When faced with negative criticism online, have you ever considered creating some fake social media accounts (or pay a company to) and have those fake accounts come to your defense, responding to the negative commentators in support of your brand?
If so, did you think “no one will ever know for sure” and that it’ll help you look as though you have many happy customers willing to publicly support your company?
If you have, you’re not the only brand who has thought of this – and many have even gone as far as attempting it. And although it may seem like a brilliant idea, it isn’t. It may be hard to prove and it may look good initially, but the risk involved with such a untruthful attempt can potentially damage your brand’s reputation, not to mention allow you to miss out on some powerful marketing and relationship-building opportunities.
So before creating those fake accounts, I urge you to consider the following:
It goes against the virtues of social media
When you decide to engage with your market on social media, there’s an unwritten (unless you look across every single book and blog post ever written on the subject) rule that says that social media is about being open, honest and human with your customers and fans online. The whole point of social media is to develop real relationships and create raving fans that will stay loyal to your brand for years to come.
Creating fake accounts and defending your brand with those accounts goes completely against these rules. Pretending to be something you’re not is dishonest and can lead to some serious repercussions when brought to light, which leads me into my next point…
Suspicion alone can risk you losing the trust and admiration of your customers and fans
The second the public catches wind of your fake accounts and fake attempts there goes the trust you’ve worked so hard to build and earn. Even if it isn’t 100% provable, if the court of public opinion suspects that these are actions your brand has been taking, you can rest assured that you will be blogged about, tweeted about, shared and talked about far and wide. That alone is enough to damage your credibility and make you look pathetic in the public’s – your customers’ and fans’ – eyes.
You lose and lose again
I get what the goal behind such an attempt or strategy is: To make the brand look more credible and likable through the support of their “fans”. But when an openly unhappy customer defines a positive opportunity for your brand, what’s the point of lying and missing out on that opportunity?
By biting the bullet and responding truthfully and on behalf of your brand, the best you do is run the risk of building and strengthening the relationship you share with that individual, and coming out of the situation with a happy, satisfied and raving fan who will refer to the excellent care they received when they speak of your company to others.
Why risk losing out on this in order to lie, mislead and discredit your own brand?
So what should you do instead?
If you don’t have a high number of engaging fans, odds are you won’t have a storm of individuals rushing to your defense when someone posts something less than pleasant about your company online. But that’s OK. It takes time, honesty and commitment to begin to create those raving, loyal fans. So why not start by being honest and attentive? When someone writes something negative about your brand online there’s absolutely NOTHING wrong with responding to them (with a positive and friendly tone and outlook) as your brand on social media.
Look at it this way: What do you do when unhappy customers call your customer service department to do some complaining? I’m next to positive that you don’t pretend to be a happy customer who just so happened to be answering the phone and offer them praise about your company. That would be more than silly! It’s the same concept when you make such an attempt online.
So next time you’re tempted to go the easy route and pretend to be someone else who supports your brand, try these 4 simple steps instead:
- Respond to the negative comment – never delete it, unless it is unacceptable, of course.
- Talk to the individual openly and honestly. Use their name, their language and show them that you understand their situation and are sympathetic to their feelings.
- Do what you can to correct the wrong that they’re complaining about.
- Follow back up with them once the situation is corrected and focus on continuing to build a relationship with them.
Do you have experience with this, either from the company’s point of view or as the customer/fan? What were your take-aways from such a situation? Share your comments and experiences with me below!
Author of Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World, Melissa Agnes is a leading authority on crisis preparedness, reputation management, and brand protection. Agnes is a coveted keynote speaker, commentator, and advisor to some of today’s leading organizations faced with the greatest risks. Learn more about Melissa and her work here.
Davina K. Brewer says
Community message boards banned these 'sock puppet' account years before we had FB and Twitter; you get one voice/vote .. that's it. The buying or creating of fake followers and fans is just pointless, counterproductive and a total waste of time. It is lose-lose – it's wrong and when you get caught, you'll lose again those few real fans you have. Would that more companies would devote the time/resources to getting it right. FWIW.
Melissa Agnes says
I absolutely agree, Davina! There's no point, only repercussions. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts 🙂
Davina K. Brewer says
YW. I read, lurk.. and eventually get around to commenting. (BTW got an error message, something about the CommentLuv – just wanted to let you know).