How To Handle Social Media Mistakes

Mistakes can be made in the office all the time, but hopefully there is an editor, manager or process in place to catch mistakes before they are sent out for all the world to see. Social media, however, doesn't have this "catch-all." Once you post, it is posted. Of course you can edit the wording or delete something all together if backlash has started over a post that is deemed inappropriate to the public, but that does not mean the post is gone. In today's social media  atmosphere it is naive to think that viewers and readers do not screenshot posts, save visuals and share mistakes before they are taken off of a social media site.

So all businesses know they need social media accounts in today's market, but if a mistake does happen on your business' social media account how can you handle this crisis safely, professionally without putting the mistake in the spotlight?

The blog, PR in Your Pajamas has graced us with a wonderful post titled "How to Save Face After a Media Meltdown" detailing how to patch-up a social media mistake.

The first point they make is not to make excuses like "we've been hacked." This is an unprofessional  response to a rude or inappropriate post on your business' page. It's 2015, industries with social channels no longer should be fumbling its way through social. This doesn't mean everyone is an expert, but we should all know what privacy settings are and how to keep a username and password protected. Also, social media users know what a hacker's work usually looks like. If you've truly been hacked simply explain what happened, apologize for any inconvenience and share your plan to not get hacked again. However, if you have not been hacked and you say you have, you will lose your credibility on social media forever.

One tip this blog shared if a mistake does happen on your social media page is to own up to it. People have seen your mistake, and some may be angry about it. However, if you make a sincere apology and take responsibility for your mistakes people are a lot more inclined to forgive you.

A tip I have for all of you social media writers is to create a content calendar for each of your social media channels. Creating content calendars allows you to plan out your month's posts in advance. This avoids the rush of forgetting to post on Facebook for the day and as you rush out of the office create something hasty that sends a tidal wave of backlash onto your page.

Social media content calendars are easy to find on Google. Simply search "social media calendar," go to Google Images and you will find a whole list of templates.

If you sit down for an hour or two at the beginning of each month to plan your posts I think you will be surprised how much good content you come up with and how much time the calendar saves you over the course of the month.

I hope these tips help keep your social media platforms running smoothly. Happy posting!