3 ways to extinguish—and survive—a social media firestorm
When your brand comes under attack, address the issue right away. Take control of the online conversation, and make sure your team is equipped with clear, concise messaging.
However, social media platforms can also be quite a dangerous arena for brands. It can get ugly—fast. Today, one negative comment can snowball into a full-blown PR crisis. Your marketing and branding strategy can unravel in just a few hours.
When a PR crisis hits, confusion, chaos and negativity can quickly disrupt your business and harm your image. However, a bit of strategic preparation can help you extinguish the fire before it spreads. It’s often possible to turn a crisis into a PR success—if you act swiftly and smartly.
Here are three tips to survive a social media flare-up:
1. Address the issue clearly and quickly.
The first step is to identify exactly where and how the crisis originated. One easy way to spot a brewing social media firestorm is to set keyword alerts to look for conversations with negative context or intent. Try adding different keywords that frequently appear in negative comments.
Once you have identified the issue and verified the authenticity of the complaint, take steps to address it directly and clearly.
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