You Don’t Have to Panic (or Even Respond) to Every Social Media Critic
Good advice from a leading social media director...
I had an interesting conversation recently with the social media director for a Fortune 500 company. A few years ago, they had a disastrous PR situation when their advertising agency released a TV commercial that apparently wasn’t vetted well, and their customers – and the general public – hated it.
In fact, they hated it so much that social media lit up to the point that the company had 40-50 people monitoring their social media accounts 24/7. The social media director told me that the flare-up lasted about two weeks, and after that, everything went back to normal.
In spite of that experience, I asked for his opinion about dealing with critics online, and he was surprisingly calm. He told me that anytime you have a controversial message, take a bold stand, or deal with the culture at large, you’ll get online criticism.
His advice?
Accept it. Understand that it will happen, and don’t feel obligated to respond to everyone. Certainly, there are posts that should be responded to, and some critics can be taken offline so you can talk directly to the critic (and get their criticism out of the public eye).
On the other hand, there are also a lot of jerks and trolls out there who will dedicate an enormous amount of time to trying to destroy your reputation online. But as awful as it feels to see wrong information, lies, and even hatred posted about your organization, client, or you, you shouldn’t always or automatically respond.
Monitor it, and keep aware of what’s happening. But to focus on it – especially to the extent you neglect your purpose and mission – is to let the critic win.
Phil Cooke, PhD. has been called “one of the most innovative communicators of our generation.” As a media producer, writer, speaker, and consultant, his client list includes major film studios and TV networks as well as major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, and others. He’s also coached and consulted with many of the most influential churches and nonprofit organizations in the world, helping them use media to tell their story. You can hear his podcast here.
