5 Tips To Determine Whether Your Facebook Fans Need Attention Or The Silent Treatment

Things getting blown out of proportion on Facebook is not an uncommon occurrence. Take the big bust up that Adidas experienced on Facebook over the announcement of shackled shoes or even the backlash that Nestlé’s received after they issued a warning saying they would delete photos and comments from their Facebook page if they contained an altered version of their logo. We all know negativity goes viral way more quickly and easily than positive brand messages. There’s nothing worse than seeing your hard work and best social media intentions undoing all your high hopes. So here are 5 crucial steps you can take to help determine whether or not you should be getting into a conversation with your fans on Facebook to ensure you don’t fall prey to a similar fate.

1. If they’re happy and you know it, then respond.

This one’s easy. If someone is giving your brand virtual cuddles on Facebook… be nice and say thank you. Remember to always respond to positive feedback. If you don’t, sooner or later your fans will think you have an attitude problem and stop commenting. Also don’t forget to take the conversation to the next level by asking them what it is that they liked so much about your brand.

2. Acknowledge discontent and respond. Quickly.

If someone is unhappy with your brand and is publicly voicing it out, ensure that you respond quickly to minimize damage. Ask them to send you details about their negative experience to an email address so that you can address the issue correctly. Disgruntled fans might try to wash your dirty laundry in public, try to curb it. Also realize there are levels of discontent here. A negative comment and a negative outburst are very different and require very different responses.

3. How to deal with social media bullies.

Sometimes there will be social media bullies who will rant and rave on about how terrible your brand is, invariably inviting other bullies to join the herd and gang up on you. Much like your favorite 3rd grade teacher probably told you, there is only one way to deal with bullies – stand up to them. One of the best ways to do this without being too aggressive is to do it creatively.

For instance, take this brilliant video that Bodyform came up with when a Facebook bully left a rather nasty comment on their page. Or even this ingenious infographic SmartCar came up with when a sarcastic tweeter commented how bird poo had destroyed a SmartCar. Being creative breaks the ice and shows that your brand is strong enough to deal with even the most aggressive comments.

4. Multiple Comments? Time to enter the Quiet Zone.

If you put up a post asking a question or even just a generic post that receives multiple responses, it’s usually alright to give your fans some space and not respond. However don’t leave the comments completely unattended to. When the frequency of the comments starts decreasing, then reply with a bulk thank you for the feedback and comments. Maybe even provide a summary of feedback so all participants can see the results. This can drive even more positive conversation.

Sometimes brands that are new to Facebook have a tendency to over-respond to comments. Remember that every time you comment on a post, everybody who has commented gets a notification, which can be very annoying.

5. When is it okay to hide comments or ban users?

If a fan is spamming your Facebook page, don’t hesitate to hide the comment or ban the user. If messages are completely unrelated to your brand or the comments don’t match the post, you have a spammer on your hand. You will often find that spammers will post the same content on multiple posts. This is when you use the ‘ban user’ feature on Facebook and delete all comments by that user. If a fan is genuinely really upset and is posting the same comment on multiple posts to get your attention, try responding to one of the comments to address the issue and hiding the other comments.

And finally…

Remember that when you respond to fans, they often think of you as just text on a screen, not an actual person. Try to make sure the tone you use to respond to comments is more human so that users on the other end can connect with easily, maybe even sign off with a name. For instance, consider using statements like “Hi, I’m (name) working with (brand name) and I’d like to thank you for your comments. They really help us keep up the best service for customers like yourself…”

On the bright side, if they feel they are speaking to a person and not a robot, they may be inclined to be more considerate and less harsh. Also, as a brand you might want to consider using tools like Sendible and HootSuite to try and make response management on Facebook easier.

Is there is anything you do differently on your Facebook page to deal with fans? Share in the comment box below.

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