Social media platforms have greatly changed the way that companies and their audiences interact with each other lately. On one hand, these platforms have allowed companies to clearly demonstrate their excellent customer service through direct dialogue. However, on the other hand, the same platforms can create a PR crisis in a matter of a few minutes if a company chooses to ignore negative comments. Although many find it intimidating to respond to any sort of negativity on social media platforms because even a single wrong sentence can cause a situation to spin out of control and turn into a full-blown PR crisis, it’s important to respond anyway. There are a few reasons why companies should always strive to respond to all comments they receive, both positive and negative, however, simply ignoring negative comments is always a bad choice.
Perception
One of the reasons why companies should always strive to respond to the negative consumer feedback or negative comments they receive in general is because this way, they’re able to build up a more positive public perception. All negative public comments from consumers on social media platforms have a direct impact on consumer behavior, even if a company might be someone’s favorite brand. When a company decides to ignore the negative comments, it appears to be dismissing any consumer concerns because the business doesn’t care about the consumers at the end of the day. However, when a company does respond to such negativity through insight and professionalism, it can turn that negative into a positive experience for that potential consumers, while showing the rest of the target audience that the company really cares about all its consumers equally, in a public setting that anyone can see.
Trust
Another reason why companies should be responding to the negative comments they receive on social media platforms is to demonstrate that they are accountable for any mistakes that they make and build more trust with the consumers. All consumers tend to be interested in the way that a company handles negative comments or reviews, which means the interaction isn’t between the consumer and the business, as everyone else that comes across the comment is now also a participant in the situation. When a company is willing to publicly address any negativity it can show that it’s truly dedicated to providing outstanding customer service to all members of its target audience.
Marketing
Finally, the last reason why companies should be responding to negative comments on social media platforms is to be able to generate positive word-of-mouth marketing. When a company is able to properly and professionally respond to a negative comment, the rest of the target audience is going to be satisfied or even happy with that response, showing that the company cares about their needs. This makes consumers a lot more likely to share all of their positive experiences with the company on social media platforms too, which can be used to further increase the confidence and trust in the business.
