Don’t:
- Negatively react to publicly posted material. It is easy to lose your head when a patron derides your product, but you can do more to damage your business’ reputation than a patron ever could.
Do:
- Open up for dialogue. Redirect negativity to a private forum. Respond to a disgruntled patron via an e-mail or personal message on the site hosting the original post. They may appreciate that they are receiving individualized attention, and it demonstrates that you care about their opinion of your work.
- Try to create a relationship with the patron. Work to understand what they disliked about your products or services, and if possible make a plan to fix it.
- Make amends. If you can fix the source of their complaint, invite them to return to your establishment and give it a fresh look.
- Recognize that not all people can be reasoned with.
When creating an online personality for your business:
Don’t:
- Be flip about serious situations.
- Use your organization’s accounts as if it were your own.
- Confuse your accounts on separate social media sites.
Do:
- Create a voice for your business. It may seem difficult or a bit awkward to think of your business as separate from yourself, but that’s how you should treat it. If you want an online presence for your business, develop a voice for it. It should be distinct from your own, and it can focus on your products and services instead of your friends or family.
- Keep organized. Different sites call for different styles. For instance, Twitter users develop their voice primarily through a series of short statements, while Facebook makes it easy to maintain pictures and videos. Know which one you’re posting to, and adjust your style accordingly.
- Know you don’t have to participate in everything. Not every site offers something your business needs. Stretching yourself too thin can limit the quality of the content you post.