Contrary to popular belief, social media management doesn’t only entail creating a content plan, posting in the various social media channels you own, and engaging with your followers. It also involves mitigating any crisis you may encounter, such as a public outcry, inappropriate posts by employees or ex-employees, or the accidental sharing of any incriminating information. However, by employing a thoughtfully planned social media crisis strategy, you can respond to a crisis if it were to happen.

To help you put preventative measures in place, as well as be ready for a future social media crisis, here are some steps you have to take:

Catch Issues Early On

As with all things, prevention is always better than cure. You can avoid experiencing a crisis if you practice some preventative measures. For starters, you should have all future posts reviewed by different people before being published online. That way, you have insights from varying perspectives about all your social media interactions.

It will also help if you keep the number of people who have access to your accounts to a minimum. That will help reduce the risk of accidental posts being shared. Then, when it comes to the actual posting and sharing of content, use a desktop to ensure accuracy, and make sure that you have a secure connection.

Have a Thorough Understanding of the Crisis

Before you proceed with anything else, you must first have a thorough understanding of the crisis. For starters, figure out whether or not it really is a crisis. You would know if it’s a social media crisis if it’s a decisive change from the norm, if it directly impacts your company, or if it also adversely affects other companies.

If the issue ends up being a crisis, you must first discuss it with the team internally so that everyone is caught up to speed. Take the time to think about the most effective solution before making a move. Then again, you should be quick enough, so it won’t appear that you’re ignoring or making light of the situation, but not fast enough that you’re acting on impulse. If you’re unsure of how to proceed, a good tip would be making a public acknowledgment of the situation and letting your followers know that you’re staying on top of it.

Find a Fair Solution

Not all social media crises would be the same. What works as a solution for one may not work for another. While there’s no hard and fast rule to designing a social media crisis plan, it’s always a good idea to apologize and come to a solution that is fair to all parties involved. Even if you feel that you’re not in the wrong, you should still make it a point to validate the feelings of others who have been affected. You should also act with transparency, respect, and empathy in mind. Doing so would help you craft a plan that can accommodate everyone.

Encountering a social media crisis is not the end of the world. As long as you respond quickly and maintain transparency, you’ll be able to show your customers that you care. Should you need help with putting together a crisis plan, availing social media management services from us is the way to go. Get in touch with us today to learn more!