It's Easy To Get Pissed Off When Your Business Is Attacked Online - This Is Why You Hire Someone
Let’s just say tensions are running a little high these days with what’s been going on in the news. I think we can all agree on that. So first off, try to be nice. Take a breath. Protect and nourish your mental health and avoid the things that might trigger you. Focus on the moment and not on what might happen.
Good advice right?
The problem is not everyone follows it. And for many who don’t their outlet for unloading that tension while they’re cooped up at home for example is where? Say it with me - SOCIAL MEDIA.
Social media can be a scary place for a business, especially if you don’t have a ton of experience or expertise in how to build a community there. Besides, there’s a pretty good chance your business has been impacted by COVID-19 and you might be feeling a little anxious too, so it can seem like there’s more at stake with every post, every interaction.
It’s easy to get pissed…
I’m going to give you two examples of situations with my clients in the last few weeks where they were attacked and were understandably upset. No one likes to have their livelihood unfairly ripped by trolls who don’t have a clue.
As a side note the old adage is to not feed the trolls right? Personally I don’t think that’s 100% the case anymore and a skilled & clever clap back on a troll can actually work. You don’t have to cower in the corner and be 100% diplomatic at all times - heck some brands have made a reputation out of shredding trolls. Obviously you need to keep your composure and not be offensive, but you can fight back if you know how.
The thing is this can be very difficult to do as a business owner - you’re simply too close to it. Too emotionally invested in what may literally be your life and your life’s work that someone is crapping on. This is where your digital marketer / social media manager comes in.
Two examples of why you might want to hire someone…
Take Five Guys for example. There was a recent incident that made national headlines where a couple of employees at a franchise in Alabama refused to serve a couple of police officers. The employees in question were fired and statements were made from Five Guys corporate as well as the local franchisee that it is not policy to discriminate against any customers and that was that. You can’t possibly control all decisions of all employees at all locations at all times. This didn’t stop a handful of people from making really nasty comments on the Five Guys - Michigan Facebook page about how disgraceful it is that Five Guys doesn’t serve cops etc… The Five Guys franchisee wanted to make a post about it to make it clear that this is not a Five Guys policy and that it didn’t even happen in Michigan which is what this page represents. I advised against it for 4 reasons: 1) It was really only a few comments to begin with. 2) A separate post would call more attention to it and be a potential magnet for comments and fighting, 3) I felt it would be better to meet each comment head on - to engage directly with each person knowing that 4) as mentioned before tensions are running high and you never know if someone sees the story, gets triggered and legitimately wants an explanation. Just like any other complaint, when a brand at least shows that they care enough to answer that can do the trick. This turned out to be the right call and a call that a third party with the right expertise can make a little more objectively.
Next example is Super Car Wash. I posted about following Super Car Wash on Twitter and some guy replied with a really nasty comment about how horrible Super Car Wash was and the jerks at the location at Haggerty and 8 Mile. Super Car Wash has never had a location anywhere close to Haggerty and 8 Mile. My client was pissed. Besides the guy who commented apparently is in the car wash business himself, so Todd the owner went at him asking why would he make a comment like that without knowing what he was talking about… it came from Todd’s personal profile and I don’t blame Todd at all for wanting to strike back at this guy. I then chimed in as the brand Super Car Wash and reiterated that it wasn’t one of our locations. I said I could just delete the comment but maybe he wouldn’t mind deleting it himself since he has us confused? Lo and behold he deleted it! I was slightly more diplomatic about it and it worked. Todd wasn’t wrong, but he has me for handling these things and sometimes it takes a bit more objective finesse. I’m not saying this ALWAYS works, but man you can really get into the weeds of social media as a business owner and be distracted by trolls from doing what you do best - actually running your business. And in this climate it’s more important than ever!
M10 Social is owned by Doug Cohen in West Bloomfield, MI and provides social media training and digital marketing services from the Frameable Faces Photography studio Doug owns with his wife Ally. He can be reached there at tel:248-790-7317, by mobile at tel:248-346-4121 or via email at mailto:doug@frameablefaces.com.
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