Your brand is facing a negative viral post on social media. How will you address the crisis?

When my brand faces a negative viral post on social media, I address the crisis by first acknowledging the issue swiftly and transparently. I take responsibility where necessary and provide a clear, concise response to address the concerns raised. I engage directly with our audience, offering sincere apologies and outlining the steps we are taking to rectify the situation. Internally, I coordinate with my team to ensure consistent messaging and monitor the conversation closely for any developments. By staying calm, responsive, and empathetic, I aim to rebuild trust and demonstrate our commitment to resolving the issue effectively.

En primer lugar, tienes que ver rápidamente cuál es el origen del problema y la opinión de la mayoría de usuarios. Hay que ver cuál es el hilo conductor de las críticas para poder abordarlas y ser conscientes de la magnitud que tiene el problema. Para eso es necesario darse cuenta rápido, con el fin poder dar una respuesta cuanto antes.

Stay Calm and Professional: Avoid reacting defensively or engaging in arguments online. Maintain a calm and professional demeanor throughout the crisis. Seek Legal Counsel (if needed): If the viral post involves legal issues or potential defamation, please feel free to consult with legal professionals for guidance. Learn and Improve: Use the crisis as an opportunity to learn and improve your processes, products, or services to prevent similar issues in the future.

When a negative post about your brand goes viral, try to act quickly Firstly try to check where (negativity) it came from, what it says, and how people are reacting. Taking a step back to try to understand the situation will help to respond better and keep control of the story.

Being transparent and owning up to your mistakes will usually work better than being defensive. If you’re open and honest with your audience and offer a sincere apology, and let them know that you have heard them and have taken their feedback on board they will be much more likely to view your response in a positive light.

Start by recognizing the problem publicly. Acknowledging the issue shows that you are aware and taking it seriously. Example: “We are aware of the recent post regarding [issue] and are actively looking into the matter.” Secondly, show empathy towards those affected by the situation. This demonstrates that you value your customers and their concerns. Be honest about what happened and avoid making excuses. If you don’t have all the details yet, admit it, and commit to sharing more information as it becomes available. The next step will be to explain what steps you are taking to address the issue. This could involve investigating the matter, reaching out to affected parties, or making immediate changes. This will mitigate your brand's image

Cuando ya se ha evaluado la situación y somos conscientes de la gravedad del problema, es hora de elaborar una respuesta acorde a nuestros valores de marca y siendo conscientes de la importancia que tendrá en las conversaciones posteriores con nuestros seguidores. Debemos escoger un tono y un mensaje acordes a la imagen corporativa que queremos transmitir y por supuesto, mantener las formas.

Establishing clear communication protocols for internal and external updates is essential in managing a crisis effectively. This involves defining roles and responsibilities for handling media inquiries, customer responses, and social media interactions. Here’s how to set up these protocols and what each role should entail: 1.Define the crisis management team. 2. Develop a communication flowchart 3. Assign specific roles and duties eg media inquiries, customer response, Social media interactions. Communication protocols would include Internal (Regular team updates, employee briefings etc) and external (Public statement, customer engagement, social media updates etc) This will go a long way in maintaining credibility and public trust.

Remember to approach your response carefully. ?? Be clear, empathetic, and aligned with your brand values. ??Acknowledge the issue, apologize if needed, and explain the steps you're taking to fix it. ??Avoid being defensive or blaming others. ??Show that your brand is listening and cares about its audience's concerns.

A la hora de abordar una crisis de este tipo, lo ideal es mantener reuniones con nuestro equipo para darles las pautas a seguir en estos casos. De esta manera, nos aseguramos de que todos darán respuestas siguiendo el mismo tono y tipo de mensaje, con el fin de terminar cuanto antes la polémica y mejorar nuestra reputación online.

Comunicación, comunicación, comunicación... Es importante siempre tener un equipo alineado ante las situaciones que se presenten y que puedan llevar a una crisis, tener un manual puede ayudar a enfrentar clientes molestos o contener un "reclamo" que pueda llevar a una crisis. También al tener un equipo en constante comunicación prepara a la marca para atender y entender las posibles reacciones de otros clientes que pueda detonar esta conversación.

Engaging with the issue requires a delicate and thoughtful approach. Address the concerns raised in the post transparently and sincerely. Acknowledge any mistakes or misunderstandings, and communicate the steps being taken to rectify the situation. Use a tone that is empathetic and professional, avoiding defensive or dismissive language. It's also crucial to respond on the same platform where the negative post originated, ensuring your audience sees your proactive efforts. By demonstrating accountability and a commitment to resolving the issue, you can begin to rebuild trust with your audience.

Rapid Response and Transparency: Immediately acknowledge the issue with a public statement on your official channels, apologizing if necessary. Provide transparent information about what happened and the steps being taken to resolve the situation. Regularly update your audience on the progress and demonstrate a commitment to preventing similar issues in the future

Progress monitoring can not only help you validate that your response was correct, but can be crucial to showcasing to executives how an issue is progressing. As soon as an issue occurs, think about setting up targeted keyword monitoring via a social listening tool such as Sprout or Hootsuite. This can show you impact over time which can be incredibly useful to see if an issue is sustaining or dissipating. Impressions on keywords over time, engagements to viral posts, volume of content tagging your pages on a specific topic can all be used to paint a picture.

Identify relevant KPIs that track the impact and reach of the crisis. This could include metrics like social media mentions, website traffic, customer inquiries, or media coverage. Conduct regular assessments of collected data to evaluate progress towards your goals. Analyze trends, patterns, and changes in KPIs to understand the effectiveness of your response efforts. Secondly, establish baseline measurements before the crisis to gauge the extent of impact and track changes over. You will need to compare current metrics with established benchmarks or industry standards to gain perspective on the severity and impact of the crisis.

After addressing the immediate concerns, continuously monitor the situation to gauge the effectiveness of your response. Keep an eye on social media platforms, news outlets, and customer feedback channels to track how the narrative evolves. Engage with customers who have further questions or concerns, providing updates as necessary. Adjust your strategy based on the feedback and the ongoing developments. By maintaining vigilance and staying responsive, you can mitigate the long-term impact of the crisis and gradually restore your brand's reputation.

By taking this situation as a whole learning experience remember that by polishing your approach to crisis, you can strengthen your brand's resilience against future negative viral posts.

Leverage Positive Content and Influencers: Counterbalance the negative viral post by leveraging positive content and testimonials from satisfied customers and influencers. Share success stories, user-generated content, and positive reviews to shift the narrative. Partner with trusted influencers to help reinforce your brand's positive image and values.