One of the most difficult parts of working with digital and social media, is the dreaded negative online reviews. Today, brand reputation is driven by consumer experience. How your company responds can make or break your brand's reputation. We've compiled our experiences to help you better manage your reputation online.

1. How to Handle
NEGATIVE
Online Reviews 101

2. DIGITAL MEDIA
Let's Face It...
Digital and social media is not only super easy to
access, but it’s being used by a large majority of our
population. There are over one billion users on
Facebook alone. Just like with almost everything
else however, the positive doesn’t come without the
negative. One of the most difficult parts of working
with digital and social media, is the dreaded
negative online reviews.
Consumes Us!

3. YOUR HATERS!
LOVE
Here’s your guide to the do’s and don’ts of handling negativity
online and what you can do to prevent it, as told by a
communications manager!

4. MONITOR
STEP 1
Checking your social media several times throughout the day, and getting notifications to
your cell phone will keep you in the loop with who is talking about your business and
why. You will never know when a problem arises if you aren’t consistently monitoring all
facets of your digital and social media. The first step in handling negative online reviews
is being aware the review exists.

5. READ & UNDERSTAND
STEP 2
We all make mistakes, but how those mistakes are
handled tells quite a bit about the company in
which we work. Before responding to any type of
negative review, you must read the complaint
thoroughly and do your research as to why the
client or customer is having the issue. What you find
when doing your research, will then, mold how
your response to that individual should go.

6. RESPOND
STEP 3
Negative online reviews are something that
should be handled in an immediate manner.
Letting this type of review sit, without showing a
response from your company, could sway other
clients or customers away from doing business
with you based on one bad review. If your
company did in fact make an error, make sure you
apologize to your reviewer with a respectful and
polite response, and give them outlets to reach out
to your company offline to handle the complaint.
SEND

7. SHARE
STEP 4
If you find that the review is in fact an error on the
company’s part, the next step should be sharing it with
your team! Your team is the backbone to gaining success as
a business, so when something goes wrong sharing it with
your team will prevent the same mistakes in the future. If
your team isn’t aware of the mistake that was made and
how to fix it, there won’t be any preventative action for
that specific mistake moving forward and the likelihood of
another negative review is high.

8. POSITIVITY
STEP 5
The best way to rebuttal negative reviews are with
positive ones. Reach out to customers and clients who
you’ve had tons of success with in the past, and ask if
they would be willing to write your company a
positive review.
Whether they love your new product, or you’ve found
them a job that they’ve been working at for several
years; you want those individuals to share their story!
Your future customers and clientele are looking at
your digital and social media platforms, so that positive
review may just get your company that next big sale!

9. FINAL THOUGHTS
Negative Positive
A negative review is not the end all be all of
your company, but knowing how to handle it
can actually change a negative viewpoint into a
positive one. Just remember that complaints
even when they happen online are better
handled offline, and to make sure that your
team is aware of any mistakes that was made
on their end. You can’t ever truly prevent a
negative review, but you can take preventative
steps for handling them correctly.
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