Four tips for avoiding a social media crisis

If the phrase “social media mishap” was a dictionary entry, chances are you’d find these companies included as examples: Amy’s Baking Company, Taco Bell, and Epicurious.

Whether because of Facebook posts gone wrong (as in the case of Amy’s Baking Company and Taco Bell) or a Twitter post that has received outrage from readers and the press (Epicurious), these companies all landed in the same spot: in the middle of a huge public backlash after making a social media mistake.

Although some people believe there’s no such thing as bad publicity, most businesses would prefer to stay out of the spotlight of a social media mistake.

Here are four steps you can take to avoid making social media mistakes that may give you a negative reputation online.

1. Think before you post