If you find yourself embroiled in controversy because of something you posted on social media, public relations consultant Julia Angelen Joy outlines the following action plan to help you fix the situation.

• Regret: First, take a second to show that you regret what happened. “The words ‘I’m sorry’ are still important and show character,” she says.
• Resolve: Then, you need to show that you and your business are taking active steps to resolve the situation that allowed the blunder in the first place, Joy says.
• Reform: “Without the promise of change, customers have nothing to cling to,” she notes.
• Restitution: This is basically putting your money where your mouth is. Providing a refund or eating the costs of redoing a mishandled order – or even making a donation to a group that was affected by your careless words – will go a lot further than merely expressing regret. It’s all about backing up your words with sincere action.