Social Media Crises: 3 Reasons You Shouldn't Respond From a Place of Emotion and 8 Strategies You Can Use Instead

The following article was cowritten by Chat GPT and Amy Marquis, who provided her expert perspective, prompt engineering, copywriting support and copyediting.

Social media has become a powerful tool for brands to connect with their audiences. But one misstep can quickly turn into a crisis that can cause serious damage a brand's reputation. When faced with a social media crisis, it's natural to feel a range of emotions from anger to frustration to anxiety, but responding from a place of emotion is never a good idea. Let's talk about why responding from a place of emotion in a social media crisis is not your best move and what brands can do instead.

3 Reasons You Shouldn't Respond From a Place of Emotion

1. It Can Escalate the Situation: Responding from a place of emotion can escalate the situation because it often skips the listening, acknowledgement, and taking responsibility phases. Emotion can make the situation worse, leading to more negative comments and responses from the public.

2. It Can Damage Your Reputation: Responding from a place of emotion can make you appear unprofessional, unresponsive, and insensitive.

3. It Can Make Matters Worse: Responding from a place of emotion can make matters worse. It can lead to misunderstandings, miscommunication, and more negative comments.

8 Strategies Brands Can Use Instead

1. Start With a Plan: Before a crisis happens, you'll want to have a solid crisis response plan in place. It should include what steps to take, stakeholders to consult, and how to make a decision on what type of response is warranted. A good plan helps keep you out of trouble when emotions are running high.

2. Take a Step Back: When faced with a social media crisis, taking quick and decisive action is important, but you should still take time to assess the situation. Gather all the facts before responding.

3. Respond with Empathy: Responding with empathy can go a long way in diffusing a social media crisis. Acknowledge the concerns of your audience and show that you are taking steps to address the issue. 

4. Stay Professional: It's important to stay professional in the face of a crisis. Responding in a professional manner can help maintain your reputation and credibility. 

5. Provide a Solution: When responding to a social media crisis, provide a solution. This shows that you are taking the issue seriously and are committed to resolving it.

6. Follow Through and Follow Up: Providing a solution is a good first step, but your audience will want to see that you mean what you say. So follow up with them to show how you've followed through on your promises.

7. Be Sincere and Authentic: A brand's audience is made up of people. And people want to know that your words are real and your actions show that your brand can be trusted. Brand trust is an essential component of success, so make sure you protect that part of your brand's reputation at all costs.

8. Learn from the Experience: Every crisis is a learning opportunity. After things have been resolved, take the time debrief. Analyze what happened, identify areas for improvement, and make changes as necessary.

Responding from a place of emotion in a social media crisis is not just ill advised, it's a recipe for disaster. It can escalate the situation, damage your reputation, and make matters worse. And on social media, it can happen at lightning speed. Brands should take a step back, respond with empathy, stay professional, provide a solution, and learn from the experience. By following these steps, brands can effectively manage a social media crisis and protect their reputation.

This article was originally published on LinkedIn.