7 Practical Steps To Managing A Facebook Crisis

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there is no recipe for handling a social media marketing crisis… and neither can you completely prevent it. I know, I know – many other blogs have published articles stating the opposite and if you’re faint of heart you may want to head over their way. Otherwise, stick around for the truth.

First, even though they all entail angry mobsters trashing a Facebook Wall and a desperate corporate team praying for mercy, every crisis is different. And second, if you could prevent a crisis then it wouldn’t really be a crisis – would it? Crises happen when you LEAST expect them – and often when in the midst of the implementation of some brilliant idea your team had to promote your brand. Looking back at how you could have avoided it is merely “Monday morning coaching.”

Sure, there are measures you can establish to diminish the likelihood of a crisis – we’ll go into those later. But if you’re reading this article, chances are it’s too late for that and everyone around you is already banging their heads against your graffitied Facebook Wall as fans continuously hurl trash at it, stating they will hate you forever and will die before they give you another penny.

WHAT TO DO

1) ACT QUICKLY

Hopefully you have read this article before so you’re not Googling for last-minute advice. Unlike the angry customers of yore, social media helps people express themselves effectively and quickly, thus enabling virtual mobs. Whereas it used to be considered noble to carry signs of protest or hug suffering trees by a factory, today anyone around the globe can protest from the comfort of their laptop computers. So while you sit around thinking of a resolution or passing suggestions around your corporation’s branches and/or legal team, your Facebook wall is being hijacked.

Don’t take this part lightly. I’ve worked with too many clients who were larger corporations and ended up spending endless hours discussing wording and strategy rather than taking action. Would you stand by watching a  fire start, discussing from what angle to throw water at it? (If so, please don’t visit the Amazon!)

2) JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Sure, it’s not really a fun conversation to join but – newsflash – it will continue to take place whether or not you make an appearance. Does this mean saying “Hey guys! I know you’re pissed but let’s talk about it so we can defend ourselves?” No. Again, many other articles will state just the opposite but few focus on the practical rather than the theoretical when it comes to crisis management. The first thing that will calm down an angry mob is if you…

3) TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

Even if YOU are not personally responsible for the crisis – or if the company is not directly to blame – if this conversation is taking place on your Wall then some of it was most likely your team’s responsibility. Your fans want to hear you say “sorry, we screwed up and this won’t happen again.” Find the words you find most euphonious and appropriate – but stick to this basic message.

Tagging blame onto others or circumstance may seem brilliant when you’re darting punches to your face, but that will not be a long-term surviving strategy. Your community wants you to acknowledge you messed up – to whatever degree – and hear you vouch that you’ll put measures in place to prevent a similar catastrophe in the future. Oh, and if that does come from someone REALLY important or well-known in the industry… it won’t hurt.

This doesn’t mean you have to go around taking responsibility for anything and everything. Monitoring comments (rather than closing your eyes hoping they will go away) will allow you to identify erroneous accusations and clarify what is needed with facts. Nonetheless, don’t get steered away from your focus by erroneous details – address only what matters to the overall situation.

4) BE HUMAN (A Good Human)

“But I am!” you contest. Yes YOU are human but the brand behind the Facebook Page is not. Before brands and products decided to have two-way conversations with consumers and engage them beyond different forms of payment, it was relatively OK to issue a formal response written (and revised twice) by your PR team or CEO. Nowadays, however, that just wont cut it. If you have a social media strategy, you’ve been luring fans to connect with your brand on a personal level – spewing out a formal apology comes off as impersonal, outdated and insincere. Rather, use the colloquial language you may have already developed for the platform or just as the desolate marketing team that didn’t realize the damage they could cause. The damage you caused, remember? Since you already took responsibility?

And beyond the language, don’t forget to be transparent. Not all humans are honest but right now you’re standing in front of a group that already thinks you’re not that great – cut through the corporate slime and tell them what happened.

Oh yeah, and empathy. Humans have that quality, remember? Show your fans (and potentially-soon-to-be-ex-fans) that you actually DO care and that you’re sorry for the harm you’ve done to those who were there to support you.

5) ASK FOR HELP…

…from the community itself! No, this doesn’t mean having your fans come into your office to help you craft out a better marketing strategy – this means finding out what it will take to make it up to them. Keep in mind that many disgruntled fans will ask for an arm and a leg – non-feasible make-goods – but many will be happy to share how you can climb out of the hole. They’ll be glad you asked and even MORE glad if you take at least one of those suggestions and implement them. This step will help you take control of the direction of the conversation and to show that you are approaching the issue proactively rather than reactively.

6) FIX IT

And make sure everyone knows how you fixed it forever – and that they won’t risk a re-run of this “hoo-hah” if they stick with you.

7) MOVE ON

Really, there’s only so much you can do and sometimes a few (unreasonable) bad apples just won’t let it go. Returning to your posting schedule and moving on to the next topic (in an engaging matter, with the help of your social media agency) will help give a voice to those who were either not affected by your crisis or who found your honest, transparent apology and make-dos to be sufficient.

In terms of creating a work environment less conducive to crisis, I won’t say much as that’s not the focus of this post and you can read more about it in this post by Jeremiah Owyang.

What I will advise, as this is often left out of such guides and happens much too often, is that you don’t forget that your company has multiple divisions for a reason. In construing a campaign, discussing brand development or incorporating any new idea, don’t forget to consult representatives from different teams. The IT guy may remind you that the server won’t be able to handle as many hits as a viral campaign may catalyze, your social media strategists may see implementation holes from afar, or that quiet marketing guy may point out that your actions won’t resonate well with influential groups. As they say, better safe than sorry!

Have I missed any essential steps? Share your tips for handling social media in times of crisis below. Don’t forget to read up on how to deal with brand identity theft crises, and in order to make sure you get all of our guides and tips, follow us on Twitter and join us on Facebook!