With social media the dominant force in the spread of news, public relations have taken on a whole new life of its own. Gone are the days of being able to hide behind a wall of “I just work here”, media creating a front for customers to be able to speak directly to the business. This has carved out a double-edged sword for promoters and detractors being able to quickly and easily notify the public of their amazing or terrible experience.

The notion that public relations as a function should only serve press releases has been replaced with the need to defend and protect the business's image closer to home. A customer who has had a pleasant experience may encourage customers to seek your services out or remain front of mind when making their purchasing decision. However, the impact of a single customer with a negative experience can turn into a “hell hath no fury” moment if you’re not careful with your social strategy - It can take up to 12 positive interactions to neutralise only one unresolved negative interaction.

Here are some methods to adapt your social media to curb moments like these:

The most consistent social media strategies focus on the customer interaction with the brand online. By demonstrating initiative on social media through offering a stance for customers to align with, you give customers an opportunity to shift their focus from their negative experiences to something more productive. For example, Airbnb recently launched their campaign for Marriage Equality, sending out “equality rings” to those willing to participate. As part of their strategy they backed this up with being able to field any unwanted negative feedback online with dignity and poise. This interactive approach to public relations on social media can yield very positive results if executed effectively.

As difficult as it can be when customers begin trashing your brand on social media, try not to focus on consoling them as your main priority. If your brand feels exposed on social media, you may find yourself being bombarded by customers. All too often, customers complaining on social media is a last resort for attention to themselves, their situation or flight. These need to be addressed as and when they occur, but in the meantime, you need a social media strategy to fill that void.

Giving all your time on social to ensuring customers will not spread negative feedback is the band-aid for the bullet hole. There most likely is nothing you can do to stop the blows from coming from customers if they have a bad experience, but it’s important to understand that spending too much time on damage control can be counterproductive to the brand and not solving the real issue at hand. Feedback is also useful to monitor trends and address them rather than individual needs.

Even the most established and well-known brands struggle to find their voice on social media. One rule of thumb when interacting with customers and delivering messages is to keep it playful. Brands that do this well can leverage their social as a form of advertising, as people share it around and it eventually finds its way to a news site. Examples of organisations doing this well are: NSW Police Force ; Woolworths and Pizza Hut to name a few.