Fishbat, a leading Internet marketing company, recently shared with MMW four tactics for combating negative reviews on social media platforms.
According to the company, every business encounters a bad review from time to time, whether warranted or not. Reviews can be a detriment or a benefit for the business, and they can be a great way to learn from the consumer and address issues to create a better product or service. The key is to know how to combat negative reviews online effectively.
Here are 4 ways (verbatim from fishbat) to deal with and combat negative reviews on social sites.
Timely, positive, and solution-oriented responses. It’s important to monitor brand mentions online. In cases of negative reviews, timeliness in responding has a big impact on the outcome. Don’t let anger fester or negative comments stay visible without response for long. It leaves a bad impression with potential customers, aggravates unhappy customers further, and can have a negative impact on SEO. Quick responses should convey genuine empathy, should have a positive “the customer is always right” tone, and should be solution oriented. An unhappy customer turned around drives revenue through repeat business and positive digital word of mouth. It also shows potential customers the brand’s commitment to satisfaction and exceptional service. It may also be beneficial at times to take a small monetary hit by offering a free item, bounce-back coupon, or refund. The overhead cost of giving something to an unhappy customer pales in comparison to what can be made back through repeat traffic and positive social media chatter.
Dilute negative reviews with good reviews and quality content. One benefit of bad reviews is that they can be educational for a business when addressing a legitimate issue. Every review is a roadmap to providing the best for the customer. Fix issues in products, services, or processes, and ask those who have had a good experience to review the business online. Dilute negative feedback further by linking positive reviews from the business website or other areas where there are positive reviews of the business to the review platform. Disseminating positive and value-added content on social media will create a more positive association with the brand and drown out negative comments by outnumbering them.
Encourage positive reviews online as daily dialogue. Most people are familiar with the process of requesting positive reviews. In many stores, that is a required dialogue. Brands request that customers go to online surveys or leave a social media review because it helps businesses to be at their best and it drives traffic. Brands should always provide their best, and when they do, it’s easy to combat negative online chatter with a positive brand association. Request positive reviews on websites, in brick and mortar locations, and on social media review platforms, to boost reviews, social media engagement, and SEO.
If able to resolve the issue, request an update to a negative review. Whenever a brand can resolve an issue for an unhappy customer, they should do so with positivity and a desire to repair the relationship for the brand’s reputation and to convert that customer to someone who will return to the business. Ask for an update to a review or new review if the customer’s issue was resolved. Those converted customers often become the biggest advocates for a brand.
