Reputation is earned in drops and lost in buckets.
This saying has never been truer than in today’s hyper-connected world, where a single post, comment, or tweet can turn public sentiment against you in a heartbeat.
For charities and nonprofits, whose very existence depends on trust and goodwill, a social media misstep can have devastating consequences. It’s not just a matter of embarrassment—it can lead to lost donors, tarnished reputations, and long-term damage to your mission.
Let’s explore how to safeguard your organisation’s reputation and avoid being the next headline for all the wrong reasons.
When Good Intentions Go Wrong
Even the most well-meaning organisations aren’t immune to digital backlash. Sometimes, a poorly phrased tweet, an ill-judged campaign, or even an employee’s personal social media activity can spark outrage.
Take the hypothetical example of a small animal welfare charity posting a cheeky meme intended to engage younger audiences. While the intent may have been harmless, the tone comes across as flippant about animal cruelty, igniting a storm of criticism online.
The result? Donors pull their support, the media catches wind of the controversy, and the organisation is left scrambling to repair the damage.
Why Prevention Is Better Than Damage Control
Once your organisation is in crisis mode, it’s much harder to regain the trust of your supporters. That’s why it’s crucial to lay the groundwork for avoiding these situations altogether. Here’s how:
1. Establish Clear Social Media Guidelines
Every organisation needs a social media policy that provides clear guidelines for both official accounts and employees' personal activity when representing the organisation.
Your policy should cover:
Who can post from official accounts and under what circumstances.
Rules for tone, language, and acceptable content.
How to respond to negative feedback or complaints.
A crisis management plan for addressing serious incidents.
This document doesn’t have to stifle creativity, but it should ensure everyone understands the stakes and their responsibilities.
2. Train Your Team
Even seasoned professionals can misjudge tone or context online. Regular training sessions on social media best practices, cultural sensitivity, and audience expectations can help your team stay on track.
Make sure your training includes examples of how posts can be misinterpreted, even with the best of intentions. Understanding the potential pitfalls is the first step toward avoiding them.
3. Monitor Your Digital Presence
Social media monitoring tools can be your best friend. By tracking mentions of your organisation and key issues, you can spot potential problems early and address them before they spiral out of control.
Some tools worth considering:
Brand Mentions: Aggregates online mentions across platforms for real-time tracking.
Mentionlytics: Helps you monitor sentiment and group similar mentions for easy analysis.
Hootsuite Insights: Combines monitoring with scheduling tools for efficient management.
4. Craft a Thoughtful Crisis Response Plan
Despite your best efforts, mistakes can happen. When they do, having a crisis communications plan in place can make all the difference.
At a minimum, your plan should outline:
Who is authorised to respond on behalf of the organisation.
The approval process for public statements.
Pre-approved messaging templates to speed up response time.
How to escalate serious incidents internally.
A Trust-Building Opportunity
Handled correctly, a crisis doesn’t have to be the end of the world. In fact, it can be an opportunity to demonstrate your organisation’s integrity, transparency, and commitment to learning from mistakes.
By responding quickly, owning up to errors, and taking steps to make things right, you can often turn a negative situation into a trust-building moment.
Need Help Protecting Your Organisation’s Reputation?
If you’re feeling unsure about how to manage your digital presence or prepare for potential crises, we’re here to help.
Give us a call on 020 3880 6655 or email contactus@ferntalent.com to get the ball rolling.
