Friday, June 11, 2010

The 3 Rules of Social Media Crisis Management

What would you do if you are a business who took a dive into the warm, inviting pool of social media for marketing reasons...

...and then found yourself in a crocodile-infested swamp during a feeding frenzy?

There are a couple of major brands who are in the news right now as the object of some serious brand-bashing in social channels.

It's a vicious reminder that while Twitter and Facebook are great tools for connecting with your customers, things can go horribly wrong for a brand in a hurry in those channels too.

Without getting into a discussion of whether these brands deserve to bear the brunt of public anger and mistrust or not, here are three simple rules to help any brand manage a crisis using social media.

3 Rules of Social Media Crisis Management
  1. A brand cannot win an argument online. Ever. Don't bother trying--it comes across as defensive and makes things worse. Give facts and resources, not messaging.
  2. Admit your mistakes, say you're sorry and show us what you are doing to fix the problem.
  3. Repeat #1 and #2 as often as necessary.
That's it. What do you think? Anything you would add?
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