The social media ecosystem has changed the way we live as a society. The right, the wrong and the truth are streamed across social media platforms worldwide, ultimately influencing each person who reads it.

In fact, studies have confirmed that messages on users' social media feeds could significantly influence people's views — whether it comes to politics or a company's brand.

Though social media influence can be a benefit like promoting voter turnout — it can also have a downside. The perception versus reality of events can have a tendency to feel completely different.

I experienced the difference during the 2017 Inauguration Parade on Jan. 20.

Prior to attending, I was getting notified by friends and social media that the inauguration was going to be nothing short of a circus. The perception from the online messages was complete and utter negativity. In fact, social media affected my thought process on the event as a whole.

Should I have been scared to travel alone to the event? Should I have been worried of protesters and rioters causing harm to businesses and individuals? I even had friends and family message me in various forms telling me to be safe and to keep a good eye out on my surroundings. But should I truly have to do that? According to the perception on social media, yes.

View of the U.S. Capitol down Pennsylvania Ave. on Inauguration Day. (Photo: Jessica Taylor)

But as I stood on the corner of 13th and Pennsylvania Ave., there was such a calm and peaceful air as parties [political], protesters and participants were in suspense for the events to occur. You had pro- and anti-Trump campaigns arising, which you'd expect, but not the apocalypse many were predicting.

In fact, both groups had hilarious posters and chants that would bring a grin to most. Granted, there was a riot right up the street from where I was located, but that didn't hinder the parade. In all reality, it was a peaceful day that trumped most experiences I have had.

The social media influence doesn't just effect politics, but it also affects businesses worldwide as social media is the best way to get in touch with brands.

"With the good comes the bad, and social media is not always about happy comments and grateful customers," according to a Marketing Professionals article. "At times, customers flock to a brand's social media page to express concerns or complaints; often, when that happens, account managers panic."

So how do brands change the negative social media message to a positive? In a perfect world, we'd be able to remove all negativity. And though we may remove what we can, creating positive content to suppress the negatives is the best way to improve your image and results.

Though it may not get rid of everything, following these four steps will help you find the balance between the negative and positive:

Relate and understand: Being able to identify with the negative message is the first step. Is the message legitimate? Does the individual want a solution? We all know the saying, "put yourself in their shoes," so actually do it. Try understanding where the individual is coming from. That will give you the ability to spin the conversation in your favor.

Be timely: Promptly responding to negative messages will show individuals that you are attentive to their needs. Not to mention, it decreases the amount of time the individual can continue to complain and post negative messages.

Include others: Using other platforms, such as surveys, will allow individuals to express their negativity directly to you instead of through social media.

Don’t delete: Though it may seem an easy fix, deleting negativity will only hinder your brand. Individuals will notice the removed message and will assume you're sweeping the issue under the rug. Learning to embrace negativity and turning them into positives shows your business cares and wants to grow with its customers.

As social media remains a staple communication tool in our society, it will improve and define how we interact with each other. Whether its B2B or B2C, we have to adapt and learn how to best approach situations negative and positive in such platforms.