Online Reputation Management For Dummies

Responding Effectively

After you’ve assessed the situation, tracked down the commenters, and decided on a plan, you’re ready to make your response. First, let me state the obvious. When you have an online reputation crisis escalating and threatening to go viral, you need to act quickly and thoughtfully. Remember, however, to

Know when to take the conversation private: Upon initial contact, it’s appropriate to acknowledge the problem in a public channel. After the initial public tweet, you should reach out in a private channel to really dig in and see if you can make a difference. Under no circumstances should you ever exchange confidential account information in an unsecured or public channel.

Offer an individualized solution: In customer service, there’s no “one size fits all,” because each case is different. Offer an individualized solution, which may require you to work with the right people within your own company. Don’t just tell this poor person to call the 800 number — go to bat for him.

To dissipate the high emotional energy, respond by following these simple steps:

1. Respond back in the same social media channel where the conversation originated.

2. If the conversation is on the brink of a crisis, offer to take the conversation offline.

This is especially important ...