As with most problems, the best solution is always prevention, but in a fast-paced world ruled by digital media and practically reflexive social interactions, making a slip up here in there is bound to happen. Being careful, attentive and thinking before you post should help you avoid making a huge mistake, but in case you ever post something that wasn’t meant to be said on an official account then don’t panic; these two simple tips can help you deal with it.
1. Apologize. This is a no-brainer, really, and may be all that’s needed in some cases. In the case that something that was meant to be posted on a personal account ends up on an official one, delete the content and promptly issue an apology addressing the mistake. There’s no need to make a huge deal out of it in most cases, but if something offensive or inappropriate was posted do be sure to make it very clear that the organization, company or party represented by the social account had nothing to do with it.
2. Leverage the mistake. Was the misplaced tweet funny? Did the accidental post on Facebook get a lot of likes? Has any sort of positive attention been generated in any way? If nothing negative was stated in the post then just make the most of it. If you can get away with not deleting it then leave it online to be immortalized and see how much more buzz it might generate, but do make sure to acknowledge the mistake—again—in a way that doesn’t make too huge a deal about it. Make a joke out of the situation or, if possible, find some way to use it to create a conversation with your audience.