You’ve invested in social media. You have an active Twitter and Facebook account. Then it happens. The dreaded negative comment. What do you do?

Well, according to our own Ben Dillon and his SHSMD U co-presenter Dean Browell you respond. And quickly.

In their article “Debunking Five Social Media Myths” which appeared in the July/August issue of SHSMD’s Spectrum, they explain the key is to have a social media response policy in place so you don’t get caught up in the emotion of the moment. With a strong policy and an empowered social media team, you’ll be able to act quickly and resolve the issue.

And as a result you’ll actually strengthen your brand.

They go on to provide some helpful tips on what to do when you receive a negative comment:

• Respond promptly and let your commenter (and others) know you’re listening and you care
• Let them know you’ll escalate the situation if necessary
• Take actual conversations about the patient and their specific situation offline
• Remain calm and professional – how you respond reflects on the organization more than the original comment

Looking for more social media advice? Check out the article. In it Ben and Dean expose other myths that may be holding back your social media efforts. Myths like… social media isn’t trackable. Or is it? You’ll have to read the article to find out.