How to Use Social Media to Restore your Business' Reputation after a Crisis

Last Updated on Tue, 20 Sep 2022 | Social Media

So, you messed up. It happens to everyone, even gigantic, well-run corporations. While it may be tempting to pull the covers up over your head and stay in bed when a crisis hits, you have a business to save, so get out there and restore your reputation!

Yes, social media can magnify your mistakes, but it can also help the world to see what you're going to do to fix it. So, stop hiding and get out there!

The best reputation repair plan starts before a crisis occurs (but keep reading even if that ship has already sailed!). Be where your customers are, with an established presence that give people a reason to trust you. This might mean regular updates to a blog, Facebook, Twitter and more. If you spend the time to acquire advocates there, when a crisis occurs you will likely already have those people in your corner. Likewise, any negative press will be easier to monitor and respond to when it takes place on those channels than on those on which you have no presence. Jumping on to these platforms in response to a crisis is better than ignoring it, but if you have a history there, your words will carry a lot more weight.

Know what people are saying – Monitoring Mentions

There are several excellent and free tools out there to help you keep on top of what people are saying about your business. Some of the simplest are Google Alerts and Social Mention. The easiest way to keep on top of this is by setting up Email alerts on each. Be sure you also keep an eye on your social media accounts and blog for comments (but you were doing that anyway – right?).

Respond – Fast!!

If your crisis has legal implications, you will of course want to follow the advice of your attorney. The most important thing is, don’t ignore the issue. People are already talking about it.

Respond using press releases, your website, blog and social channels, including video. Putting a face to the story makes it easier for people to relate to you and forgive.

Do:

Address It
Apologize
Explain how you will make it right
Explain how you will make sure it doesn’t happen again
If needed, take it off-line to address the concerns of individuals. Invite them to call you directly.
Consult your attorney if necessary
Enlist the help of a social media professional
Move on and get back to business.

Don’t:

Panic
Ignore it
Make excuses
Shift Blame.

Platform-Specific Actions:

Facebook -Be sure to monitor and respond to comments. Search Facebook for public posts including your business name.
Twitter – Monitor mentions and respond, or Kurrently (searches Facebook as well)
YouTube – post a video with all the dos above
Review sites – Monitor and respond to reviews on Yelp, CitySearch, Google Places, Yahoo Local, Bing. Don’t bother trying to get a negative review removed. Rather, respond personally and honestly.
Website – place a prominent link to more information, but don’t make it appear you are closed – unless you are!

I hope this information was helpful. Have you found other ways to use social media for reputation management or recovery after a crisis? Please share in the comments. Also, if you find yourself in a crisis and need additional assistance, please let us know!

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