If you’re a business posting to a website or social media, you’re going to have to encounter negative comments and online criticism at some point. However, the way you manage these and reply to them can shape how you’re seen in the future. Charities, fundraiser and good people, they all get negative comments, it doesn’t mean they deserve them. So with your fame and fortune that comes from growing your social media presence, you WILL get negative reactions, and here’s how you handle these.
Here’s our guide to managing the unavoidable – bad comments online!
1. Beware Of “Crossing The Line”
Some negative comments are just so irrelevant it may be tempting to reply with a sarcastic or obvious response. However, where this would be fine for your personal account it can lead to a backlash for your business account. Don’t take the bait with online criticism! Remember that you aren’t responding as yourself, you are the brand. Therefore, whatever you say could badly reflect the brand. Don’t start a social media war that will get you remembered for all the wrong reasons, ignore bad comments and keep it professional!
2. Smile and Dial
Customer service operators are often told to ring clients back smiling whilst they answer their problem or are receiving negative feedback. Although the customer can’t see you this is a great thing to remember when replying to online criticism. Don’t give trolls the time of day unless they are saying you can prove is indisputably wrong. Rather, answer politely drawing their attention to your website or just end the conversation there.
Always remember to smile and dial (or type in this case!)
Your Social Media Business Etiquette Guide
Here’s our general advice for the three platforms;
- FacebookÂ
Don’t share mean or unnecessary comments to your public audience. As a brand, it’s better to ignore any ridiculous online criticism than addressing it if it is wildly unbelievable.
A negative response from your brand on Twitter has the possibility of going viral. And although they say there’s no such thing as bad press, responding badly to comments or posts can significantly damage your brand, sometimes beyond repair.
This is a professional platform for professional people, so act accordingly. Don’t lower your brand to silly negative comments. You could ruin a very lucrative professional relationship through a silly post very easily on LinkedIn.
So, although negativity is unavoidable on social media the way you deal with it can shape your brand. Find positives in all posts and learn from every comment to make your brand better and better!
