As we have witnessed within these last few months, “cancel culture” is real: what started as a single negative comment in a simple post from a member of the community can quickly turn into a mob backlash against you personally and your company. To ignore a negative posting is to let it ride and take shape like a giant tsunami that could overwhelm your ability to stay in business.
The beauty of social media is that it’s a two-way dialogue, unlike TV and print ads. Remember, these media platforms are live, 24/7. A simple blurb posted at 3 a.m. about your company, your level of customer service (or lack thereof), your products, your political or community activities could, in an instant, trigger a consumer boycott.
Social media crises tend to have one common denominator: the company is not meeting the consumer’s expectations. With or without a response to a negative posting, your customers will always find new ways to make their anger known if their expectations aren’t being matched.
Managing a social media backlash is really all about three basic principles: respond, acknowledge and overcorrect. Reach out and say, “thank you for sharing, for caring and for bringing it to our attention.” If there is a posting mentioning your company, even if it’s a positive remark, post a response immediately. A simple “Thank you, we’re looking into this” signals your engagement with the customer and creates a tone of goodwill. Then keep engaging online and make sure you offer a positive resolution if possible—and do it publicly on the social media platform where the issue originated—not through a direct email or over the phone in a private exchange. If the original issue was aired out in public, you will have to verify your sincerity by engaging the public as a witness to your commitment to solve the issue! Turn that backlash into feedback!
Every social media interaction between a business and its audience is an opportunity to learn and adapt. The best way to prevent further negative postings is to approach your response with empathy and understanding. When a problem is “voiced” on social media, it often signals a disconnect between your business and your customer base. Maintaining an interactive social media presence with your online customers will ensure you a steady stream of valuable constructive feedback.
Bottom line: you don’t solve a backlash; you respond and learn from it. Who knows? Someone’s complaint may inspire you to make a change in your business that could lead to more customers and more revenue! Wouldn’t that be something!
Tomas Chavez is with Sequoia Personnel Services. You may reach him at tomas@sequoiapersonnel.com.
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Business Sense | Protect your company from social media backlash - Eureka Times-Standard
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