How to handle negative comments on social media

Earlier this week, I blogged about getting started in social media or ramping up your efforts. This time I’m going to address a key reason companies shy away from social: fear of negative comments. Some people might tell you, “Oh, don’t worry about that.” I’ll tell you the opposite. You should worry about it. Then you should turn that worry into a system that works for everyone involved.

I should mention that I’ve worked with a lot of heavily regulated industries and sensitive topics, so I feel your pain. In that time, I’ve seen social media go well and fail. The winners all did these four things:

1. Establish an expedited review process

As I mentioned in the successful social media blog, you need to get buy-in from key reviewers before you start posting. Social media will challenge existing processes and timelines. Without the support of reviewers, you won’t be able to respond to social media posts in a timely fashion. Work with them to create an expedited review process that serves your target audience and your organization.

2. Determine how you’ll respond

Work with your review team to define parameters for these three categories:

• Respond – These comment merits a reply of some sort. For example, it’s a comment about a service issue or complaint about a product. Have a plan for who to loop in and what to say. Also establish a goal for timeliness.
• Ignore – These comments should just sit there. This is your best bet when a person is simply ranting, and there’s nothing you can say or do to help them.
• Delete – Use this tactic sparingly. Most communications strategists would tell you to delete only posts that clearly violate your terms of use (such as spam or profanity). 

Now, put those parameters in writing and make them part of your social media guidelines. I’d also recommend putting some of this information (for example, typical response time and candidates for deletion) on your social media site’s About Us page.

3. Develop a library of approved language

Anticipate what people will post about. Sure, you’ll get some curveballs – but if you know your business and your external environment, you should be able to prepare for 99% of the incoming comments. Here’s the easiest way to anticipate: Ask your customer service team and your sales team what they get questions about. Put all those questions on paper, determine the best way to respond, and get it approved. Crisis averted.

4. Create a response template

Now that you have approved language, make sure you use it in a way that doesn’t seem robotic. The key is to create a response template.

As an example, here’s an excerpt from the template I created for a company’s blog:

1. Greet the poster by name – This makes a personal connection with the poster.
2. Introduce yourself – State your first name and say you can help.
3. Show that you’re listening – Mention something from the poster’s comment. For example, if someone complains about a product, say: “You mentioned you have the xxxx model…”
4. Respond online or take it offline – If you can, use your approved language to answer the question or address the complaint. If you can’t, give them a way to contact you privately.
5. Tell them where to find more information – This helps you avoid overly detailed follow-up questions in a public forum.
6. Wrap it up – Say something like “Hope this was helpful.” or “Thanks for contacting us.”

With this approach, your follow-up plan is in the can … but your response will seem anything but canned.

-Paige