The Conversation Turns Ugly Online. What's Your Next Step?

Facebook is an inexpensive and effective way of spreading the word about your products and company. It's a great tool for gathering input from your customers, for hearing what they have to say. But be prepared. What they have to say may not be all good.

With social media like Facebook and Twitter, you've got to be willing and prepared to receive and engage with folks about the good and the bad. The scathing criticism. The negative critique of your product. Even the unsubstantiated rumor.

When those kinds of comments appear on your Facebook page, do NOT delete them. Remember, social media is a conversation. It's an open forum that needs to be respected as such.

Don't ignore negative comments. (And, a word of caution here: you can appear to ignore negative comments because you're not paying attention, so keep a watchful eye.)

Think of negative comments as an opportunity. Step back, seriously analyze what the negative comment is really saying. Develop a strategy for addressing your critic. And jump into the discussion.

Don't be defensive. Realize instead that this is a great opportunity for you to demonstrate that your company really cares about what its customers think. If you're really interested in serving them better, this is the time to show that.

As you engage in an open, online discussion with your critic, you might just discover something that could be done better. When you do, take steps to improve your product or service, then go back online and tell your fans about it – and thank the critic for bringing it to your attention.

A critical comment could be the beginning of many interactions with your fans/customers as they see that you not only “talk the talk” of social media engagement, but “walk the walk” of truly engaging in a conversation. And, as other customers chime in with their unsolicited, positive comments about your company, you'll benefit from a third party endorsement that is invaluable.