The WHY Behind the REPLY
Why Replying to Social Media Comments Matters.
Running social media channels for a business can be tricky. Especially right now. We have to set our personal views aside and speak in the voice of our business(es).
Often we are met with adversity or less than desirable comments from our followers. That’s the nature of real-time responsiveness. We get those types of comments and/or reviews and human instinct tells us this:
I control this page.
DELETE COMMENT.
BAN USER.
Hard stop.
Don’t do that.
Seriously. You’re hurting your image.
I don’t believe in deleting comments. I strongly advise against deleting unless they are 1. Repeatedly attacking another person or 2. Using profanity to the point of losing productivity.
Social media was created as a two-way conversation. Stop talking AT people. Yes, you could absolutely ignore the comments or delete all the negative ones and make it look like it’s only sunshine and roses. Your followers will see through it.
By allowing followers to share their differing views, it shows you are not only listening…you’re engaging. You’d be surprised how many people watch that.
Oh and don’t be boring. Have fun with your comments. Don’t be afraid to add a little flavor. Watch how your community responds.
Step away from the delete button.
You’ll thank me later ;)