5 tips to help brand managers survive social media mobs

1. Avoid being defensive. This is one of the key rules to avoiding social media regret in general. No good can come from being defensive or pointing fingers. Own your mistakes, or at least accept the possibility that one exists and that you are taking the proper steps to evaluate the situation. The Honest Co. recently earned negative backlash on social media from users posting pictures of their sunburned skin after using the company’s sunscreen. Rather than expressing empathy for these unhappy customers, the company first posted a defensive statement that backed up how its product was created and explained the proper directions on how to use the product. Doing so implied that the customers that are complaining did not correctly apply the sunscreen and, while this may be true, the real reason for the sunburns has yet to be proven. The company later switched gears and posted a new statement with a more understanding and sympathetic tone, promising to “…do what it takes to make it right.”