4 Tips for Eliminating the Negative on Social Media

Likeable Local’s Beth Henderson shares a handful of hacks jewelers can use to combat, and even prevent, the negative comments left on their social media sites.

Michelle Graff michelle.graff@nationaljeweler.com

Negativity: sometimes it seems as if there is absolutely no escape from it.

In a customer-facing business like jewelry, you are constantly bombarded by people’s personal opinions. Some positive and some … not so much.

Beth Henderson is the marketing coordinator at Likeable Local, the creators of Likeable Hub, a platform with a mobile app that helps small businesses, like jewelers, use social media.It’s impossible to say how many jewelers are scared to approach social media due to their fear of negativity, but what if we at Likeable Local were to tell you that there is no need to be scared?

Sure, individuals can say whatever they want online, but with these simple hacks you can easily combat, or simply prevent, negativity on social media.

1. Do NOT Delete or Ignore
Unless a comment is obscene, profane or bigoted, or contains someone’s personal and private information, never delete negativity from a social network site or blog. This sounds counterintuitive, right? Think again. Deleting comments shows that either you are hiding something or do not care about what these people have to say.

The next impulse would be simply to ignore it. However, this is just as bad if not worse. No response is a response. Like deleting a comment, ignoring negative feedback sends the message that your customers’ opinions don’t matter. That is not the impression you want to make on potential customers.

2. Respond Quickly and Resolve Immediately
The first step toward resolving the issue is responding publicly. This shows that you are straightforward and honestly looking to fix the problem. After initially grabbing their attention, take it private by responding via direct message on your social channels to illustrate that you take personal responsibility for the issue at hand. In addition, this will allow a free exchange of information so you can fully make things right. Just remember, the five most important words in social are “I am sorry” and “Thank you.”

3. Turn Complainers into Supporters with Surprise and Delight
What’s the best way to prove the excellence of your jewelry business? Turn those negative individuals into evangelists with an extra dose of surprise and delight.

Has someone’s new bracelet just broken? Respond that you will fix it and then add on a discount or other promotion to show how much you value their patronage.

It’s not hard to turn a frown into

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a smile. Just know that strong customer service is a vital skill that cannot be ignored. It also can’t hurt to add a dash of excitement to any apology you might have to make.

4. Incentivize for Positive Feedback
Instead of focusing on the negative, try to encourage positivity to blossom on your social channels. Create incentives such as discounts or competitions to incentivize your customers to post positive reviews online.

It’s a fact that unhappy people are more likely to write reviews than happy ones, so try to coax your pleased customers out of the woodwork with incentives. Incentives give them a reason to remember your store fondly and in turn write messages of positivity, balancing out any negativity in sight.

Complaints are unavoidable. However, there are ways to resolve any unhappiness that may appear on your social media pages.

Address the problem head on, do your best to resolve it, and go above and beyond to surprise the unhappy party and turn them into a fan.

Closing your eyes and denying the existence of negativity will only make your problems grow. Face them head on and you can easily resolve anything that brings down your social standing online.

Beth Henderson is the marketing coordinator at Likeable Local, a partner of Jewelers of America and the creators of Likeable Hub, a powerful platform with an easy-to-use mobile app that helps small businesses, like jewelers, succeed with social media. Reach her at beth@likeablelocal.com.

Michelle Graffis the editor-in-chief at National Jeweler, directing the publication’s coverage both online and in print.