This document provides guidance on how to effectively respond to feedback, posts, comments, and reviews on social media. It discusses monitoring conversations to listen for brand sentiment, influential voices, community discussions, and trends. It recommends identifying a core team to engage with consumers and represent your brand well. When responding, add value, be honest and transparent, and use a personal rather than corporate voice. Respond quickly where the feedback originated and follow ethics guidelines. The goal is to build relationships with satisfied consumers one at a time through respectful, speedy, and open engagement.

1. How to Respond to Feedback, Posts, Comments and Reviews

2. Perhaps you’ve had one of these…(Admit it- there’s room for improvement)

3. Or perhaps you’ve had one of these…(and you did in fact screw up)

4. And maybe consumers really aren’t happy…(oh great, now legal wants to get involved)

5. And as long as you don’t do this…

7. You can still come out on top.

8. really?do tell.

9. CONSIDER…WHO should be engagingWHATwill you say

10. WHENyou will respond

11. WHEREwill you respond

12. HOW will you respondBUT FIRST…

13. 10listen

14. If you don’t listen, how will you know what people are saying?

15. Monitor the conversation – The BASICS (free!)GoogleTwitterTechnoratiSocial SearchRSS

16. Monitor the conversation - Enterprise Level ListeningSearchDigitalPublic RelationsDisplayMeasurementEffectivenessCreativeListening PlatformCommunicationMediaPlanningEngagementAudienceOutreachBrandCustomer ServiceResearch and BIProduct .

17. And what should you be listening for? Brand sentiment (positive, negative or neutral)Who’s talking (influentials and elders)Context (where did the discussion start? where is it happening?)Community discussions (what’s important to them, vernacular)Trends and hot topics (latest & greatest news, memes)

18. 15who

19. WHO should be engaging?Identify a core contact or team to respond (choose well- they should represent your brand well, they should be passionate, honest, reliable and likeable)Train them (be sure engagers know company policies, your brand and product line, legal issues, and most of all, understand how social media works)Point them in the right direction (have them read, read, read some more)Support them with resources (1 person can represent but they can’t stand alone)

20. 17what

21. WHAT will you say?Add value (Come bearing gifts- the gift of service, information, deals or acknowledgement)Be honest (admit fault when appropriate, give factual information when you have it and if you don’t know, say that too!)Human Stuff (anything that makes you relatable and personable)

22. 19when

23. WHEN should you respond?Set expectations (For customer service issues, we’ll try _______)

24. Appropriateness(many comments don’t deserve a response. Know the difference between a “troll” and a regular consumer)

25. Review bloggers (thank them!)

26. After you’ve become part of the community (ideally)

27. And remember: Social moves faster than corporateBut basically, respond…

28. 21fast!

29. 22where

30. WHERE should you respond?Where did the comment happen? (respond where the comment was made if appropriate)

31. Responding in public (if you’re servicing your consumers and being helpful, shouldn’t everyone see that?)