Online reputation is the most precious asset of the brand; The company has to worry about keeping it always clean and immaculate. Inevitably, at the most unexpected moment a single message, brief but concise, can stain it, and even cause it to deteriorate forever, if it is not able to act in time.

Social networks, especially Twitter, have a high power of vitalization, that confers a great impact to the message. Only 140 characters are enough to ignite the wick of a fire that can end in a devastating fire in the form of a reputation crisis.

No company is exempt from the dangers of a reputation crisis, and unfortunately, very few companies or brands are prepared for it. There are even some who consider that it is not possible to avoid them, although they can put remedies to face them, to minimize their side effects and to return to calm.

There are many examples of how through social networks, many companies have had to deal with these types of problems. And if we consider how difficult it is for many large brands to contain this type of unforeseen, we could imagine the damage they can generate in small and medium businesses, especially if they are not at least prepared for it.

Prevention, key to avoid disaster

If our company has built a strong brand presence, conveying a good brand image that allows it to defend itself thanks to a strategic plan in case of crisis, the options to suffer damages in this sense are reduced drastically. We will therefore have a greater capacity of response to tackle the attack and make our brand remain undamaged. If, on the other hand, we have not sufficiently developed our online reputation, nor do we have guidelines to implement in case of crisis, the result can be catastrophic.

Constant and effective monitoring

Social networks are like the ladder of your neighborhood community, but oversized. In them word of mouth is at its best, and opinions that are poured out can have a great reach. In the case of twitter, its power of virality and the speed at which information spreads makes us have much more in mind, the importance of keeping track of the conversations where our company is present.

Even so, it is impossible to control what is said of our brand, but we can be attentive and intervene in time and form, as quickly as possible and following the appropriate strategy. For this, it is vital to keep “our senses” permanently active, monitoring the conversations that continually take place in this type of media. Do not lower your guard, at any moment you can jump the hare.

Against the attack of the trolls

Nobody is safe from them, we all have the time to deal with such beings of social fauna. “Curious admirers” whose only purpose is to damage our reputation online. However, it is not appropriate to belittle them, nor to think that they will never return to their walks. They tend to be spiteful, weary and fucking, and sometimes well armed or related to start a coordinated attack that can end up generating a real crisis of reputation.

Despite the discrepancies between experts, it is better not to follow the game, nor respond publicly or mention them in our timeline if we consider that the problem does not really require it. We can solve the problem through other means if it does not require a public or justified apology. Avoid giving them prominence in your messages or tweets. Many of them just look for their minute of fame and glory.

If the criticism is unjustified, take a deep breath and be prepared to withstand the downpour. Do not try to enter the rag, because you will only encourage him to continue. Fortunately the batteries will soon run out and he will cease in his attempt to put the audience against you; So he will go where he has come.

Community support

A great loyal and committed community of users and followers will always be willing to defend unjust causes. If we receive an attack, sometimes a community with influential participants can be essential to counteract any kind of attack. It is important to do this not forget to foster our community by generating greater engagement and commitment. The larger this, the more influential participants integrate and the more committed they are, the better weapons we will have to apaliar the unjustified attacks.

Transforms complaints into opportunities

Despite the negative aspects, we can also learn from mistakes. No one is perfect, so customers can help us improve and be more competitive thanks to their complaints, suggestions and complaints. Before a negative criticism, we can not avoid the answer or even eliminate its trace, because then the possibilities of worsening a critical situation begin to increase from that same moment. We must show our customers that we really care about them; Listening and responding as soon as possible. So you can tackle in time what could lead to a crisis of reputation and even get to strengthen their loyalty in your brand.