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A lot of companies are leery of allowing comments and ratings in their social media space because they are afraid of negative comments. True, a negative comment can sting, and a full-fledged grass roots blowup against a brand can be devastating. However, in nearly every case the problem was caused by either lack of response, or the wrong response.
The reality is that you cannot prevent negative comments and posts about you, only how you react to it. It is important to realize that your customers will be talking about your brand, and you can either ignore what is happening out in the social media world, or jump in with both feet.
One of the most famous examples of this was how poorly Dell handled their negative blog posts, or rather how they didn’t. Dell had a hands-off policy to blogs, and when they were getting dinged for poor customer service they remained silent while their customers went ballistic, recounting innumerable “Dell Hell” stories. Their brand suffered greatly, and this entire backlash really was earned by Dell.
Dell finally saw the light and developed a vigorous social media strategy that engages their customers at every level that included their own blog, Direct2Dell. The turnaround was dramatic, and they were rewarded by garnering a #2 ranking in Engagement in the BusinessWeek’s “Interbrand Best Global Brands 2008″, and are widely recognized as one of the most successful companies using social media.
So if you fear negative comments and ratings it might be time for a bit of soul searching. Are you afraid of negative feedback because you can’t control it, or is it that your know you have problems that will be actively discussed? If it is the latter, then you should think of social media as a way to have a deep conversation with your customers, and use that interaction as an agent for changing how you do business.
Simply put, negative feedback can and should be an opportunity to shine. Your customers have a reasonable expectation that when they interact with your brand that things should go well. When things go badly, this is your chance to truly shine. Handle a sticky problem well and at worst you’ll look like you truly care, and at best that unhappy customer might become an evangelist for your brand.
Here are a few principles that you should consider concerning your social media interactions:
1. Don’t suck – OK, that may seem flippant, but knowing that your dirty laundry might be out there for the world to see is a strong motivator for having good products and services, and strong customer service.
2. Create your own social media spaces – Give your customers a place to become fans of your brand, and share their interactions. If you don’t, they will find another place for sure. Make your social media space the space to discuss your brand.
3. Participate in other social media spaces – if your brand is being discussed outside of the social media spaces you own, be there too.
4. Engage – Listen, respond, think, participate and plan. It isn’t just about reacting – drive the engagement.
5. Empower your staff to really fix a problem instead of just giving lip service. If you do this well you will turn unhappy customers into brand evangelists.
6. Above all, have a strategy for managing negative comments– Drop the marketing hype and create real value and meaningful engagement by responding to negative comments in a constructive and helpful manner.
Think of social media as the most direct way of interacting with people who care about your brand. It is an amazing opportunity to engage your customers in a way that has never before been possible. In my next post I’ll talk specifically about the strategy and tactics dealing with negative feedback and posts.
Next – Managing Negative Feedback in Social Media
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