When a brand is at the centre of a crisis, where is the first place people turn to find updates and share their thoughts on the matter? Social media.
With all eyes on their social media channels, businesses need to ensure they have a strong crisis management plan in place in case they find themselves dealing with online backlash.
Although this may seem like a given, only 49% of companies have a formal crisis plan, and less than 25% actively conduct drills to practice for a crisis – a crucial mistake that could become evident later down the line.
In this article, we will discuss how some well-known brands have used X (formerly Twitter) to try to maintain their brand reputation in the midst of a social media storm.
The Importance of Crisis Management on X
Social media presence is a necessity for brands dealing with a crisis. When people are feeling angry or upset towards a brand, the first place they are likely to turn is to the brand's social media channels, where they will publicly share their thoughts on the matter.
X is still one of the most popular social media channels for users trying to get in touch with a brand.
Whether they’re upset with a service they've personally received or want to share their opinions on recent issues, the public nature of the platform makes it an effective place to be seen and heard.
From a business perspective, this can be incredibly damaging if the negative tweets are not well addressed. This is why businesses that regularly test their crisis management plans are shown to be 50% more likely to recover from various disruptions.
However, X also offers the perfect platform for brands to interact one-on-one with their audience and show a human element to their business. By using a conversational tone to have direct conversations that are visible to the public, they can diffuse situations and build customer relationships.
By keeping an eye on Twitter user analytics, social media managers are able to see just how much engagement has been generated online and how follower numbers are fluctuating. If there are any sudden drops, this can be a key indicator that people are unhappy with a recent post.
How Well-Known Brands Have Used X for Crisis Management
Over the years, there have been countless examples of big brands that have had to quickly respond to widespread upset after marketing blunders or controversial statements.
Let’s look at a few well-known businesses that have used X when a crisis has put their reputation on the line…
United Airlines
What started as a common issue of a flight being overbooked quickly turned into a huge-scale social media outrage when United Airlines forcibly removed a passenger from the plane.
Videos of the incident circulated on social media and X users were quick to slam United Airlines for their approach to the issue.
The post below shows the initial response made by United Airlines after the incident. Due to the lack of empathy towards the removed passenger and the seemingly insincere apology towards other passengers, the supposed public apology quickly backfired and caused further upset.
Following this tweet, a further apology was posted by the CEO of United Airlines to express genuine regret in a more human tone.
Grok
The issue is said to be caused by the Grok bot using existing user posts on X when formulating responses. Since the platform is no stranger to users with extremist views, the update saw users receiving pro-Hitler responses that caused widespread offence.
Grok were quick to jump on X with a crisis management strategy that openly explained the cause of the issue and apologized for any upset. They also reassured users that the update had since been removed to prevent the issue from recurring.
This response was a strong example of crisis management as action was taken immediately and Grok took ownership of the mistake. Since AI chatbots are a relatively new concept that are still undergoing continuous development, users generally received the public apology positively.
Tampax
Tampax, a brand known for female empowerment, quickly turned heads with a tweet that caused their followers to crticize the poor taste.
As a brand whose reputation is focused on body confidence, talking about taboo topics, and girlhood, this poorly worded tweet received a lot of negativity and sparked public conversation. People were upset about sanitaryware being sexualized and a lack of inclusivity – statements which go against the brand values that Tampax aim to display.
To manage this incident, Tampax removed the post and released a follow-up statement to address the backlash. The short response apologized for the offence and reiterated their brand values, admitting that the post did not align with them.
Using X to Maintain a Strong Brand Reputation
Any damage to brand reputation can quickly lead to the downfall of a business if it is not acted on fast. With social media meaning conversations are there for the world to see, any negativity and backlash can quickly spiral into a huge crisis for a business.
One of the key issues for brands releasing a statement is the 280-character limit. Since this restricts the amount they are able to say, a good practice is to direct users to a landing page on their website.
If all of the latest information is contained on one single web page, social media teams can manage the X account by generating X posts that direct people straight to the site.
➡️ This way, the risk of overlaps is reduced and everyone will have access to the newest updates.
Many businesses use landing page builders that can quickly create new web pages dedicated to the incident. This page can contain an in-depth written response, any real-time updates, and contact information for people who have been affected by the issue.
As well as making it easier for the business to manage, directing traffic to the site allows the team to utilize website heatmaps to see where on the page users are drawn too and what their frustrations are.
Protecting Your Brand from the Harm of Bot Activity
Many brands fall into the trap of believing that a high follower count equals social proof. But the reality is, follower quality is far more important than quantity.
In fact, most large accounts — especially those with viral reach or paid promotions — end up attracting bot followers. While they might seem harmless at first, these fake followers can quickly become a liability. Bots often fill up comment sections with spammy replies, flood DMs with scams, and damage the authenticity of brand engagement.
Worse still, once an account becomes known for having a high volume of bots, it attracts even more bots. This snowball effect creates a toxic engagement environment and can even spark new crises if fake accounts begin misrepresenting the brand.
That’s why routine follower cleanups are essential for any brand serious about protecting its reputation. Many top brands use Circleboom Twitter, the safest and most reliable follower management tool — and an official partner of X (formerly Twitter).
Circleboom helps you:
❇️ Analyze your followers and followings for authenticity.
❇️ Identify fake and bot accounts using advanced detection algorithms.
❇️ Remove harmful bot followers automatically — no manual checks needed.
❇️ Create content tailored to your audience’s real interests.
❇️ Schedule tweets at optimal times when your genuine followers are active.
How to Remove Bot Followers with Circleboom Twitter:
Step #1: Go to the Circleboom Twitter website and log in with your credentials.
If you’re a new user, sign up—it’s quick and easy!
Step #2: On the left-side menu, click on the Followers section. A dropdown menu will appear. Select Fake/Bot Followers to see the full list of your followers.
If you want to remove specific accounts, such as inactive users, you can directly select these categories from the dropdown menu instead of viewing all followers.
Step #3: You will see a complete list of your fake/bot followers.
Use the Filter Options on the right-hand side to refine your list. You can filter followers based on engagement levels, fake/spam accounts, inactivity, verification status, and more.
Step #4: Browse through your followers and check the boxes next to the users you want to remove.
You can also select multiple users at once. Once you have selected the users, click on the Remove Followers button at the top.
Alternatively, you can remove individual followers by clicking the red remove icon next to their name on the right side of the list.
A confirmation message will appear asking if you are sure you want to remove the selected followers. Click ''Remove Followers''.
Step #5: Since the removal action is processed via the Circleboom Remove Twitter/X Followers extension, you need to install it to complete the process.
Click on Download the Extension and install it from the Chrome Web Store.
Once installed, you can easily remove followers.
Step #6: After installing the extension, Circleboom will automatically add all your removal requests to the extension queue.
Click on the Start button to begin the removal process.
The extension will process your requests and remove the selected followers.
That's it! Your selected followers are now removed automatically.
⚠️ Important Warning: Once the removal process begins, do not close your Chrome browser or the Circleboom tab. The tool will automatically remove followers in the background, but if you close the tab or exit Chrome, the process will stop.
If you need a more detailed guide check this video ⬇️
By cleaning up spam and fake followers, brands not only protect their reputation but also boost engagement by focusing on real, interested users.
Having the Final Say During a Crisis
Crisis management is about more than just apologizing when things go wrong – it’s about maintaining trust among loyal customers.
X offers brands a platform that can communicate messages to a large audience in an instant. Being able to make posts in real-time is an opportunity that is more valuable than ever when the business is in the limelight (even when it is not in a good way!).
Being able to respond to negative comments and take accountability for any wrongdoings will not only show a more human side of the business, but will hopefully help minimize the amount of negativity being shared online.
To prepare for these incidents and ensure a team knows how to respond in a timely manner, a business should have a crisis management plan in place to define how it expects to deal with any issues.
Since X is one of the first places people will go to say what they’re thinking, using the platform as an opportunity to post real-time updates and interact with followers can help diffuse the situation.
If the incident is a large scale one, creating a landing page to provide larger amounts of information and publish statements as they come through can help contain the backlash. If social media accounts are simply used to direct traffic to the website, it can be managed centrally to avoid miscommunications and further media attention.
