Social media (and specially Twitter) can damage your reputation in a second or, if you are Charlie Sheen, create a horde of #tigerblood thirsty animals in one day, setting up a new guinness world record.
Many traditional PR best practices and crisis management processes are now in a garbage can. Right after one of these "twitter events" occur hundreds of very bright professionals are designing new strategies, new plans, new schemes.....that will only last a week at most.
I am not a PR expert but my suggestion would be to have ready an answer in 140 characters. Don't try to explain in a PR release or give a press conference. There is not time for that. You have been struck by lightning (that as you know travel at speed of light) so your best option is to counter attack the same way.
A couple of days ago, Food Network's Chef Ina Garten has been trashed on Twitter by refusing to spend time with one of the kids from Make a Wish Foundation.
Maybe Ina really did not have time to spend with this kid, maybe she does tones of charity work and I am sure that she is a wonderful person. But "according to twitter" she is a heartless bitch. I don't know Ina and never heard of her before yesterday, so for me this is my first impression on her. And what where we told about first impressions?
It seems that Ina does not have an official twitter account and the related account with more followers @barefootcntessa recently posted this tweet, requesting people to stop after probably receiving hundreds of unfriendly messages.
So Ina has a PR nightmare. Again, I am not expert, but if 140 characters can ruin your day maybe using the some "weapon" can help you save face. Ina, get a twitter account!
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