How to Manage An Influencer Crisis
Whenever you are in the public eye, as all influencers are, there might be a time when you find yourself at the center of a PR or image crisis. Most influencers don’t have a team of PR people to help them navigate through a crisis. So that leaves many influencers out on their own to fend for themselves. Below we have outlined a few potential crisis situations influencers can face and how to overcome them.
You accidentally post something embarrassing
An unfortunate bathroom selfie with a not-so-Instagram-worthy background, a previously unseen reflection that shows a bit too much, posting a video with not-so-on-brand background audio — accidents happen! Influencers are posting content all the time. For the most part, nothing is posted without a full examination (and probably multiple re-takes) but sometimes things are overlooked and the next thing you know that dirty pile of underwear in your room is also in your Instagram photo.
What you should do: This crisis is relatively tame. It’s embarrassing, but certainly not career ending to accidentally post something you didn’t want everyone to see. As soon as you notice the error (or the error is brought to your attention by your followers), remove the post. You don’t even need to bring it up again or address it. Everyone will soon forget your faux pas and you can continue your reign as Instagram queen.
A lack of authenticity
Sometimes an influencer starts their channel off with one vision (a makeup tutorial channel that only uses drugstore products) but as they grow and expand their channel that vision changes (now they are always on vacation and using luxury products). This happens a lot as influencers grow their business and it can cause your long-term followers some distress. They followed you initially for one type of niche but now everything is different.
What you should do: Growing and changing is normal for any growing business. We can’t expect every business owner to stay in their ‘humble beginnings’ — being an entrepreneur is all about growth. However, this is a tricky line to toe for influencers. Your followers expect a certain persona from you. When you move too far away from that persona it can be confusing and isolating for your followers. Be sure to address the changes your followers are bringing up. Talk about your evolution and address their feedback. Your followers will enjoy feeling like they’ve been heard and it will help them understand your motivations a bit better.
A judgment crisis
When you say or do something offensive on social media, that can be called a crisis of judgment. These types of crisis can very quickly escalate and become a situation that is more than you can handle.
What you can do: Own the problem, but don’t overdo it by harping on it. If you find yourself at the center of a strong backlash over a bad judgment call, know that it is only temporary and look at it like a learning experience. Be sure to issue a thoughtful apology and do your absolute best to learn from your mistake and move on.
What other ways should influencers handle crises? Let us know in the comments below!
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- 5 Ways To Use Instagram Stories To Grow Your Account
- How To Increase Instagram Engagement
- How To Get FREE Products From Octoly
