Monitor social media sites 24/7

You never know when your brand or services might get negative press. When it happens don’t put your head in the sand. It’s not about “if” something will happen; it’s about “when.”

In this transparent, authentic and real-time world, expect a hiccup to occur. Be prepared.

If you monitor social media always, you can respond to concerned users, and keep users up-to-date on the steps your are taking to fix the problem.

Respond quickly with a consistent message

No matter how proactive you are, customers will start to question your organization when they see problems. Whenever there is an information void, those customers tend to fill in the gaps with their own thoughts on what the cause may be. It is important to respond to issues quickly, even if the message is just, “we’re looking into it.”

Communication is key here. Make sure each employee knows the same message all the way down the chain of command. And, when that message changes, don’t forget to communicate those changes. This serves two purposes:

1. it gives the public a sense that you have your arms around the issue

2. it gives your employees a sense of unity – working together to solve a common problem.

Educate employees on proper messaging

In today’s technology age, a company’s brand image belongs to the consumer. Use social media tools to learn, communicate, and evolve for a better, more flexible company.

If you make a mistake, own up to it. In 2009 the European furniture maker Habitat was caught spamming Twitter. Their response was an apology. No skirting the issue. The old cliché that honesty is the best policy holds true.

Your employees represent your organization, and if they have a solid, credible personal brand, it will carry over to the company’s image.

It’s not enough to allow employees to have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. Organizations need to show employees the proper way to use them. Your organisations' employees should receive training during company orientation on how to use the applications.

Develop a Crisis Strategy

1. Assemble a team of trusted employees who are willing to work round the clock (it won’t be for long – just a few days at most) to help you evaluate the situation and possibly respond

2. Assess the situation online by harnessing the tools that are publicly available, such as Google Search, Blogs, Technorati, Twitter Search, Who’s Talkin’, RSS etc.

3. Track these sources constantly to see what and how the situation is developing. Watch the “attacker’s” website or blog as well

4. Assess the situation:

– Trend the volume of response and the type of consumer reaction over time: Is it growing or waning? Is it supportive or negative? How is this changing over time?

– Identify what your target audience’s reaction is. This will determine your response. Remember: your response could validate that there is an issue and may further perpetuate a negative situation.

5. solution scenarios:

– If consumers are silent on the situation, continue to monitor but don’t respond publicly. Assess the need to respond on an ongoing basis – hourly, twice daily, daily, etc.

– If consumers are demanding a response, be sure that the initial upswell of outrage has passed and that the issue is continuing

– When responding, be sure to really listen and determine what consumers want – do they just want an apology/acknowledgment or do they demand change? Address these things in your response.

– DO NOT RESPOND too quickly, too thoroughly, in too much of a ‘corporate’ tone or via a press release posted on your website (as the sole response mechanism). These tactics are typically not well-received in the social media landscape

• Source: mashable.com/2009/07/09/social-media-damage-control