8 steps to repairing your online reputation in a social media crisis [infographic]

While there’s no “one size fits all” approach to dealing with a social media crisis, that doesn’t mean you can’t bookmark this page–and hope that you never actually have to use it.

Step 1 – Have a plan
Don’t think it can’t happen to you. If you know your Achilles heel ahead of time, you can be better prepared.

Step 2 – Pay attention
Don’t just listen to what’s being said about your company brand, but monitor everything connected with your business.

Step 3 – Know what a crisis is
If you’re actively listening to your stakeholders, then you’ll already know how you got here and how you can dig yourself out.

Step 4 – Acknowledge it as quickly as you can
You may be working quickly behind the scenes to resolve the issue, but nobody knows that. At the very least, let people know you are aware of the situation and what you’re doing to resolve it.

Step 5 – Let people vent
If you have your own Facebook and Twitter accounts, you provide a more manageable platform for any customer venting.

Step 6 – Build an area to house information
I’ve suggested in the past that you can go ahead and prepare a crisis blog that you deploy in case of emergency.

Step 7 – Turn a negative into a positive
Each situation will be different, but it might help to remember these three words: sincerity, transparency, consistency.