Not all companies are prepared to manage an online reputation crisis

Every professional who dedicates himself to Social Media lives with the precaution of not taking any action that could cause a negative situation for the brand we represent, neither big nor small.

Sometimes brands, despite correctly managing their presence in social networks, may find that users make a comment that can lead to a serious crisis for the company, although, we must say that, generally, they are the actions of brands. that generate the great crisis of reputation, there are many examples.

However, although a reputation crisis can have disastrous consequences for our brand, it also has a positive side, and if we are able to adequately manage a crisis of this kind, our company, and we as professionals, will be tremendously strengthened.

Obviously it is not easy to manage in a satisfactory and adequate manner for all parties involved a reputation crisis, it is necessary to have a team prepared and well trained for this purpose, in addition to requiring a perfectly drawn plan for, at the moment of truth , all employees of the brand are able to execute it perfectly and leave, if not undamaged, minimizing the damage to the brand as much as possible.

Companies must have action plans to manage negative reactions and comments

The lack of management of opinions related to brands, is often something that companies and businesses face through the network. For this reason, it is important to establish strategies and action plans to avoid that this type of opinions or comments may expand virally. However, similarly, positive comments and opinions can also be replicated and spread through social networks and other sites in the network in ways that can help influence consumers’ purchasing decisions and even be the wick for consumers. start a real fire on any brand.

Online reputation crisis: The great challenge for companies and professionals of the new millennium

A reputation crisis means the loss of the client’s trust in our product or service that affects indeterminately, depending on the situation, our Branding, that is, our brand image, which is neither more nor less than the way in which other users and customers, whether potential or real, generate a perception of it.

It can also cause, as we know, great economic losses, since the client stops trusting in us and in our product, causing, in addition, other possible collateral damages. For this reason, companies usually have a Plan that includes the protocol of action in the event of a situation of this kind, aimed at minimizing the impact of the adverse situation as much as possible, although, as has always been said, it is better prevent it to heal.

A reputation crisis is something important enough to take seriously, therefore, the best form of prevention is to have an action plan to face it if the time comes

Planning and simulation of crisis situations are actions that we must take into account in our strategy in Social Media and, they are the best way to prevent crises that seriously damage our reputation.

Managing the crisis

To manage a crisis we need our professionals to be a Community Manager or disciplinary team, be able to detect a problem in the community, a need not satisfied or inadequately satisfied, only then you can communicate it to your superiors and solve it before that small focus It becomes a great fire, which will show us that we have a professional prepared for action and able to handle a complicated situation. It’s time to put out the fire .

Once the problem has been communicated, the department or Communications Manager will have to analyze if the complaint or problem has been reproduced in any other platform, if there is an influential user that encourages it or if it affects the pillars of the brand, in order to In this case, start up the machinery gathering the Crisis Committee, which will decide the guidelines to follow.

The proper management of a situation of this kind requires a thorough analysis by the corresponding team about its legitimacy, scope and affected and, based on it, decide what to do and how to do it, or what is the same, what will be our answer.

In case the brand decides to respond, it is necessary to establish what our response will be, what solutions will be given to the problem, and how to proceed to those affected. In addition, we need to continue the conflict controlling our presence and the responses of users to our publications, monitor the focus of the problem to prevent the fire from rekindling and to thank the community for the feedback received.

The return to normality after the solution of the problem implies a time of monitoring and surveillance by our team or Community Manager, and a report analyzing what have been the repercussions that the crisis has had for our company.

It is not easy, we repeat, to manage a situation of this kind, not all companies are prepared for it, so we can say that a crisis puts a brand to the test, and that only large companies are successful. Major crises make great brands, but not all are prepared to manage them.