Diffusing the Bomb

DIFFUSING THE BOMB Why & How Companies Respond to Negative Social Media If you ask a PR representative social platforms allow dissatis- can respond to these com- ments, but before doing so they need to remember that they are which customers they worry fied customers to express their about, they'll never say the sat- opinions in a very public way. isfied ones. It's the unhappy When faced with an online communicating with everyone that businesses complaint, companies act with access to the social plat- consumer center their efforts on. Social quickly appropriately form, not just one dissenter. and media can provide businesses before they lose control of the with great marketing opportuni- ties. However, by its very nature situation. There are a number of different ways a business Of Companies Today... 79% 58% 21% use or are planning to use social media. currently use social media. are preparing to launch initiatives. As more companies move to online customer acquisition, more consumers use online 41% of B2B companies acquire customers through Facebook. methods of choosing products. As their exposure grows, busi- nesses need to make sure they 54% monitor positive/negative feedback about their organization on maintain their brand's reputa- social networks. tion. This means addressing complaints in a manner that demonstrates professionalism 16% use Twitter as a customer service channel. and expresses genuine concern for the customer's grievances. Of The Consumers... The average consumer men- tions specific brands over 90 times per week in con- 97% who make a purchase based on an online review find the versations with friends, family, review to be accurate. and co-workers. 61% rely on user reviews for product information or research before a buying decision is made. Who Do The Consumers Trust? 90% trust 8% trust people they know. celebrities. 70% trust 14% trust unknown users. advertisements. 27% trust experts. How are consumers using social media to interact with companies? 34% air their feelings 23% share companies about a company. or products they like. 26% express dissatisfaction. Businesses are beginning to recognize the value in engaging with customers who post com- A recent study showed that 71% of customers who complained ments to social platforms. About via Twitter were not contacted by the company. 29% were con- 60% of those surveyed said tacted. they respond to these com- How did people feel about being How satisfied were people with ments, whether they're negative contacted by the company the company's response after or positive. So for every tweet, regarding their complaint? Facebook, Google+ update, or blog comment mentioning a brand, these companies are being contacted? interacting with consumers in a they weren't just a few years ago. Pleased Satisfied Businesses can't afford to lose a good online reputation, there- fore if a complaint arises, it Indifferent Indifferent needs to be dealt with swiftly Displeased Dissatisfied and accordingly. Here's how! Monitor social media to discover potential problems as early as possible. *?#!x?#! Don't ignore the negative feedback as neglect will create more negative emotions. Act on complaints, answer questions, direct people to appropriate channels like support. When you encounter negative feedback engage as early as possible. Plan for crisis. What can happen? How would you react? Even a rudimentary plan will help you more than no plan at all. Engage in a dialogue, personally. People are perfectly will- ing to cool down if they talk to a real person with a name. Hi! ödm group odmgrp.com http://www.dalecamegiewayala.com/2011/05/29/social-media-for-business-statistics-from-harvard-business-review/ http://socialmediatoday.com/chad-wiebesick/343431/five-awesome-b2b-social-media-statistics http://bonfiresocialmedia.com/online-reputation-management-managing-negative-social-media-reviews/ http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-monitoring/70-of-companies-ignore-customer-complaints-on-twitter/ http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/11/small-businesses-are-responding-to-social-media-comments.html http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/seven-steps-to-managing-your-online-reputation/ http://www.dreamgrow.com/managing-social-media-crisis-and-negative-feedback/ http://mashable.com/2010V03/02/small-business-stats/