It is widely known that a social media fail can backfire or later come back to bite you in the behind. Here are some tips on how to prevent this from happening and how to recover.
- Review before you hit ‘enter.’ This can save many a social media fail! Poor grammar or an unfortunate choice of words can be changed before the post goes out. Reviewing also includes checking links for functionality.
- Respond quickly. If you do you happen to flub a Facebook post, or a rogue tweet gets tweeted, correct it by editing the post if possible. If you can’t fix the actual post, submit an “update” with the correct information.
- Don’t delete negative feedback. Damage control is the key here. Respond to the feedback calmly, gathering information on how to move forward. Offer solutions, or at the very least say, “I’m sorry.”
- Roll with the punches. Sometimes you can deflect a social media fail by using humor. If used appropriately, your fans will respond to your humor and give you credit for trying. Note: making light of a derogatory or inappropriate statement can make you lose credibility.
- Use automation in moderation. Using scheduling tools and automated posting features is a very helpful practice when building a large social media presence. However, you must also interact with your fans and followers, being a human behind the keyboard. Conversation and engagement go a long way! Moderating your auto-posting can also give you a chance to catch mistakes.
- Avoid controversial topics. If there is a something big happening in the world, such as a natural disaster or a socially provocative event, tread lightly. Posting an unrelated or an unfortunately timed tweet or article, or hijacking hashtags associated with these events with nonsense posts can be seen as careless and rude by your fans. spammy.
- Have a social media policy for your employees. Craft and enforce a social media policy for all members of your staff to keep with the values of your company. You can avoid social media embarrassments by having clear expectations on how your employees represent your business.
8. Have a social media crisis plan. Have someone in charge of monitoring and managing your social media, and have a plan for what to do if something goes wrong. Whether it be a social media manager or simply one of your staff members, someone must be doing this.