If you are representing a large brand how do you appropriately handle representing them on social media? This presentation discusses how to look at social media communication therapeutically, how to know your audience, how to focus on the people while protecting the brand, how to define your own outlook, how to be prepared for times of crisis, how to plan for community and also how to focus on self preservation.

1. Social PR Therapy
How to deal with tough
situations.
Melissa Fach
@SEOAware

2. About Me
• B.A. and M.A. – Psychology & Mental Health
• Owner of SEO Aware, LLC
• Associate on Community Team at Moz
• Writer
• Twitter Addict
• Volunteer with Big Cats
• Survived Raising a Teenager
@SEOAware

3. My Tasks at Moz
• East Coast – 7ish – 12:30
• Tasks:
– Answer Questions
– Manage Customer Service Issues
– Help
– Meet Needs
– Watch, Observe
– Handling Nightmares (recent DDoS attack)
– Protect Moz

4. Dealing w/Tough Social Situations
• Look at things therapeutically.
• Know your audience.
• Focus on the people and the brand.
• Define your outlook.
• Be prepared for difficulty.
• Have plans in place.
• Community planning.
• Self preservation.
@SEOAware

5. Moz Social #’s
• Twitter - 290,000+ followers
• Facebook - 148,000+ fans
• Google+ - 90,000+
@SEOAware

6. Who reaches out to Moz?
• Customers - pay for tools.
• Readers/Researchers
• Many like the brand and just want to interact.
• Some people have heard of Moz for the first time.
• Some are angry, some are rude, & some don’t like us.
They are all treated the same way, with respect.
@SEOAware

7. Melissa’s Social Basics

8. But first some truth…..
I am a geek and…
@SEOAware

9. I am a defender.
Mama bear syndrome!
Hardest thing for me to learn…
I am not a defender on social.
I am there to take feedback with a smile.

10. Therapy 101
First thing we were taught in counseling classes:
• Make the person speaking to you comfortable.
• Say or do NOTHING that could push them away.
• Your first shot could be your last.
Seriously applies to social media management.
@SEOAware

11. Set Guidelines for Yourself
Use psychology & care when speaking on social.
• What professional standards would you abide by?
• What do you want the person to walk away with?
• How do you avoid causing harm?
• How would you want to be treated?
• How can you make them a brand advocate?
@SEOAware

12. Social Media Management
Must be focused on what is best for the person
reaching out to the brand.
• What you need or want doesn’t matter.
• What you feel doesn’t matter…
• The person reaching out to you matters. (rude or not)
@SEOAware

13. My Outlook at Moz
People are paying for the use of our tools.
When something goes down they have every right to be
upset.
They DESERVE & are owed an appropriate &
respectful response!
My job is to help them.
@SEOAware

14. Want to be good at Social Media?
Your Job - see every person that reaches out as:
• Important
• Valuable
You have to:
• Be understanding
• Be objective
• Take nothing personally
While you
work you are
the brand!
@SEOAware

15. • React in a positive way and show you are eager to help.
• Try to find a way to meet their needs.
• 95% of the time the upset person is no longer upset.
Why? Someone actually cared about their feelings.
Customers just want someone to care about their
concerns and validate their feelings.
@SEOAware
Dealing with Angry People

16. For the 5% That Stay Angry
You are being watched!
• Try to steer it offline – email or DM. #respond
• If they refuse remember that you are
representing a brand.
• Do the best you can & reach out to your team.
@SEOAware

17. Example
Person tweeted:
“Raised a query with @moz on 25th November and they still
haven't bothered to refund the $960 they
owe #worstcustomerservice”
My response
“Can you DM me your email address so I can check into this for
you?”
Something didn’t sound right, not Moz like. I took it offline…later found out
the real story…people on Twitter won’t though – get it offline fast!
@SEOAware

18. Part of your job is to protect the brand.
Stay focused on this!
If the brand is focused on what is best for the customer you work for a good
company.
@SEOAware

19. Stressful Events Are a Given

20. YOU MUST BE PREPARED!
- Planning
- Community
- Team
- Be well physically and mentally
- Knowing your audience is a must to succeed.
@SEOAware

21. More Truth
1. I am not a “Stay Calm” kind of
person.
2. In fact, I am extremely high-strung.
3. There are times when I get really
stressed.
4. You will get stressed too and it is
okay.
5. What is not okay? Letting your
stress show.

22. Crisis Management Made Easier
To really be able to handle a real crisis you need plans in
place.
• At Moz there are teams for every possible issue.
• There are guides for what to do in different situations.
• Everyone is eager to help each other!
This is my backup! These teams & plans are my safety net.
@SEOAware

23. Crisis Management Made Easier
• To manage a large brand on social effectively you
have to have plans in place, especially in a crisis.
• Plans, tools and teams - you need them like you need a good
computer and wifi.
• Anticipate the worst and plan for it ahead of time.
• Reflect and learn from the hard times.
@SEOAware

24. Let’s Look at Examples
@SEOAware

25. Tools Issues or Completely Down
• A tool goes down…there are 1,000 tweets about it.
• I panic a bit and then stuff it.
• Half of those tweets are angry.
Everyone needs a response.
• The right Moz team needs to be notified.
• People need and want updates, often.
• Strive to meet their needs.
• Validate their feelings as much as possible.
• I try to protect Moz.
@SEOAware

26. Feb 26, DDoS Attack
Moz was completely down! Site and tools!
• People use content for research!
• Tools for work!
• I seriously freaked- my job was to help people and protect
Moz.
• Knew we were being attacked, but we couldn’t announce it
yet.
• KNOWING THE AUDIENCE WELL HELPED ME KNOW WHAT
TO DO NEXT!!!
@SEOAware

27. Step 1 – Notify the community
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28. Step 2 – Distraction
I underestimated the response…
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29. Step 2 – Distraction continues…
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30. While Distracting…
Keep observing! What are people saying? What
do they need?
People kept asking about updates. Mentioned health.moz.com…
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32. Behind the Scenes
People got up out of bed to help! Thanks Jen
Lopez!
The team checked & changed social sharing
schedules.
One email thread was 76 messages long. <- WE
ALL WATCHED
Moz interacted with other companies
experiencing same attack.
Social never stopped.

33. Response From the Community
• Supportive
• Empathetic
• Angry for us
• Kind
Interesting – what we try to do for our
community they gave back during our crisis.
@SEOAware

34. r
Remember when I said people will be
watching?

35. The Next Day…
@SEOAware

36. Week later, I see this tweet….and clicked
@SEOAware

38. Decide Now
Do you want to be a successful case study?
Or do you want to be in a PR nightmare article
or presentation?
@SEOAware

39. Community
Creating a “feeling” and a path.
Moz excels at this!

40. What Do You Want?
***What you give you will often receive.
What kind of community do you want?
Moz figured out what they wanted….

41. TAGFEE Code reflects core values at Moz.
T - Transparent
A – Authentic
G – Generous
F – Fun
E – Empathetic
E – Exceptional
We give this, our community gives it back!
@SEOAware

42. Moz Community Knows What to Expect
So we CANNOT deviate from our core values.
The core values are a guide to how we handle
everything – it is expected.
This truly makes tasks and interactions easier for
everyone involved.
@SEOAware

43. FYI, Transparency is Really Hard
No skirting around issues.
The truth is what it is and
sometimes it sucks.
• When you tell one “lie” it
often leads to others.
• Lies always come out.
• Trust in companies is lost.
• PR nightmares ensue…
@SEOAware

44. Self Preservation
Critical if you want
to be an effective
handling social.

45. Self Preservation
• Again, social isn’t easy.
• It can be emotionally draining.
• Therapists are taught to notice when they are getting
burnt out.
• You need to watch for burn out, recognize it and recoup.

46. The Power of Team
I don’t think you can handle a large brand WELL
without a team.
- Support
- Back up – I am often clueless!
- Managing shifts
- Sickness – Appointments
- Someone that understands
@SEOAware

47. Give Moz the Credit on This One
• Moz has a system for hiring at Moz.
http://slidesha.re/1mYgFyD
• Like-minded individuals with very similar core values.
• Team that believes in & wants the same things = a strong
team.
• Strong teams do better jobs.
@SEOAware

48. Moz Cares About Their Staff
So what do they get?
A team of people ready to do anything to
protect Moz and its reputation.
Businesses, you have to treat your social team
really well!
@SEOAware

49. Self Preservation cont.
Eat well, hydrate and start your day off
with a little goofiness.
When you represent a large brand you
must try to be at your best.
• Turn that frown upside down.
• It is better to take a day off then take risks on
social media.
• Lean on your team!
• We ALL have bad days.
@SEOAware

50. Recap – Avoid Nightmares!
Brands
- Focus on creating a strong team with similar values.
- Be focused on what is best for the team.
- Create guidelines and plans to make things easier.
- Have core values that everyone can follow.
- What kind of audience do you want?
Social Folks
- Know your strengths & weaknesses.
- Create guidelines & an outlook of your own.
- Be prepared.
- Know who your audience is.
- Focus on self preservation!
@SEOAware

51. Thanks for coming!
Melissa Fach @SEOAware
Presentation at Slideshare.net/MelissaFach/
@SEOAware

52. Image Credits
Slide 1 Hulk - http://bit.ly/1hDAitM
Slide 3 Iron Man http://bit.ly/1jKWHWJ
Slide 4 Superman http://bit.ly/1fU66KK
Slide7 Thor http://bit.ly/1cvS2Tk
Slide 8 Wolverine http://bit.ly/1ltAuPV
Slide 16 Thor http://bit.ly/1mPfd4L
Slide 19 Loki http://bit.ly/1mYkIL6
Slide 21 Iron Patriot http://bit.ly/1ddaH9U
Slide 32 Iron Man http://bit.ly/1jKWHWJ
Slide 34 Superman http://bit.ly/1fbJeSz
Slide 39 Superman http://bit.ly/1hUXB0X
Slide 40 Professor X http://bit.ly/ORfup8
Slide 43 Wolverine http://bit.ly/NkRM3C
Slide 45 Iron Man http://bit.ly/1cvSLUr
Thor Happy http://bit.ly/1fAVWud
Thor Sad http://bit.ly/NkS9uT