Speaker 1: In the world of social media, a single bad post or tweet is all that it takes for things to spiral out of control and become a full-blown crisis. It's every social media manager's worst nightmare. But with the right strategies and tactics, you can turn any crisis into a grand opportunity. One that lets you showcase your brand's values and commitment to customer delight. Hey there, I'm Pooja Sriram and today I'll be walking you through some nifty social media crisis management tips. And we'll also be covering examples of how certain companies have managed to turn the tide in those desperate situations. Alright, so let's jump right in. It's essential to have a social media crisis management plan in place before a crisis happens. The ideal plan will help you identify and assess crises more easily. With it, you can assign roles and responsibilities to the right team members and create a messaging framework effortlessly. Just make sure the plan is regularly updated and tested so it's current and thorough. Act quickly and transparently. In a social media crisis, every second counts. The longer you wait to respond, the worse the damage. And you've also got to be transparent and honest about the whole situation. Go ahead and give regular updates so your audience is always in the loop. And respond to all relevant comments and messages ASAP. This will go a long way in earning back your customers' trust. How might this play out in the real world, you ask? Well, in 2020, a major airline faced criticism on social media over how they handled COVID-19-related cancellations. And what did the company do? They waived the change fees for flights that were impacted by the pandemic. And they issued refunds to customers as well. What's more, they provided frequent updates on social media and implemented new safety measures on their flights. They covered all the bases, wouldn't you say? The tone of your messaging during a crisis can make a world of a difference. So try to find that sweet spot between sounding empathetic and professional. Acknowledge the issue and show that you're taking the necessary steps to address it. Oh, and avoid getting defensive or confrontational. People don't really like that at all. For instance, in 2018, a popular fast food joint faced a crisis when a supply chain issue caused a shortage of chicken at many of their restaurants. So this company went all out by embracing the problem. And they responded with, wait for it, humour. They ran ads featuring empty chicken buckets. Yeah. They also kept customers updated on social media. And to top it off, they offered free meals when their restaurants reopened. It's a bucket-half-full kind of situation, won't you agree? Monitoring your social media channels is also considered 101 during a crisis. So use social media listening tools like Sprinklr to track the mentions and sentiment around your brand. Another great way to go about this is to identify key influencers who can help spread your message and address any misinformation. If your brand is at fault for the crisis, be humble. Apologise and do what you have to do to make amends. Offer refunds, discounts or other incentives to show that you really value your customers and are committed to resolving the issue. All in all, social media crises are kind of an inevitable part of doing business in today's digital age. If you combine these tips just right, your brand can make it through a crisis with no creases and come out stronger on the other side. Well, that's a wrap for today. If you want to learn more about crisis management strategies, don't think twice to reach out to our team for assistance. We'll be delighted to help. Alright folks, thanks for tuning in to this episode of CX Unplugged and catch you in the next one.