Good Example Of Research Paper On Organizations And Social Media Crises

Most individuals usually think of the marketing advantages of social media to the business. They have never thought that the same social media can be used injuriously to the business but tainting its reputation within period of time (Kim, 2013). Regardless of the advantage and disadvantages of the social media in business, it has remained as one of the most effective and rapid means communicating with customers and other business stakeholders. Nevertheless, social media, when not regulated and monitored properly, it can build or destroy a business relatively fast (Pace, Fediuk, and Botero, 2010). Therefore, business entities must have online risk managers to help managing organizational website crises.
Organization website crises entails information released through a website with the primary intention of damaging the reputation of the targeted organization. The way a company manages its reputation on social media is usually vital and essential for its overall success (Kim, 2013). Information on social media often spreads fast and widely. Therefore, negative information about an organization on social media may affect the image and stature of the organization within a very short time. Hence, the organization must have proper strategies of dealing with social media crises, to ensure that any inappropriate social media information about it does not affect its day-to-day business operations (Pace, Fediuk, and Botero, 2010). The appropriate way to handle social media crisis is to locate and react on such damaging information about the organization.
Before reacting to the circulation of negative information, it would be appropriate to locate the information, which can be achieved through Google search. It is worth noting that since the information posted on Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube can be accessed online, anyone, including customers, and potential customers competitors may access them (Kim, 2013). Therefore, in case of Twitter and Facebook, the online risk manager must monitor and respond on any injurious information immediately and effectively. For Twitter, the manager must monitor all Twits that mention the company’s name, brands, services, and products. In any case these items are found in circulation with negative contents, there must be a quick response to counter the negative information may affect the company (Pace, Fediuk, and Botero, 2010). Additionally, the concerns of individual customers, prospective customers, and or competitors must be responded to immediately in a comprehensive, effective, and conclusive manner. In other words, the customers and prospective customers must not be give room for speculations on the raised negativity on company’s name brands, services, and or products.
On the other hand, if such injurious information is relayed through YouTube, the online risk manager must respond to the risk using the same platform. The YouTube moderation must be done perfectly to ensure that the users do not add more information (that is already in the public domain) to the video thereby increasing the negative reputation (Pace, Fediuk, and Botero, 2010). In addition, the risk manager must ensure that they add positive comment to counteract any negative comment on their videos. Finally, if the company is attacked on Facebook, the risk manager should respond to the customers and stakeholders through its Facebook official fan page (Kim, 2013). This should be done regardless who and where on Facebook the information is posted. Moreover, the risk manager should monitor and update the company’s Facebook fan page. Nonetheless, to ensure effective risk management of the social media, the company risk manager must ensure all the social media platforms are closely, effectively, and comprehensively managed through constant and appropriate monitoring and updating.

References

Kim, E. (2013). The role of social media in crisis communication-A case study of Starbucks (Doctoral dissertation, Texas State University-San Marcos).
Pace, K. M., Fediuk, T. A. & Botero, I. C. (2010). The acceptance of responsibility and expressions of regret in organizational apologies after a transgression. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 15, Iss: 4, pp. 410-427.