That influencer apology video formula actually worked for me once

I run a small rental property page on Instagram and got roasted after a tenant posted about a mold issue I handled too slow. Tried the classic apology formula everyone makes fun of: no excuses, state what you did wrong, show the fix. Posted a video owning up to the 3 week delay and walked through the new inspection schedule I put in place. To my surprise, comments flipped from hate to supportive in like 2 days. Has anyone else tested one of these canned apology strategies and had it actually land?

2 comments

2 Comments

aaronclark18d ago

Yeah did you also notice how the simple direct stuff cuts through all the bs? I managed a small apartment complex for a bit and had to do a similar video after a HVAC breakdown in July heat. People just want to see you admit it without making excuses or blaming the maintenance guy. Once I showed the exact timeline of when filters get changed now and a photo of the new units going in, the comments turned around quick. The formula works because it forces you to actually fix the problem instead of just talking about it.

fiona_young18d ago

@aaronclark nailed it but there's a darker reason the formula works. It triggers a social debt response in people - once you fully admit fault and show the concrete fix, their brain feels obligated to forgive you. That's why landlords and corporate accounts get away with it so often, because the structure is designed to short-circuit anger.

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