Have you ever posted something by mistake on Facebook? I bet your heart skipped a beat and you deleted it immediately! If you think that was embarrassing, imagine how social media specialist Gloria Huang felt when she posted this rogue tweet on the Red Cross account. Social media is undoubtedly one of the most wide-reaching and engaging mediums out there, however it can damage your brand as quickly as it can build it. Here, I thought I’d tell you a bit more about why this is and how to avoid a brand-pocalypse.

Image credit: Mashable

Why has social media seen online ‘oopses’ turn into train wrecks? Communication happens in real time and it spreads far and wide quickly. Social networking platforms have truly made the customer king by enabling a dialogue. Electronic word of mouth and social search strongly contribute to brand image and online communities have the ability to build brand equity. Your social media presence reflects your business as a whole, thus brand message and identity need to be uniform. When inconsistencies appear, you shouldn’t be surprised if the news spreads like lightning – research has found that people are more likely to share a negative experience than a positive one.

Going back to our example, the Red Cross managed to turn an employee’s error into a fundraising opportunity. How did they do it? The brand minimised the negative impact of the mistake by immediately removing the tweet, putting a new post up addressing the mistake and writing a blog explaining what happened and thanking supporters for being sympathetic. Their honest and light-hearted demeanour reflected a human approach; they put themselves in the shoes of their audience and acted accordingly.

Image credit: Mashable

Even Twitter’s CFO accidentally tweeted about a plan to buy a company, but a mistake like this doesn’t have to bring doom and gloom upon your brand if you follow a few basic guidelines:

• Admit the mistake, apologise and correct it;
• Respond to your audience quickly – addressing their concerns will strengthen your relationship;
• Be transparent – don’t try to cover up or make up excuses; social media creates a sense of community and members expect you to treat them like family;
• Have a plan in place – in case the problem escalates what is to be done by whom and by when?

Have you ever made a mistake on social media? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so why not share them below.