One of the biggest reasons lawyers and law firms shy away from using Facebook (and other social networks) for business development and client acquisition is the fear of receiving critical comments and not controlling the message.
It’s important to understand why critical comments may be left on your firm’s Facebook page:
- Inconsistency with expectations. It’s important you don’t “oversell” your services online. Don’t promise or guarantee anything online. An under delivered advertised promise is sure to breed negative comments across all your social networks.
- Online conduct. The lawyers and professionals who run your social networks must adhere to the highest codes of conduct. Their actions and words represent your firm. Negative comments can definitely hurt your online reputation. It’s imperative you define standards and best practices on how to deal with all types of personalities. You’ll meet every type – trust me!
What should you do if you receive a critical comment on your firm’s Facebook page? This is not to be confused with spam, slander or abusive posts – those should be deleted immediately. Your first impulse might be to delete the post. Don’t do it! You joined Facebook to “join the conversation”. Deleting the post defies all social media logic. (Check out what happened to ChapStick. They aren’t a law firm but it’s a good example nonetheless).
Here’s what you should do if you receive a negative or critical comment on your firm’s Facebook page:
- What is the issue? What is your reader upset with? Define the problem.
- Take action quickly.
- Reach out to the disgruntled poster. Don’t ignore them!
- Respond with a respectful tone and start a friendly debate.
- Stick to the facts.
- Don’t lose your cool. Ever.
- Offer to take the conversation offline if necessary.
Having critical comments on your Facebook page can actually become a blessing in disguise. How you respond demonstrates your integrity, ethics and ability to handle conflict. You might even make a new fan!
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Natalie Waddell
Natalie brings a passion to the business that ensures the entire LawyerLocate.ca team strives to improve the service for both lawyers and the general public. To that end, she is committed to ongoing communication with our members and welcomes and relies on clients’ input to continually evolve the service to make it better for all.
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