How to respond to negative feedback

User-generated content, online feedback and reviews can be "wonderful" in terms of social media marketing and search engine optimisation, one sector commentator has said.

Kevin Gibbons, in an article for eConsultancy states such content is out of corporate control.

However, he adds: "People trust it and peer reviews have tremendous influence on their eventual decision, so positive content is brilliant."

But when comments are negative, Mr Gibbons explains companies may have difficulty in determining whether or not they should respond to it.

He advises regularly monitoring social media sites for any mention of a firm's brand or services and reply with a simple "thanks" if the comment is positive.

Is the comment is negative, however, he suggests responding to it with an apology to demonstrate the company is not afraid of criticism, although if the feedback is a "rant", Mr Gibbons recommends ignoring it.

This is because the complainant may respond with more anger once they have got the business' attention, although he advises determining if it is a genuine grievance first.

Mr Gibbons notes it is important a response is public, although details can be left out and replaced with an invite for the complainant to get in touch to discuss it further.

Liana Evans, in a post for Search Engine Watch recently claimed being humble, honest and quick to respond could improve customer relations through social media marketing.

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