Does your crisis communications plan address social media?  In a crisis, don't make these mistakes!

1- Be an ostrich and stick your head in the sand- Believe me, it won’t work. Times have changed. If your brand is under a social media attack, you need to respond, quickly and appropriately. Make sure social media is a part of your crisis communications plan, and monitor it 24/7/365.

2- Responding in kind- Keep your emotions in check. Many an executive has caused significant brand damage by blasting detractors online. Don’t bite back at those who post negative comments. Instead, gather the facts, and prepare to respond rationally to your critics.

3- Deleting comments you don’t like- This will backfire on you faster than you can say hash-tag. This will further inflame the situation and encourage people to scream louder and in more places. The ONLY time it is ok to delete negative comments is when they clearly violate your social media policy (which should be prominent on your social media pages)

4- Being less than honest- The hallmark of social media is transparency and honesty, and if you lie, it will come out sooner or later (probably sooner). Focus on the facts and disclose what you can. 
Apologize and promise to do better. This will help the brand and make it easier to repair any damage to your reputation.

5- Creating fake accounts to post positive comments- The best defense (in addition to a solid plan) is to build a positive online brand reputation BEFORE something bad happens. Now. Bank lots of credits in your brand’s “goodwill bank” and your customers will stand behind you… IF.. you are honest, timely, and sincere in your response to the issue. 

Have more tips on what to do/ not do in a social media crisis? Please share them with us. Need to train your team? Check out ICM’s Crisis Certification Course at www.crisisconsultant.com.