Reputations at risk: Engagement during social media crises

•Social media poses risk to corporate reputations.•To mitigate risk practitioners must approach social media more strategically.•Engaging indiscriminately with emotional social media users can potentially create crises.•Authenticity of voice and transparency are crucial factors in successful crisis management.•Article offers practical strategies to mitigate risk during social media crises.

Research into social media and social networking sites has focused on its advantages for organization–public relationships. Potential risks to corporate reputation have been largely glossed over, but inappropriate strategies can create or fuel social media crises. This article is based on an in-depth analysis of three multinational profit-making organizations experiencing social media crises after 2010. It was found that each organization employed different engagement strategies with varied outcomes. Authenticity of voice and transparency were crucial factors for success, whereas engaging indiscriminately with emotional individuals could potentially escalate an issue. The article offers strategies for engagement during social media crises.