynistic tweet on International Womens Day, which read “Women belong in the kitchen.”
Our best practices for managing a social media crisis
Now that you have a better understanding of what a social media crisis is and what it means for brands, let’s talk about best practices for managing one.
Run everything through your team
Our first tip for managing a social media crisis is more so about prevention. Make sure to run all content through all members of your marketing team. Check over the graphics, text, and context.
Whilst one or two people may seem efficient for overviewing content, having the entire team review content means picking up on mistakes and potentially controversial language and graphics.
2. Don’t be under the impression being silent will make it all go away
Secondly, don’t be under the impression that being silent and saying nothing when you mess up will make the problem disappear. Not responding won’t encourage your audience to forget what you have done. You need to treat them with respect and respond as promptly as possible.
Consumers generally expect brands to respond to controversy within 24 hours. This is a reasonable amount of time to remove the post(s) and make a response/apology. If we take Burger King, for example, they deleted the tweet and made a public apology clarifying their intentions within just hours.
3. Prepare a crisis communication plan and a social media policy
If a crisis does arise, you must be prepared to best address it so that you do not harm your brand’s reputation further. Having a crisis communication plan and a social media policy should help. Your social media policy should detail copyright guidelines, confidentiality guidelines, brand voice guidelines, and privacy guidelines.
This acts as an excellent preventative measure to ensure team members know exactly what is suitable and not suitable for your company's social media channels. You should draft a crisis communication plan, also, but when you have a clear head and a brand free of crises. That way, you’ll be ready to act in a social media emergency.
Taking action as soon as possible is a top priority so having this in place will help you address the situation in a speedy but effective way. The plan should consist of steps team members should take if a social media crisis occurs, including the people who should be alerted, guidelines on how to respond, and any pre-approved messaging, images, and information.
4. Keep your accounts secure
It is also vital to ensure you keep your accounts secure to avoid the likelihood of being hacked. If your company is under fire on social, chances are people may try to hack your account to worsen the situation. Ensure your passwords are strong and only known by team members.
Summary
Social media is the place to market and grow your business. However, it is very easy to say or post the wrong thing and risk damaging your brand’s reputation. Social media crises can be incredibly stressful and daunting. Whilst you may believe it will never happen to your company, it’s better to be prepared for every possible circumstance. A social media crisis is unfortunate, but there are lots of ways you can navigate it and come out the other side without your business being badly affected.
Preventative measures like running all content through your team and preparing a crisis communication plan and social media policy can help. Additionally, if you find yourself in a crisis, it is important to respond quickly and efficiently and ensure your social accounts are secure. If you recognise the value of social media and want to utilise it as a tool for brand growth and success, contact us today! Our knowledgeable and passionate team would be delighted to work with you to help you reach your goals.