Be Transparent: Why Deleting Negative Posts is a Bad Idea

It’s generally considered bad form to delete a post from your Facebook page* just because you don’t like what that person has to say. As business owners, we have to come to terms with the fact that the second we open our “doors”, someone somewhere is unhappy. We can’t please everyone all of the time. Now, the whole purpose of using social media is to have conversations and communicate with others. If you are a page administrator that removes a post by the public simply because the content isn’t what you prefer, then you don’t understand what social media is really about.

I recommend deleting and removing posts from others if they are: racist, sexist, full of hate speech, obscene or violate your stated community guidelines. Deleting simply because you don’t like them shows immaturity, an inability to deal with real life situations, and damages your credibility. No matter how much you try to whitewash life, you can’t remove all negativity from your world. Instead of pulling out the big pink eraser, acknowledge the concern (if they aren’t delusional), communicate with the person, validate their concern then discuss your plan of action, whatever it is. Remember, there is always someone watching your actions and there are silent members of your audience that WILL notice. For a step by step guide on how to do this, see my blog on How to Deal with Negative Customer Feedback.

The way you deal with unhappy or negative people is proof of your character. A less than rosy comment doesn’t have to be the end of the world. It can be a learning experience if you are open to it. Have you ever had cruddy customer service, complained, then received excellent treatment and it changed the way you thought of the company? It happens to me all the time. People love to bag on telephone reps. I love it when I get the truly helpful and nice person. It happens more often than people acknowledge but sometimes it’s the way Ginny from Oklahoma treats you that determines how you feel about the multi-billion dollar conglomerate. Take every opportunity as a chance to provide a stellar experience. It’s never too late to turn it around!

Bottom line? Deleting posts damages your credibility. Are you wondering if you post something bad on my page whether or not I leave it? Test me: http://www.facebook.com/KerryRegoConsulting

* When I say Page, I mean BUSINESS PAGE. If you are a person, you have a PROFILE. They are not the same thing and have very different cultural rules.