How does backlash happen?
Backlash is a state where criticism gathers around a post or response and spreads rapidly through quotes and shares. What triggers it is, in most cases, less the post itself than "how the people who received it felt." Even if the writer meant no harm, when people feel hurt or mocked, that feeling spreads together with the quotes.
The way it spreads has a pattern too. The post of the first critic gets quoted, reaches the quoter's followers, and is quoted again from there, a chain. A critical post can travel faster and farther than the original post. Backlash can happen even to a business account with few followers.
Posts that invite backlash
There are a few types of triggers. Just checking before posting whether your post fits any of them avoids many failures.
| Type | Example | What to check before posting |
|---|---|---|
| Teasing or looking down on someone | Jokes about age, gender, region or occupation | Could the people named laugh at it? |
| Bad timing | A cheerful promotion during a disaster or major accident | The mood of the world on the day it goes out |
| Factual errors | A wrong price, date or claim, a groundless "number one in Japan" | The basis for numbers and absolute claims |
| Inside information leaks | Customer stories, photos of employees, internal screens in the background | Photo backgrounds, the person's permission |
| Poor handling | Arguing back at complaints, deleting criticism, a late apology | Who looks before a reply to a complaint |
| A staff member's personal opinion | Opinions on politics, religion or crimes on the business account | Is it something the company should say? |
The last two in this table are backlash caused by operations, not posts. Arguing back at complaints or deleting criticism can spread wider than the original post. How to set reply rules is explained in rules for replies and DMs.
Reduce risk before posting
Bring in a second pair of eyes
The writer rarely notices the risk in their own text. Just having another person read it once before it goes out stops many failures. If reviewing every post is hard, decide that a second person reviews at least posts on new themes, posts touching on current events and replies to complaints. How to build the review flow is covered in how to build an approval workflow.
Reread scheduled posts on the day they go out
Scheduled posts are convenient, but a post written days ago may no longer suit the mood of the day it goes out. Decide to reread everything scheduled for that day the day before or on the morning, and you can prevent bad timing.
Decide what you won't write about
Decide in advance the topics a business account won't touch, such as politics, religion, crimes and criticism of other companies. Once decided, the person in charge does not have to hesitate on the spot. It is a good idea to put such decisions in your internal operating rules. How to write them is explained in how to write social media guidelines.
The order of response when it happens
When backlash happens, speed and order matter. Remember: spend the first hour on "stop, gather, consult", and do not make excuses or argue back.
| Order | What to do | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Stop | Stop scheduled posts and automatic replies and DMs | Promotional posts going out as planned will add fuel to the fire |
| 2. Gather | See what is being criticized and how far it has spread | Save screenshots to keep a record |
| 3. Consult | Tell the person responsible you decided on in advance | Don't decide alone as the person in charge |
| 4. Check the facts | Check whether the post or response contained an error | Don't over-apologize or deny before you have checked |
| 5. Explain | If there was an error, publish an apology and next steps | Once, and clearly |
| 6. Review | Write the cause and rules to prevent it next time | Don't put the blame on an individual |
Should you delete the original post?
If you quietly delete the original post, it can be read as "pretending it never happened," and criticism can spread with the saved screenshots. If you delete it, say in the apology or explanation that you deleted it and why. Make clear the purpose of deleting, such as stopping wrong information from continuing to spread, before you decide.
How to write an apology
An apology should say what happened, what was wrong, who was inconvenienced and what you will do from now on. Phrasing that puts the cause on how others took it, such as "if it caused misunderstanding" or "if anyone felt uncomfortable", tends to provoke a backlash of its own. Where you made a mistake, admit it plainly.
After an apology, hold off on regular promotional posts for a while. The person responsible decides when to resume, based on whether the criticism has calmed down.
Telling backlash from ordinary criticism
A few critical replies do not mean you should panic and treat it all as backlash. Business accounts get harsh comments all the time. What matters is two things: whether it is spreading, and whether the criticism points to a factual error or a fault on your side.
| State | How to tell | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary complaint | A few replies. Not spreading through quotes | Reply according to your reply rules |
| Starting to spread | Quotes are increasing and replies keep coming from people you don't know | Stop scheduled posts, tell the person responsible and check the facts |
| Backlash | Quotes chain and it is being talked about on other accounts too | Act in the order for when it happens |
You can tell whether it is spreading from the number of quotes and how fast reactions from non-followers are increasing. A sudden jump in a post's impressions on the analytics screen is also a sign it is starting to spread. If in doubt, treat it as "starting to spread", stop scheduled posts and watch, and you will regret it less later. If nothing comes of it, just resume.
What to decide ahead of time
If you think about backlash response only after it happens, you are late. In advance, decide three things, who to notify, who stops posting and who decides the wording of the explanation, and write them in your operating rules along with contact details. If it happens at night or on a holiday and the person responsible can't be reached, at least make sure that whoever notices can stop things, and the damage stays small.
What you can do in SNS TOWN
Pause all scheduled posts in SNS TOWN stops the scheduled posts of every account connected to that company or brand with one button. While paused, nothing goes out even when its time comes, and scheduled posts whose time has passed when you resume go back to drafts, so the paused posts never go out all at once. Anyone except a person with the Viewer role can press it, so even when the person responsible can't be reached, whoever notices can stop it. Automatic replies and automatic DMs are stopped separately in their own settings.
For checks before posting, you can use approval. Set a post cycle to draft mode and AI drafts become awaiting approval and go out only after a person reads them. You can also choose whether admins and editors, or admins only, can approve, post now and send replies.
A post that has already gone out can be removed from the network, for example with "Delete from X" on the post's page. Instagram and TikTok posts cannot be deleted from SNS TOWN because of how those networks work, so delete them in each app. The steps are in Delete a post. The activity log in members and roles lets you check who did what and when, which you can use in your review.
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Kostenlos startenFrequently asked questions
Is there a way to tell which posts might cause backlash?
There is no perfect way. Just checking three things, whether it makes someone the butt of a joke, whether it suits the mood of the day it goes out, and whether numbers and absolute claims have a basis, prevents many failures. If in doubt, don't post it, and ask a second person to read it.
Should I reply to each critical reply one by one?
Replying one by one can let an argument spread. If there is a factual error, publish one post with an apology and explanation, and in individual replies simply point to that same explanation. Don't reply to anything that amounts to slander or threats; keep a record and use each network's reporting feature.
Should I delete the account if backlash happens?
Deleting the account means losing the place to explain, and only the saved screenshots remain. In many cases, publishing an explanation and apology and holding off on posts for a while is better for regaining trust. The person responsible should decide whether to delete after checking the facts.
Can a staff member's personal account comments cause backlash for the company?
Yes. If you write about customers or internal matters on an account where your company name or job can be identified, it can spread as a company problem. Putting what may and may not be written on personal accounts into your operating rules also protects your staff.
What should I do if I notice backlash at night or on a holiday?
First stop scheduled posts and automatic replies and DMs, save screenshots to keep a record, and notify the contact you decided in advance. Publish an explanation only after agreeing its content with the person responsible. It is important to decide in advance that whoever notices may go as far as stopping things right away.
