We often say that social media is a conversation, and what we mean by that is unlike traditional broadcast and print mediums, which are often one-directional, social media is very much a two-way channel. Not only can businesses communicate with their customers, but their customers can communicate with them and with each other, as well. By and large, this type of communication is a good thing — businesses can form more personal relationships with customers and customers can become part of a community around the brands and businesses they want to support.
However, when you open the conversation up to anyone, you can also potentially invite negative criticism that you need to be prepared to deal with.
This quote from a Mashable article sums up the dilemma that faces businesses wanting to enter the social media arena. Everyone wants those positive comments, but many are unsure of how to handle critics and hecklers without damaging their reputations. Using social media not only facilitates crisis management by allowing you to keep an ear to the ground, but the ability to have direct, open conversation makes it easier to retain customers and even convert the critics. While engaging in social media can sound dangerous to certain technophobic C-Suiters, taking the leap is crucial to organizational survival in the 21st Century.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/