HOW TO RESPOND TO A NEGATIVE COMMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES

Due to the competitive nature of business, companies place an important emphasis on delivering good customer service. Putting one’s best foot forward will ensure good feedback from customers,however there may well be an occasion where a complaint is made on one of your social media sites. Please note this is rare, but the point is it can happen.

The question is can we avoid this and if not, how do we deal with this if and when it happens? One needs to be aware that people come in all shapes and sizes, with different levels of maturity, professionalism and tact.There is also truth is saying, since their complaint would be public, people could use this fact as leverage to grab the attention of the company.

In my experience,people don’t tend to complain on social media sites first. The norm is they resort to that if they have not had their problems addressed when previously calling or emailing the company. Hence it is vital that each business has a water-tight system in place to deal with any possible complaints in the most effective and timeous way.

So what do you do when you meet up with such a person on a social networking site? First of all, the golden rule is never to ignore someone who is complaining. Their complaint has to be attended to and acknowledged quickly and promptly.

Secondly, if you respond with equal negativity to negative comments, you risk being viewed as unprofessional. It is vital to maintain a high level of professionalism when you respond, so the best advice is not to react instantly. This will avoid your response being emotionally based and not thought-out. If you are a small business owner, remember that anything you "say" on the social web is a reflection of your brand and your reputation.

Good advice is to acknowledge their complaint, apologise, and simply ask for their contact details, promising them that they will be contacted right away. It is then vital that there is immediate follow-through done by phone or email to prevent further negative remarks.

Less serious negative comments, are best replied to politely with a positive angle. Be sure that to fuel a heated debate in public or show visible irritation by their comments. Hold yourself back! Run round the block or beat the pillow on the couch first-then reply as politely as possible with a positive angle!

In the rare situation, where the person is abusive they can be removed and blocked from having further access to your social media sites. This should be done only in extreme cases. It is up to your social media management team to use their discretion and if necessary this measure should be applied.

In closing Social Media is a valuable tool to use in building your reputation in a positive manner. Please remember dealing with a negative comment is a rare occurrence. I am hoping the tips above will be of help in building good customer relationships online and offline.

Blogging with Success!

We most certainly have reached a new age in our world due to the tremendous growth of internet users and modern technology. Research tells us that the number of people reading blogs is growing and not only that-it is influencing purchasing decisions amongst consumers. This creates a great opportunity for businesses as they can write about their products and services and successfully reach large numbers of readers. Today's question is no longer 'should you have a blog?' it is more 'how often should you be posting to your blog?'

Here are some ways that Blogging can assist your business :

• Blogging can assist you to build your list of contacts in your target market through people subscribing to your blog
• Your list of readers could become clients
• Can establish you as a thought leader in your industry
• Expands your online presence
• Makes your website more interesting as there is a flow of new information
• Increases internet traffic to your website as blogging is a constant flow of new keywords onto your website. 
   

Besides being creative with articles and providing news, Search Engine Optimisation is the biggest advantage by far of having a Business Blog. Here are some tips to maximise SEO on your blog articles :

• Page Titles : these are very important and can help you rank higher if worded with the correct keywords. Try to keep the Title short, relevant and keyword rich
• Don't forget to add in your location if your products and services are dependant on a certain geographical area
• Use relevant keywords throughout the body of your blog article.
• Don't forget to add in the post tags onto the article in the backend of your blog
• Use hyperlinks when adding in your contact email address to that you are easily contactable
• Use links within your blog article to specific pages on your website!

On a final note, remember to add a good visual to your article-this just enhances the general appearance and makes it more appealing. Add in our social media sharing buttons to each article as this assists readers to share your content with their contacts. In closing, allow for public comments as this will boost engagement with consumers.

Enjoy the journey....and get blogging for search engine success!