Social Media Roundup: Responding to Your Critics

Learning to work with and respond to members and critics on social media is an art form. How to defend your online turf, and more, in today’s Social Media Roundup.

Positive Spin

8 tips for handling criticism and complaints on social media, from our Upwards Blog http://t.co/HVJlzZJOI5  (opens in a new tab) #sm4np  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) #nptech  (opens in a new tab)

— Incline Marketing (@InclineMktg) October 16, 2013  (opens in a new tab)

Don’t stoop: There’s no shortage of bullies out there on the internet. If you work at a nonprofit or association, it’s only natural to wonder how much negative comments posted online will affect your ability to effectively engage members. But getting defensive might not be the best strategy. Incline Marketing Services offers “8 Tips for Handling Criticism on Social Media  (opens in a new tab).” The most important takeaways: Respond quickly, have a plan, be transparent, and don’t come off sounding like a robot. Finally, be sure to build on those experiences to shore up any weaknesses in your message. (h/t @InclineMktg  (opens in a new tab))

Build Momentum

How to build a #conference  (opens in a new tab) community, not just a conference: http://t.co/2spFcTdOyN  (opens in a new tab) (thanks @jeffhurt  (opens in a new tab)) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab)

— iCohere Team (@iCohere) October 16, 2013  (opens in a new tab)

Bit by bit: Community building doesn’t happen overnight. As anyone who has ever planned a major association event knows, the process is gradual and requires patience. Writing for Velvet Chainsaw’s Midcourse Corrections blog, Education and Engagement Director Donna Kastner talks about the importance of persistence  (opens in a new tab) and how famed social media blogger Seth Godin has been “dripping valuable insight” into her brain for years. Like Godin, who relies on a variety of content platforms—from blog entries to social media posts to books —to engage his audience, she says associations need to build their conference communities “drip by drip.” Kastner says organizations shouldn’t rely on conferences as a “big bang” moment, but find ways to continue that engagement over time. Think online updates, newsletters, and blog posts. (h/t @iCohere  (opens in a new tab))

What does your organization do to capitalize on the momentum of its biggest events?

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