The story is a big deal right now: Kmart is opening at 6pm on Thanksgiving Day and staying open for 41 hours straight.

Whether you agree with their business tactic or not, there is something to be learned from their awkward way of explaining themselves on a variety of social media platforms. Business Insider tells us that in the 48 hours following this announcement, the same tweet went out over 150 times and it read, “Kmart is staffing w/ teams & seasonal associates when possible, giving them opportunity to make extra money during holiday.”

Facebook allowed Kmart to provide more detail to their response to mass-criticism, “We understand many associates want to spend time with their families during the holiday. With this in mind Kmart stores do their very best to staff with seasonal associates and those who are needed to work holidays.”

What can we learn from this and other brand responses to negative feedback?

Here are four tips to successful social media marketing – even when it’s negative:

1. Think before acting: It can be argued that responding, even to the negative feedback, is important. Responding provides the opportunity to show your customers, both loyal and potential, how the brand handles itself. With this in mind, consider what is being said and decide whether a public social media message is the best way to handle the situation.
2. Listen to the customer: Before you begin constructing a message, you must first listen and understand the complaint. It’s important that the customer feels heard and understood. If necessary, ask more questions about the situation. Truly comprehending where your disgruntled customer or fan is coming from will make responding so much better. Sometimes, even just the attempt to understand can diffuse the situation.
3. Consider your message: You’ve decided to respond to the critique. Consider your audience, your message, and their possible response. Can you afford to make light of the situation or complaint? Are you arguing with the customer, or presenting facts?
4. Know when to leave: If it is beginning to look like an argument, stop and walk away. Remember the old saying, “The customer is always right”? This has stuck around because it’s true. Whether you believe they are right or not, it’s okay to be apologetic and end things before it gets ugly. If you rise above and respond well, your loyal and potential customers are going to see this and commend you.

Having a well-thought response to any and all posts is an important and vital part of social media marketing. If you need help with social media marketing, the SJC team is here to construct a voice for your brand; one that is ready to respond to all types of feedback.