So you embarrassed yourself on social media — what’s next?

The Penn State football program’s Twitter account blundered recently with an ill-advised Super Bowl post. As rivals piled on, the incident added to the long history of social media fails.

These viral faux pas are every social media manager’s nightmare, but they’re not fatal. Brands survive these embarrassments daily.

Strategies to recover your rep vary. First and foremost, be honest and admit the mistake (as Penn State eventually did, humorously). If an apology is warranted, make one quickly and contritely. People are forgiving — and most of all, they tend to have a short memory when it comes to flubs.

– Dan Stefano, WordWrite