How to counter exaggerated online feedback

Social media has boosted citizen journalism. You now don’t have to wait for prime time news, but can instead get real time updates on social media. This new journalism space however comes with the risks of misinformation, misrepresentation of facts and posting of unverified information. A risk that can bring down business reputation at the twinkling of an eye.

Social media has boosted citizen journalism. You now don’t have to wait for prime time news, but can instead get real time updates on social media. This new journalism space however comes with the risks of misinformation, misrepresentation of facts and posting of unverified information. A risk that can bring down business reputation at the twinkling of an eye.

Another risk of the open online space is the exaggeration of bad service. Since instant feedback on services is provided online, the likelihood of people who didn’t experience the bad service joining the fray is very high. A small hitch with your systems and the internet is full of of negative vibe from customers and their followers. Even competitors are likely to join in. I have seen photos of long banking hall queues and empty cashier tills go viral on social media.

These risks means that Public relations staff have to be on the alert all the time scrolling their timelines to see what people are saying about their brands. Any delay in responding to a complain could turn disastrous. Patience is a virtue when it comes to dealing with misrepresentation of facts online and exaggerated complains..

These risks means that Public relations staff have to be on the alert all the time

The PR people have to resist the temptation of disputing the magnitude of the complains and seeking to solve them realtime instead. They also have to be quick to clarify misrepresentation and do it respectfully without starting a fight. The open online space helps us advance brands but the risks it brings along demands that PR people remain alert all the timte.