Unless you’re trying to make it big in Hollywood, negative attention is not your friend. Anything you post that is off-brand, offensive, or factually incorrect can ruin your social street cred. In Part 2 of our Social Media Success Guide, we share our must-know tips for protecting your brand from unwanted time in the spotlight.
STAY OUT OF CONVERSATIONS WHERE YOU DON’T BELONG.
If you think something you post or comment on could be taken negatively, cause controversy, be read as insensitive, or backfire on your brand, don’t post it. Listen to your conscience — if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Like a first date, steer clear of topics you probably shouldn’t talk about (like politics, religion, accusations, or bashing your exes — err, we mean competitors), and only post relevant, useful information to your social channels. For example, resist the urge to post about Fashion Week if your audience could care less about the latest trends and Anna Wintour appearances. And stay away from tying events like 9/11 to your product promotions.
DON’T ALWAYS DELETE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK.
Deleting negative comments about your product or brand seems like a no-brainer, right? Not really. If someone is spamming your Facebook page or saying really horrible/offensive things, then, by all means, delete. But deleting negative feedback runs the chance of a customer knowing you deleted it (if they already saw the post) and could cause dishonesty to your brand.
Negative comments are okay — they show you’re human. They also give you a chance to show to the social media world that you accept constructive criticism and handle it like a champ. Just make sure you respond to this feedback graciously by offering to remedy the situation and confirming that you care deeply about their business. Future and current customers will see this and be impressed by your ability to handle customer service situations professionally and quickly. They’ll also feel comforted knowing you care and take their feedback seriously.
PROOF YOUR POSTS AND TWEETS.
There are few things that hurt your brand credibility and post quality faster than a misspelled post, misused reference, or improper grammar usage. Always take time to re-read and double-check your social post copy and links — or even set up a proofing process on your team. Followers understand that mistakes do happen from time to time (after all, we’re human), so just make sure to catch them quickly and edit, delete or re-post as soon as possible. If the post is irreversible, correct your error in a reply and admit your fault with a simple: “Thank you for pointing this out to us. Obviously we haven’t had our morning coffee yet. 🙂 It’s been fixed!”
Following the brilliant advice above and combining it with Part 1 of our Social Media Management Guide will help you create a safe place for your customers. Don’t have time to monitor your pages, proof your tweets, or develop killer social media posts? Our social management team can help you with that. Contact us today to get started.
