Social Media Anger Management Tips from Carie Lewis, HSUS

Me and Carie Lewis, HSUS at Mashable Conference

At the Mashable Conference, I enjoyed hearing the latest update from Carie Lewis about her organization's experience in social media crisis mode and the recent controversy with Michael Vick. She was able to clearly demonstrate the value of listening and engaging. 

Carie has proposed a panel at SXSW called "Let the Haters Hate"  (and while you are voting for Carie's panel, consider casting votes for these nonprofit panels).   I caught up with her to get some tips on managing angry people.

Given that you are on the front lines, what do you when people say bad things about your issues?

I fight the urge to argue right back. As much as I want to when someone's bashing the organization I love, I refrain from being defensive because that will only fuel the fire.  Also, I try not to take criticism and mean words personally.

How do you know when to respond and when to brush it off?

I step back and assess the situation.  I look at 3 things.

1 - tone. What is the severity of the person's tone - are they totally negative, neutral, seem like they could be talked to?
2 - influence. How many followers, friends, subscribers do they have? If it's a blog, what's their technorati ranking? How many people are they really talking to?
3 - frequency. Is this a standalone argument / complaint or does there seem to be a trend brewing? Is it the usual suspects or does this person seem to be gathering a following? I look at number of retweets, comments, etc.

How do I leverage the people who are saying good things about my brand?

I have set up extensive monitoring tools for my  organization and brand.  I  respond to people who say positive things about our organization or retweet them often.  I put them into a group or spreadsheet so I can keep track of them. I engage with them often, even if its not about my organization. Then, when it comes time for me to call on them for help, they'll want to.

How can do you turn a negative experience into a positive one?

Again, have extensive monitoring tools in place. Most people who complain about you don't even know you're on twitter or reading their blog. When they do, write them and tell them who you are and ask if you can help. You'll probably be able to tell right away if you'll be able to make things better. Not everyone is; keep that in mind. But it doesn't hurt to try - many people are really happy to hear from someone. Find out the root of the problem. If you can't fix it personally, or right away, tell them you're working on it. Keep in constant communication until its been resolved. Stay positive and respectful - as hard as it may be!

Anger in Action from HSUS blog

What are your tips for managing angry or disgruntled people online?

Comments

[Anna]

I try to imagine that they are a tantruming three-year old and be as non-reactive as possible, knowing that if I don't add to their fire, their fury will probably burn itself out.

[Melinda Lewis]

Very helpful post from a really inspiring practitioner--I thought it was going to be about managing my OWN anger in a social media context--how to express outrage at injustice in a way that inspires rather than alienates. If you've got some advice on that, I'd love it!