“We should do something with social.” “Let’s make a viral video.” “We need to be on Instagram.” If social media is part of your job, these requests will sound familiar.
Starting a presence on a platform already involves plenty of work: creating content, growing reach and building a community. Then comes the ongoing conversation. People can publicly challenge a business, ask customer-service questions or post an unhelpful remark. How should you respond?
Every situation needs judgement, but three broad groups are useful to distinguish.
The dissatisfied customer
Start with someone who has had a poor experience with the product and posts about it. They may have a valid complaint and deserve to be heard.
Do not hide legitimate criticism simply because it is uncomfortable. Acknowledge the issue publicly and, where appropriate, move the details into a private conversation so customer information is not exposed. Follow through on the response.
Recognition matters. Being ignored can make an already frustrated customer feel worse. Content that is abusive or otherwise breaches your moderation rules should be handled consistently with those rules.
The abusive commenter
Greater visibility can also bring remarks that contain little useful feedback. It is tempting to defend a product or project you have worked hard on, but an argument may not help.
A polite question can establish whether there is a real problem behind the comment. If the response is only further abuse, it may be appropriate to stop engaging and apply your moderation policy. Keep your own response professional.
The knowledgeable critic
Some commenters know a great deal about your product and its competitors. They may raise a point that is entirely valid. Often, they are interested in the subject and want a meaningful discussion rather than an argument.
Acknowledge a fair criticism. If someone identifies a software bug or security concern, route it to the right team rather than dismissing it. Their feedback may help improve the product.
A respectful relationship with a knowledgeable community member can be valuable. They may become a trusted contributor, help answer other users’ questions or advocate for the brand because they feel listened to.
Build a constructive conversation
Managing social media is more than setting up an account. Negative comments are likely to appear, but they can lead to useful feedback or a resolved customer problem. Treat people respectfully and focus on what can be improved.
Would you like to discuss social media management or monitoring? Get in touch. The original article drew on work for clients including AVM and Lufthansa.
Kinyi
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