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Social Media and Crisis Planning: 3 Things to Remember
By: Ashlyn Brewer | 03/08/2011
We've all seen that commercial. You know, the one that goes, "That's why every generation's ‘where were you when' is really ‘where were you watching it.'"
But let's face it - that's hardly true anymore.
Whether it's international news like the middle-eastern revolutions or hyperlocal news like the shooting this morning here in St. Louis, the most current updates can be found online, on social networking sites and online news sources.
This has immense implications for crisis planning. Here are three key things to remember:
1. The midst of a crisis is not the time to be building your social networking profiles. If you want the opportunity to have a say in the conversation about a crisis involving your organization, build your networks and own your brand online before a crisis ever hits.
2. The social Web is going to react to big news, regardless of whether the facts are defined. Share information as you have it and correct misinformation rapidly.
3. Social broadcasting (sharing information on social networks without engaging) is rarely the best policy, and crisis situations are no exception. Be sure to answer questions whenever possible, send updates to news reporters, and assure people contacting you that you'll update them frequently.
Posted in Issues and Crisis Management
comments
Ashlyn says:
Thu, March 10, 2011 at 11:32:am
Thanks for reading, Josh! I tend to agree… while TV still has fairly impressive reach, social media’s ability to target & engage is unmatched.
Christi says:
Thu, March 10, 2011 at 5:33:pm
Let’s not forget those in rural areas, where dial-up connections still exists and cell phone service is spotty. Television is often the window to the nearest metropolitan area, and local radio and newspapers are still going strong! We live about 45 minutes from St. Louis and DSL just arrived about 3 years ago… and 4 out of 5 cell providers still don’t work in the hills.
Ashlyn says:
Fri, March 11, 2011 at 10:43:am
Great point/reminder, Christi!
It’s easy to magnify the people active online because they’re right at our fingertips, but that doesn’t mean that they’re representative of an entire audience.
Josh Gronemeyer says:
Thu, March 10, 2011 at 11:13:am
Great point! Television is no longer the most effective way to distribute information. It’s all about social media!