Introduction
In the world of social media, a single bad post or tweet is all it takes
for things to spiral out of control and become a full-blown crisis.
It's every social media manager's worst nightmare, but with the right
strategies and tactics, you can turn any crisis into a grand opportunity.
One that lets you showcase your brand's values and commitment to customer delight.
Hey there, I'm Pooja Sriram, and today I'll be walking you through some nifty
social media crisis management tips, and we'll also be covering examples of how
Social media crisis management tips
certain companies have managed to turn the tide in those desperate situations.
All right, so let's jump right in.
Tip #1 Step 1 of surviving a social media crisis
First things first, have a plan in place.
It's essential to have a social media crisis management plan in
place before a crisis happens.
The ideal plan will help you identify and assess crisis more easily.
With it, you can assign roles and responsibilities to the
right team members and create a messaging framework effortlessly.
Just make sure the plan is regularly updated and tested,
so it's current and thorough.
Act quickly and transparently in a social media crisis, every second counts.
Tip #2 Checking a crisis before it blows up
The longer you wait to respond, the worse the damage, and you've
also got to be transparent and honest about the whole situation.
Go ahead and give regular updates so your audience is always in the
loop and respond to all relevant comments and messages asap.
This will go a long way in earning back your customer's trust.
Tip #3 Communicating right to survive the storm
Use the right tone.
How might this play out in the real world you ask?
How an airline brand survived a social media crisis
Well, in 2020, a major airline faced criticism on social media over how they
handled COVID-19 related cancellations.
And what did the company do?
They waived the change price for flights that were impacted by the pandemic, and
they issued refunds to customers as well.
What's more?
They provided frequent updates on social media and implemented new
safety measures on their flights.
They covered all the bases, wouldn't you say?
The tone of your messaging during a crisis can make a world of a difference.
So try to find that sweet spot between sounding empathetic and professional.
Acknowledge the issue and show that you're taking the necessary steps
to address it oh, and avoid getting defensive or confrontational.
People don't really like that at all.
For instance, in 2018, a popular fast food joint faced a crisis when a
How a brand turned a crisis into an opportunity
supply chain issue caused a shortage of chicken at many of their restaurants.
So this company went all out by embracing the problem, and they
responded with, wait for it, humor.
They ran ads featuring empty chicken buckets, yeah!
They also kept customers updated on social media and to top it off, they offered free
meals when their restaurants reopened.
It's a bucket half full kind of situation.
Won't you agree?
Monitor social media channels.
Tip #4 Listening to what customers are telling or not telling you
Monitoring your social media channels is also considered 101 during a crisis.
So use social media listening tools like Sprinklr to track the mentions
and sentiment around your brand.
Another great way to go about this is to identify key influencers
who can help spread your message and address any misinformation.
Apologize and make amends if your brand is at fault for the crisis.
Tip #5 Managing disappointed customers
Be humble, apologize, and do what you have to do to make amends, offer refunds,
discounts, or other incentives to show that you really value your customers and
are committed to resolving the issue.
All in all, social media crises are kind of an inevitable part of doing
business in today's digital age.
If you combine these tips just right, your brand can make it through a
crisis with no creases and come out stronger on the other side.
Well, that's a wrap for today.
If you want to learn more about crisis management strategies, Don't think twice
to reach out to our team for assistance.
We'll be delighted to help.
All right folks.
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of CX Unplugged and catch you in the next one.