Before an online attack occurs, the brand must have a prevention and action plan to overcome the crisis.
Its objective is to sow comments that negatively impact the brand reputation, causing discomfort and inconveniencing other users. These are trolls, those anonymous users who browse social networks to gain visibility and alter in some way the person or company to whom they direct their attacks.
From those who write inconsistencies, those who only post advertising for other brands or the most feared, those who attack directly and generate a wave of unfavorable comments that can trigger a online crisis. The troll is easily identified by its misspellings, excessive use of high-sounding words, lack of respect for other users and mainly by not having coherence when expressing itself.
No brand is exempt from an attack of this nature. In this post we share some tips to confront these terrible invaders.
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Communicate internally with the person issuing the message.
When an alleged complaint or comment about an unfavorable experience with the brand appears, it is necessary to communicate internally with the user to find out the details of their discomfort. This first step will serve to rule out the veracity of the accusation or simply the negative intention of the author.
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Do not openly argue with the troll.
What the troll seeks is to destabilize the brand and whoever is in charge of its social networks. An angry response without a well-planned strategy will make the attacker do his job.
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Protect brand identity. You have to keep in mind that the
Brand identity and reputation are one of the most valuable assets that the company has. An ill-advised action can exacerbate the mood of users who follow the troll's actions and damage the perception of the brand.
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Constantly review user comments.
Analyzing whether the person issuing the comment is a dissatisfied customer or a troll is essential within the online communication strategy. That is why constant monitoring of the comments made by users will help determine the actions to take in one case or another.
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Disprove each accusation with data to avoid discrediting the brand.
There is no better answer than one that is based on tangible results or actions. Look for information or data that refutes any false accusations the troll may have made about your brand.
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Never delete comments.
Any censorship action is questionable, if the brand is positioning itself positively, this could affect its reputation. Keep in mind that if we have a strong community identity, users will defend the brand themselves. It is advisable to delete comments that are highly offensive or contain high-sounding words.
Remember that your answers should always be positive to highlight the brand's ties of empathy with its audience. Do not feed the troll by entering into an open discussion, simply think about your best strategy and do not forget to have a crisis management plan to prevent or reduce the impact of any contingency on your company.
