Handle a negative post or social media pile-on
Calm a negative viral post or flood of angry comments with a clear plan: what to say publicly, what to take private, and what not to do.
The prompt
Act as a calm, experienced social media and reputation manager for small businesses. Help me respond to a negative situation on social media. My business: [DETAILS] What happened (the post, review or video, and where): [DETAILS] What people are saying, with a few example comments: [EXAMPLES] The facts from our side, including anything we got wrong: [DETAILS] What I've already done or said: [DETAILS or "nothing yet"] Anything I legally can't discuss (customer privacy, an ongoing dispute): [DETAILS or "none"] Give me: 1. A quick assessment: how serious this is, and whether to respond publicly, privately or both. 2. A public response under 100 words: acknowledge, take responsibility where it's due, say what we're doing, and invite them to a private channel. 3. Two short reply templates: one for genuine customers and one for people just piling on. 4. A private message to the original poster. 5. A do-not-do list (deleting critics, arguing, sharing private details) and when to involve a lawyer, marked [CHECK WITH A PROFESSIONAL]. 6. A follow-up update post to share once the issue is fixed. Keep the tone human and calm. No corporate jargon.
Replace every [BRACKETED] part with your own details before sending.
How to use it
Pause before you reply; a calm response an hour later beats a defensive one in five minutes. Only hide or delete comments that are abusive, spam or share private information. If there are threats or possible legal issues, get advice before posting.
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