Ever been criticized on social media? Oh boy! I recently came across a post on X where a customer commented about a social brand and how they have become less and less of their brand promise. The brand had responded defensively and in an approach that didn’t speak well. While the user had provided feedback, the brand had responded as if it was an attack. What followed was then a wave of other posts and other users who weren’t as nice as the initial user.

So let’s talk about social media criticism, especially from a brand perspective. Every once in a while online, you find your favourite brands under attack – no thanks to the fast communications street called social media. Usually, it starts with a tweet or a post by a customer about a product or a service. Hours later, it’s tens to hundreds to thousands of retweets/reposts and comments from other followers, amplifying the initial tweet. Before you can say Jack Wahala, you have a full-on brand situation on your hands. Think about the many times you’ve seen your favourite airlines come under criticism for losing baggage or making a customer miss their next flight. Or think about your popular food places and how they responded when they were attacked (cue in: dragged) online for mixing up orders, or not meeting customers’ expectations. Or your favourite brands for not standing against a social or political issue.

It is easy to want to be reactionary when facing criticism whether online or offline, but true social media veterans know that chaotic moments are the best times to master calm and assess situations. Although in the moment, it would feel easier to go with that knee-jerk reaction and respond with the first thoughts that come to you – get defensive or dismissive or even worse, respond with a template. Don’t!

It is the moment to step back, stop, and put the customer first. Ask yourself, if I was this customer, what would I be feeling right now? What would I want to hear? And then respond to that feeling. If it’s within your control, undo your automated response feature for direct messages. Should the customer feel the need to respond to you privately, that way, you’re sure they won’t be getting your preset brand response which could further aggravate the issue especially if the matter is contrary to that message.

With the younger generations holding more to personal experience as they form their views, brands need to also personalize resolutions to criticism to show authenticity. According to this article, Gen Z and millennials are leaning more and more towards a mistrust of institutions and trusting peers more when it comes to brands and information – online and offline. Citing that “…social media is the battleground for trust. Among those who were upset by a brand in the last year, Gen Z and Millennials are most likely to have learned about it on social media. Any bad news about a brand is going to spread on social media.”

Considering that personal lens, it is important to also speak with your customer team to understand the issue. What is the root cause? What is the scale and what are the concerns? If it is a potential legal issue, connect with your legal team. Once you have all the information you need, prepare to engage your customer. Acknowledge the situation, and respond calmly and quickly while showing empathy – not too short a response time that it feels dismissive and not too long that the customer starts to feel like they don’t matter. Even as you engage the customer, remember to keep your cool. The goal is to help the customer focus on finding solutions that work for both your brand and them and stick with solutions that make the customer feel great and the brand look helpful.

Trolls may come at you, but it’s not the time to roll in the mud. Stay ready to delete posts that violate your brand’s social engagement policies and keep such policies handy at all times. As a matter of fact, you shouldn’t wait until a crisis happens to publish your social engagement rules. Include a link to it or pin it (where the platform allows) at the top of your profile.

This is also not the time for social-as-usual and to continue to schedule or post content as planned. Pause your regular content schedule until the issue has seen some positive movement. It is the time and place to plug into those core brand values you’ve had everywhere – from the brand kit to presentation decks, to your website. Keep your response in alignment with your brand tone and voice, and your messages should be consistent. It’s also very likely that the customer has made the situation known on more than one platform. If this is the case, remember to stick with each platform strategy. Response strategy for X should differ from a LinkedIn response, however, keep your messaging, tone, and voice consistent with your brand. While X is a two-way conversation street, LinkedIn may not afford you the same opportunity. Stay true to your brand and your platform strategy.

When all is right in your brand world again, and the customer has expressed satisfaction, (this could be days or weeks after the situation), analyze what happened and the gaps that the situation revealed. Look to make changes to prevent future reoccurrences. Take ownership and stay accountable; transparency about lessons learned can help rebuild brand trust.