How can you measure the impact of social media on crisis communication and brand reputation?

Crisis communication does not mean take all conversations offline, convert comments from negative to positive. Owning up and providing transparency during this time is important. It takes time and effort but during this time do not go by the handbook. Don’t forget to add the human touch to all communication, during this time the people raising an issue or asking questions need you to be genuine. Go into manual mode and win back the trust of the users/community. Your goal should be to ensure all replies and responses to be “Genuine” not scripted or auto generated responses. Show that you are vulnerable as a brand too and you can also make mistakes. Nobody is perfect!

First things first, - Stop all advertising outreach and promotional campaigns. You don’t want to sound tone-deaf as a crisis looms over. When a house is under attack, all hands need to be on deck to save it not go and attract more residents - In the physical world, if the issue concerns two people or parties they talk and sort it out, similarly, on social media too - deflect the crisis online to an offline space; set up time to talk it through in a neutral space. Don’t exchange verbose explanations online for the whole World Wide Web to have a go at it. Once the matter gets resolved, post a brief closure online. -Your statements need to sound like lay people; force yourself to stay close to human speak not standard, canned BOT speak

At the core of effective crisis communication lies the fundamental objective of preserving trust in a brand. This communication should be underpinned by proactive and regular communications is key in establishing trust. Transparency is paramount, necessitating a forthright disclosure of information. Demonstrating empathy through active listening to customer feedback and concerns is crucial as well. In this context, social media plays a multifaceted role. It provides a dynamic platform for two-way, real-time interaction between a brand and its key stakeholders or customers. Social media facilitates communication on a broad scale, reaching a wide audience, while simultaneously allowing for personalized, one-on-one engagement.

The most effective approach to crisis communications involves open dialogue, utilizing both our own platforms and external ones such as media or partnerships, or running them concurrently. Discuss and define the issue, devise a solution, and clearly articulate what we aim to achieve—a well-defined measurable goal. Choose an approach, channel, and method to measure goal attainment. Prepare a script, select key individuals or events to organize. It's crucial to involve shareholders, ambassadors, and Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) for conveying or amplifying the message's essence. The company's team can also serve as brand ambassadors. I use Brand24 to monitor our reputation status

Crisis communication starts with authenticity and ownership. An apology helps to alleviate emotions. My experience is transparency is always needed but clarity off line and on line can be different levels. My students prepare crisis management plans for sport franchises and I have examples of some drastic crisis situations in my career. Know the audience, engage the stakeholders and lead with honesty. Feedback will come no matter what you do so lead and guide to positive and information.

Asides all the analytics and metrics, one should keep track of the QUALITY of the engagement, feedback and discussions being had. There is no point having 10,000 comments and all of them are discussing non related matters on your feed. Analytics would still capture that interaction as impressions and engagement BUT its of zero use to the brand to be trending for all the wrong reasons. So make sure you also opt for quality content that yields quality results in engagement, conversations and sub-conversations.

Indeed, all of these metrics are important for understanding the impact but what could be more important is how one uses these metrics in the REX i.e lessons learnt and adopetd to update your efforts in issues management before they actually turn into crises

Not less important, after setting the metrics and building the engagements - it is imperative to listen, understand, and leverage those engagements ie. To positively respond to the feedback while being consistent with the original purpose.

What I would do during a crisis? Just maintain a positive reputation as my main goal. By focusing on Analysis and Reputation elements, you can track how people feel about your brand, identify any negative sentiment and address it promptly. Additionally, through the reputation’s monitoring, you can see your crisis communication and the impacting efforts of it for your brand. Also, you can increase your reputation during the crisis by prioritizing the engagement metrics such as likes, comments, shares and if you promtly understand them you can finally tailor your crisis communication strategy to better connect with your audience and save your brand’s image.

I'm not a social media expert but I wonder what the metrics don't show you i.e. there are ample studies that conclude how people (supposedly) feel based on their social media behaviour but what about the realities of their actions? In my observation, there's usually a significant gap between what people want others to beleive they will do/how they think and what they actually do/how they think.

Beyond Google Analytics and Hootsuite, Human Brain is an important tool! Amalgamation of available tools, AI and ML can give you automised dashboard, but not the emotions! They may count mentions, likes, comments and/or shares, but not the emotions. Train the best brains to amalgamate all required tools, derive emotionally suitable information and reuse the information and statistics to engage more customers, and this goes on and on!

No matter the tool, notifications and early warning systems need to be set up in order to catch the comments or actuons which require crisis management. There is a lot to be said for an effective consumer relations and community management team who need to analyze the data, catch and respond to the crisis in a timely and human manner.

For My industry i have found Brand Watch, Symplur and Sprinklr useful. I have had limited experience with other tools like Meltwater.

In fact there is much more say on this section but in general, it is essential to choose the right tool for your brand’s needs and budget. There is a variety of free or low-cost tools option for basic features, while others require a subscription for advanced capabilities. Additionally, some tools are more user-friendly than others, so it's important to consider the learning curve and level of technical expertise required. Although, depending on your brand size and needs you must choose your tool wisely. By selecting the right tool and regularly monitoring and then analyzing social media metrics, you can make informed decisions that will help you effectively manage crisis and protect your brand’s reputation.

Agree for the most part. But it's important to look at a combination of metrics before impulsively reacting. Always remember that people are entitled to their feelings and opinions. It's important not to denigrate their position but rather put forth a positive and genuine response. Be grateful for the engagement and personal in your response to someone who has taken the time to let you know how they feel.

So, internal benchmarks? That’s your personal progress report. External benchmarks? That’s your reality check against the rest of the world. Combine these, and you’ve got a solid game plan to elevate your social media strategy. Keep it 100, and always aim to outdo your past self while keeping an eye on the competition. é isso aí! (That’s it!)

Ensure you measure your results against the benchmarks that matter for your objective. EG. impressions mean little for an e-commerce site that should be tracking conversions. The quality of creative and format is also important and will affect the results, brand lift, memorability, sentiment and even the ROI of your campaign or brand obtains. Spend time analyzing and testing creative. The brilliant basics on social are different to other platforms. Story telling, connection and authenticity are still key but it needs to be told in a short, punchy manner.

Effective benchmarking requires a dynamic and flexible approach. While historical (internal) and competitive (external) benchmarks are critical, it's also important to consider the evolving nature of social media trends and public expectations. In times of crisis, public sensitivities are heightened, and what worked in the past may not be as effective. Therefore, continuous adaptation and real-time comparison against a set of varied and relevant benchmarks are necessary for a nuanced understanding of your social media performance.

To measure the impact of social media on crisis communication and brand reputation, track sentiment analysis, engagement rates, and share of voice. Sentiment shows public perception, engagement rates reflect audience response, and share of voice indicates your brand's visibility compared to competitors. These benchmarks help assess how well your social media efforts manage and protect your brand during a crisis.

In many cases, external benchmarks are not as effective as internal ones. Agencies tend to provide external benchmarks, but it's important to remember that isolating campaign results from halo effects is extremely difficult. This means that comparison to other brands (with different audiences, campaign timings, background, goals) is of lesser effectiveness.

Beyond surface-level numerical metrics, harnessing sentiment analysis tools to discern the subtle fluctuations in public perception has always been key to understanding immediate consumer reactions to brand actions even before a crisis fully arises. Identifying not just what is said but how it resonates emotionally provides a deeper understanding. Moreover, tracking the ripple effect of influential voices unveils the dynamics shaping the narrative. Visual sentiment analysis adds another layer, decoding the unspoken cues in multimedia content. These nuanced insights empower businesses to craft precision-driven strategies, aligning crisis communication with the intricate tapestry of the existing social sentiment and belief system.

Blindfolded in a social media storm? insights are your map and compass. 1. gather bricks(data, feedback): see who is cheering and who has lost. 2. Sharpen your tools(surveys, analysis): understand the "why" behind thewaves. 3. Buil bidges(target responses, outreach: Guide everyone to safety together. Insights + Actions = Crisis Conquered!

Think about it like you’re a DJ at a party. Descriptive insights are like reading the room – seeing who’s dancing and who’s chilling. Diagnostic insights? That’s figuring out why they’re reacting that way – is it the song, the beat, the vibe? Prescriptive insights – that’s when you spin the next track that gets everybody on the dance floor. In a crisis, these insights are gold. They help you speak to your audience in a way that’s real, relevant, and respectful. You’re not just posting; you’re communicating, connecting, and maybe even comforting. Manter a calma e continuar! (That’s “Keep calm and carry on” in Brazilian Portuguese). With these insights, you’re not just running a social media page; you’re leading a community.

Focus on gaining insights into how people feel about your brand and the situation. What are the emotional trends, and how do they align with your brand's values and goals? Use insights to drive actions that demonstrate understanding and care towards your audience's needs and sentiments.

In times of crisis,Social media becomes your battleground! Track brand mentions vs. rivals to gauge your voice. Befriend influential voices - their megaphones amplify yours. Watch website traffic & sales - they reveal if your messages land. Adapt, respond fast, protect your brand. A data-driven approach guides you through the storm, stronger than ever. Social insights will help you understand what is happening with the pages and how the customers and responding to the situation. A sentiment analysis wil also help you understand the overall voice associated with the crisis and the brand at the moment. The above suggested ways can be a way to reroute the attention and inform the right and positive messaging to the consumers and brand loyals.

Predictability & Readiness: Despite the fact that in majority of the cases foreseeing a crisis would be a challenge. Setting mitigation plans for multiple scenarios should be ready including the right social media response/campaigns. An integral pillar within the readiness plans would be securing key stakeholders responses in the early stages of the crisis. Along with setting right KPIs including the magnitude of each of the influential key stakeholders. In simple words be ready and engage early with your key influential stakeholders (their voice will be more impactful than corporate voice). Set the KPIs before crisis as in crisis mode misleading KPIs could negatively impact the whole mitigation plans.

Don't just measure mentions, measure the quality of the conversation, the depth of connection. This is where you truly understand your brand's trajectory in the social media storm. It's not just numbers, it's the human story unfolding, and your crisis communication is the pen that writes the next chapter.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing crisis communication. AI tools can analyze vast amounts of social media data in real-time, identifying emerging trends and shifts in public sentiment more quickly than humanly possible. This capability allows for rapid response and adjustment of strategies. AI can also predict potential crisis scenarios based on data trends, enabling proactive measures. However, while AI provides speed and scalability, it must be complemented with human empathy and judgment to ensure that responses are contextually appropriate and sensitive to the nuances of human emotion, particularly in high-stakes situations.

Honesty, transparency and responding to consumer feedback leading to customer delight are the pillars on which brands get made in the social space. That is the only way you can build continuous engagement leading to brand love resulting in WOM (chatter, advocacy, blog mentions). Acquisition is extremely tough with the little attention span that exists and that is why building a brand on the pillars I have mentioned are the key to success.

Measuring the impact of social media on crisis communication and brand reputation goes beyond chasing vanity metrics like likes and shares. It's about diving deeper into the emotional currents of the online conversation, understanding the sentiment, and learning from the tides of public opinion. Think of it like navigating a storm at sea. Likes and shares are the surface ripples, but the real story lies in the undercurrents: the anger in retweets, the fear in comments, and the whispers of support in direct messages. These are the signals that truly tell you how your brand is weathering the storm.