How To Turn A Downvote Into A Win: A Short Guide To Managing Social Media Critique
So Slack’s new logo wasn’t as much of a hit with people as it might have been hoping for. The new logo received a largely negative reception and the web can’t stop equating it to ducks, erstwhile pharmacy shop logos, and even the Nazi Swastika among other things. Slack, however, has taken a firm stance in favor of the logo update.
Smack dab in the middle of this was @SlackHQ — Slack’s official Twitter handle which has spent the majority of the last two days coming up with witty comebacks and firm assurances along the lines of the new logo appropriately reflecting the future of the magical team chat app.
From admitting to having always wanted to explore the world of sprinklers to gracefully shutting down requests for pulling a Trump and switching back to the old logo, the replies were coming fast and more importantly, with a dash of caution lest a separate controversy rears its head.
And this is where the battle against internet trolls and negative critique is won. Brands must not reply with malice but with careful thought and overall positive sentiment. More and more brands have started responding to trolls and general feedback on their social media profiles in this vein.
Those Who Are Killing It Already
Wendy’s has made quite a name for itself with its sassy and witty comebacks on Twitter, so much so, that people actively ask to be ‘roasted’. Talking like a human being, and not a group of people running a corporation, Wendy’s will post replies that can be oftentimes considered rude. But that has become something of a USP for the brand.
Tesco Mobile are out to police people who think their moms and girlfriends are uncool because they use Tesco — with savage comebacks, of course.
Going over the line to roast your own customers is just as scary as it sounds. They are your paying customers, after all (or at least potential customers). Most of the time, a graceful response works best. Many brands will only try to minimize damage, even when using humor and get it done with.
Why Bother Replying?
Either with gracious responses or with sarcastic comebacks — the fact of the matter is that brands should not let negative criticism go untouched. This is just as much a need as it is a cool trend of its own. Social Media has emerged and positioned itself as a golden opportunity for brands to connect with their audience. Brands now have the option to talk and communicate with their customers and lure prospective ones in personalized ways.
But personal communication goes both ways. Now the consumers also have just as much of an option to “talk” to a brand and let them know what they think about them — both good things and the bad.
If your brand “likes” the good stuff that is being said about it, it must also respond to not-so-good comments with equal vigor.
How they do it is entirely up to the brand image they want to create for themselves. Denny’s prefers the ‘dad joke’ approach, while Wendy’s is out to get the nay-sayers.
Responding to criticism is just a part of the process that is course-correction. While, yes, many negative comments are just trolls, many others are genuine customers frustrated with something about your product or service. Replying in a reassuring manner and promising to resolve the issue should be your first concern — instead of giving a witty reply. Being gracious in failure certainly goes a long way. We can all learn from Slack!
This story is published in The Startup, Medium’s largest entrepreneurship publication followed by +413,678 people.
Subscribe to receive our top stories here.
