No matter how much you try to avoid them, negative reviews are bound to come your way as a business. Going through your Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and other social media platform to reply isn’t the most exhilarating task. However, it’s absolutely necessary for you to get to the bottom of the issue.
Receiving negative feedback from a regular customer is one thing, but coming from a social media influencer is another story. The prevalence of influencer marketing makes influencers some of the most important public figures out there, meaning a negative video review from one could hurt your brand.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to repair any damage done so the influencer and your future consumers aren’t left with a sour taste in their mouths. Here’s how your business can recover from a negative influencer video.
1. Don’t take it personally
It’s important to recall that the influencer giving the review is simply responding to their experiences and encounters with your business like they would with any other. Try to look at this from a business point of view, and keep in mind that it isn’t a reflection of who you are as a person!
2. Watch the video in its entirety
You want to handle this video with a level head so you can fully hear the influencer out and not react in a defensive way. Take a minute before making any decisions about blocking, reporting, or responding to the influencer’s video.
Instead of making any rash decisions, remember the most important thing is that your business must recover from this video. Watch the entire post, and really listen to what the influencer is upset about so you’ll be able to address the conflict in an appropriate way.
3. Always respond – ASAP!
In general, you should reply to all your comment regardless of whether they’re positive or negative. Keeping strong public relations is a must for building your business because it connects you with customers.
Therefore, it would be a mistake to leave the influencer’s problem unaddressed. Other customers need to see how you react in the center of a public discourse and might judge your company based on the negative review.
Being transparent lets the influencer and other viewers see that you really pay attention to how your consumers feel, and that you’re willing to go the extra mile to make sure the problem is solved.
4. Message them directly
It’s a smart idea to reply both in the public comment thread as well as a direct or private message, so you’ll be able to get more detailed information from the influencer one-on-one.
Nobody likes automated replies, so put effort into personalizing your messages and show that you care about the happiness of your customers. Directly messaging the influencer will show your commitment to their satisfaction.
5. Resolve the issue
How you respond to upset customers says a lot about your business. This is especially true with your response to an influencer’s negative video.
Take accountability and give an explanation as to what it was that caused the problem, and what your business is doing to fix it. Show how much you care about delivering fantastic customer service!
It doesn’t matter who’s right or wrong, or how much the costs may be. Resolve the issue in a way that makes the influencer feel they’ve been heard. Plus, if you end up settling everything, you can ask them to re-review you on social media to help your business recover after their initial video and set the record straight.
6. Learn from the feedback
Negative comments in general are a source of information. The influencer is giving you feedback that could point to a weakness in your business that you didn’t see before. Once the issue is detected, you can make a plan on how you’re going to solve it.
Dig deeper and see if there are additional preventative measures you can take to keep this type of conflict (and another subsequent negative critique) from happening again.
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Bridget Baltazar is a blogging intern at LadyBossBlogger. She currently attends the University of Iowa and is studying communication studies, human relations, and environmental sustainability.
