Building and fostering relationships through online conversations is a large driver in your brand’s online presence.

The way you interact with your audience online speaks volumes about your business, so how are the best ways to go about it? In this blog, we step you through the dos and don’ts for replying to comments left on your social media posts and how to best nurture your digital community.

Do: Respond in a timely matter.
If an audience member has taken the time to leave a comment and contact your brand, it’s best practise to reply and provide an answer within the same day.

There’s a certain etiquette around social media and reply time. By no means do you need to sit on your phone or laptop 24/7 waiting for comments, however, it is optimal to check your page at least 1-2 times per day to reply to people. 

Don’t: Delete comments.
It’s not uncommon to occasionally receive comments that are angry, negative or reputation-damaging. When managing these comments, we highly suggest for you to not delete these comments as often this can result in further comments and heightened anger. Reply to these comments by redirecting the conversation offline. Once this has been done, it may be a good decision to hide the comment rather than deleting to avoid breeding a thread of negative comments.

Do: Redirect the conversation to be held in private.
Whether happy or unhappy, your customer deserves to have a great, personal experience with your brand. If the comment left requires sharing personal order details or resolving an issue, it’s ideal to redirect the conversation to an email, phone number or private inbox.

We only recommend redirecting the conversation offline if the comment requires sharing personal details, resolving an issue or is negative feedback. For light-hearted comments, positive feedback and humour, replying then and there is best!                   

Don’t: Be defensive in your reply.
It’s important to remember that when a negative comment is left, it should not be taken personally. Where you can, view negative feedback as constructive and reflect on the steps your business could take to improve in the future. Rise above, avoid defending your company where possible and show your customer that you are listening and taking on board their feedback. It’s a beautiful thing that your audience will take time out of their day to provide feedback; show that you are grateful and do what you can to come out on top.

Do: Create a personalised message.
People want a personal touch from brands, and as soon as they recognise they’ve been sent a cut and paste response, they may lose some respect in your brand. Where possible, reply with a personal message to your customer. Ask questions, use GIF’s, tell a joke or participate in conversations. Your brand’s reputation will only improve if you do so.

Don’t: Neglect your moral stance.
It’s likely that your brand has a set of principles and morals you follow. It’s up to your brand how strong you decide to push these morals, however, we encourage you to stick with them where you can. If your morals are aligned with your product or services, showcasing these can help attract the right audience to your brand. If you receive a comment that is negative or goes against your company morals, don’t feel as if you need to adapt yourself to suit that customer. Respectfully acknowledging their comment and that your business may not be right for them is sometimes necessary.

Do: Use humour.
Using humour is a great way to show a more light-hearted side to your brand or business. If someone has left a light-hearted comment on your post and humour is in line with your brand’s tone of voice, why not reply with humour? Anything from a GIF, meme or joke can be a great way to build a sense of likeability for your brand.

Do you reply to your comments regularly? If you’d like guidance or help in monitoring your social media accounts and growing engagement, please get in touch.