In a world now flooded with social media, companies have resorted to marketing their products and brands through the various social networks available. There is also no denying that this modern marketing strategy works.
Facebook, one of the top social networks allows millions of users to view products either through the small icons you can see at the left side of a user’s profile, or through the product’s fan page. If you check the recent comments of some of Facebook’s major brand pages, the numbers get very big quickly. Take for example, when Coca Cola
asked fans whether they had ice-cold Cokes in their fridges, it generated around 30,000 likes and more than 2000 comments. And these are just comments from a single post. Add in all other posts plus wall comments and you have a seemingly unmanageable facebook fan page.So what should companies have to do? Especially in the event that there is a controversy involving the product or the brand and the customers get hysterical resulting in a massive facebook comment flooding?
We found answers from an article in mashable.com written by Jason Keath, CEO of Social Fresh, a leading social media education company for marketers. Here are some of the helpful tips he recommends plus some comments of our own:
First, the company must establish clear commenting guidelines in their Facebook page. Making public these guidelines before the need to actually enforce them will minimize further arguments by fans and also helps to clear out your page admin’s dilemmas.
Second, delete negative comments only when absolutely necessary. Yes, it is very tempting to just delete comments that are against the product. However, it also helps that constructive negative comments from consumers be published to send out a message of transparency. More so, if a page administrator or any assigned employee from the company can answer to these comments when necessary.
Third, is to actually enforce your rules. Remember the first tip? Well this is the time to get those rules working. If you do not moderate a comment that is violating your policy, then you create a double standard which again, may upset other customers and lead to another issue. Enforcing your rules in a timely way will make viewers know that despite wanting to hear what they have to say, you also mean business with your policies.
Fourth, practice worst case scenarios. Just like a fire drill without the bells and the going outside in straight lines. Yes, you have to anticipate and plan for the worst so that when it actually comes, the steps you do to try and fix it has been familiarized and therefor more efficiently and effectively done by those assigned. Plus, you get to plan for a “back-up” plan in case the first steps don’t actually work.
It is important for the company to understand that in the world of social networking, time is of the essence. As proven by videos that have been watched by a hundred thousand people in a matter of hours and comments that reach hundreds in a matter of minutes. It is actually good marketing if the buzz is something positive about your product, but what if it is the opposite? How will your marketing team handle it?
Finally, it will be more helpful if your company enlists professional help in case the situation could not be handled by the company’s employees. Facebook software vendors like Buddy Media and Vitrue, as well as social moderation services like LiveWorld and ICUC use a combination of technology and manpower to manage these situations.