Are you truly listening to your customers? I don’t mean just hearing the feedback they send directly to your business through calls, emails, or texts. I’m talking about what they’re saying about you everywhere else—on social media platforms, review sites, and online forums. This broader awareness is what we call social listening, but I believe a more accurate term would be “social reacting.”
In the past month alone, I’ve been approached twice about monitoring online comments and reviews. This tells me businesses are recognizing the importance of tracking customer sentiment beyond traditional channels. Your customers aren’t just leaving reviews on Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor—they’re sharing experiences on Facebook, Instagram, and countless other platforms.
If you take the time to listen—to read or watch what customers say about you—you must also react with an appropriate response. While I firmly believe you should respond to all comments, addressing negative ones is absolutely critical.
Negative Reviews Aren’t Actually Bad
Here’s something that might surprise you: negative reviews can actually help your business. In fact, a perfect five-star rating often makes potential customers suspicious. They might think, “This is too good to be true.” Perfection isn’t reality, and customers know this. A few negative reviews mixed with mostly positive ones creates authenticity and trust.
With that understanding, here are five strategies for effective social reacting:
- React to positive comments – A simple thank you is appropriate. If you can personalize it, even better. This reinforces positive experiences and shows appreciation.
- React to negative comments – Respond quickly to negative feedback. The sooner, the better. This creates credibility and shows you take concerns seriously. When possible, take the complaint offline to resolve it directly, then return to the original platform to share that you’ve addressed the issue.
Quick responses to negative feedback demonstrate that you value customer input and are committed to making things right. This can often turn a disappointed customer into a loyal advocate.
- React to unreasonable comments – Not every comment will be reasonable. Some people are simply difficult or having a bad day. Respond professionally without being defensive, and offer a direct communication channel.
- Use AI and templates wisely – If you receive many comments, AI tools and response templates can save time. Just make sure to customize them for each situation. Customers can spot generic copy-paste responses immediately.
- Treat all comments as learning opportunities – Whether feedback is positive or negative, use it to improve. For negative feedback, find ways to prevent similar issues. For positive comments, identify what’s working so you can repeat it consistently.
Make Social Reacting Part of Your Marketing Strategy
Companies invest significant resources to attract customer attention through marketing and advertising. Don’t waste that investment by ignoring what those customers say about you online. Social reacting should be an integral part of your marketing and customer experience plan.
When you respond thoughtfully to online comments, you’re not just addressing one customer—you’re showing everyone who reads that exchange how your business handles feedback. This public demonstration of your customer service values can influence countless potential customers.
By the way, negative reviews aren’t so bad. A perfect five-star rating causes some customers to think this is too good to be true.
I’ve found that businesses that embrace feedback—both positive and negative—tend to build stronger customer relationships and more resilient brands. They use criticism as fuel for improvement rather than something to fear or hide.
The bottom line is simple: listening without reacting is only doing half the job. True social listening requires thoughtful, timely responses that show customers you value their input and are committed to providing the best possible experience. Are you ready to move beyond just listening and start reacting?
