In January 2013, a customer of the Subway sandwich chain posted a photo on the brand’s Facebook page, suggesting that the chain was misleading customers about the size of its sandwiches. Within hours the photo went viral, with more than 100,000 likes and comments. A major newspaper launched an investigation into the issue — which led to additional, similar photos being published — and the public demanded answers.

The answer came in the form of an e-mail sent to major news outlets from Subway’s PR department. The message attributed possible discrepancies in sandwich size to the baking process but did not actually address specific consumer concerns. The company also removed the original photo from its Facebook page.

Marketing experts and social media gurus alike lamented Subway’s handling of this incident. One analyst even went so far as to say that the incident was a prime example of “doing social wrong,” and how not to handle a reputation-damaging crisis. Want to Survive a Crisis? Don’t Have One.

No one wants customers or associates to spread negative information about them or their business. Things happen, though — a product fails, there’s a customer service issue, a new policy has unintended consequences — and people react, often by taking to their social media accounts.

Social media allows news to spread quickly, and bad news spreads fastest of all. A single negative comment among all of the positive ones is probably not going to make much difference. But when the tide of public opinion turns against you with hundreds or even thousands of negative comments on Facebook, Twitter and other online social outlets, your response determines the fate of your public image.

5 Points to Success

When you’re faced with a social media crisis, the worst thing to do is nothing, hoping that the problem goes away. In fact, successful crisis management can improve your status in the long run. If the worst does happen, though, keep these points in mind:

1. Monitor what people are saying. Most major brands have dedicated team members devoted to monitoring social media conversations 24/7. While a small business or individual may not have access to such resources, set aside time each day to monitor the conversations about you, your brand and your industry, or hire a management company to do it for you. Note spikes in negative conversations and investigate the cause. Proactively responding and making changes will preserve and protect your image.

2. Respond to questions and comments. In the Subway case, the original poster never received a response even after a response was requested, and additional queries were also ignored. Reputation management requires acknowledging critics’ points and responding to them. Even if you can’t respond to everyone who tweets or comments, reply to the most common questions and concerns.

3. Provide information. When a crisis occurs, people want answers. Whether it’s an explanation as to why their sandwich is smaller than expected or something more serious, offering information can often defuse a potentially volatile situation. Allowing your audience to speculate opens the door to rumors and untruths. Be honest, explaining why something happened and what you plan to do about it.

4. Be quick. One reason that crises spiral out of control is that companies fail to react quickly. Instead of immediately putting out the fire, leaders take hours — or longer — to develop a strategy for dealing with the problem. In the meantime, the negative comments gain traction, resulting in the need for more damage control. Have a social media response plan in place even if it’s just to let commenters know that you are aware of the issue and are looking for a solution.

5. Apologize. A sincere apology can go a long way to defusing a crisis and keeping your reputation intact. For example, when changes to Instagram’s terms of service were met with great public outcry, the CEO apologized for the confusion and returned the TOS to the original version. Instagram lost some users in the fallout, but far fewer than they would have had the problem been ignored.

At the end of the day, Subway remains the world’s largest restaurant chain, having beaten out McDonald’s in 2010, and customers still buy sandwiches, even if they may be an inch or so smaller than advertised. However, the long-term effects of the viral photograph remain to be seen, and there is certainly greater skepticism of Subway’s claims. Don’t allow your reputation to be permanently sullied by a disgruntled customer or unfortunate mistake. Make a crisis plan and address issues head on, before you lose the trust of your customers and your associates.

About the Author: Steven Wyer serves as Managing Director for Reputation Advocate, Inc. The firm provides Digital Branding, Online Reputation Management and consulting services. His book, Violated Online, delves into the stories behind online slander. The book offers more than 50 specific tips on how the reader can better prepare for an unexpected online attack. www.ViolatedOnline.com

"ZMU6RZ7J969D"