Social Media Crisis Management

by Martha Wilson

Most of us find it hard to imagine what Rep. Anthony Weiner was thinking when he committed a serious social media faux pas by tweeting out near-naked photos and inappropriate comments to young women. While social media can be a minefield, when used correctly it is not a dangerous entity. In fact, it’s standard practice for smart companies to use Facebook and Twitter to manage negative publicity.

As Weiner discovered, juggling multiple Twitter accounts can be a challenge. And while nothing could have saved the New York congressman’s job, the best tack to take in a crisis is to acknowledge, apologize and use humor to move on. When a Red Cross employee recently tweeted about buying a six-pack of beer for the chapter’s entire blood donor base, Red Cross embraced their “human voice.”  They tweeted an apology and admitted the mistake.

The guilty employee also jumped in with apologetic tweets.  Right away, consumers loyal to the brand weighed in with supportive comments, reminding people that mistakes are human. In short, most said, “Hey, we’ve all been there.” 

The brewery even encouraged customers to join the Red Cross blood drive. “Brand evangelists (people who believe in your product or company) want to see you succeed,” says mackcollier.com.

Before you jump into a fray, consider pondering these crisis-situation questions offered by Walter Shrabe at fusedlogic.com:

·       Is the information factually accurate or inaccurate?

·       Is the responsible person, account or organization credible?

·       Which platforms are being used for the negative activity?

·       Does the responsible party understand the technology they used and the community they reached?

·       Is there current conversation you can research related to the incident?

·       What was the sentiment of the initial responses to the negative statement?

·       Is the discussion growing in size or is it isolated?

Once you’ve answered these questions, it’s time to respond using the social media platforms that reach your audience and customer base.

A final thought from Bloomabq.com: “It’s important to remember that corporate reaction through social media can’t change facts, but it can build (or rebuild) confidence among customers that they will get what they pay for.”

It’s likely Weiner has a long way to go to rebuild, but Bloomabq’s advice is worth remembering.

Martha Wilson is an associate at Web Face, a communication and marketing company helping clients stride through the minefields of social media