You're facing a crisis with social media backlash. How can you adapt your communication plan effectively?

There are various versions of 'tell it all, tell it fast and tell the truth' as a 101 guide to crisis communications. And tell it fast is the key ingredient for this segment. But, and it's a big BUT, you need all the facts – or as many as possible – before addressing things, and to understand how a negative situation could affect your business, most usually in terms of the erosion of trust. Social media can pose the danger of multiple voices offering their opinions and concerns, often with speculation spreading and spiralling. Gauging the overall sentiment of the conversation is important, as is addressing specific comments if they threaten the reputation of the brand. Responses should be empathetic and deal with the issue at hand.

In a social media crisis, proactive communication is essential. It's not just about reacting to the backlash but also about leading the conversation. You can use your platforms to provide updates, address your concerns, and share your steps to resolve the issue. This approach can help mitigate the damage and reassure your stakeholders that you're in control.

Para adaptar tu plan de comunicación en una crisis con reacción violenta en redes sociales, monitorea la situación en tiempo real, ajusta tus mensajes para abordar preocupaciones con empatía y transparencia, y responde rápidamente de manera medida. Coordina una comunicación coherente en todas las plataformas y usa canales directos para humanizar la respuesta, ajustando según la reacción de la audiencia.

The strategy entirely depends on a quick but thorough assessment of damage done. Usually, the PR person should have crisis strategy in place to deal with crises, yet even if you don't have one, start with assessment and then prepare and quicly deploy the strategy. Time is the most important facor here, so even if you have to burn the midnight oil to douse the 'fire', be ready for that. Once over the crisis, you're bound to be richer with experience that no training or college can provide you! Make the best of it!

Put yourself in the shoes of those affected and think about what you'd want to hear. You want to feel listened to and cared about, wouldn't you? So, empathy is the most important element of a response; explain how you understand what people are going through and how the situation is affecting them. Next, accept blame. Never shift it if you're responsible as this will be poorly received. Explain how the situation happened. Then explain what you're doing to resolve the situation and the steps you'll put in place to make sure it never happens again. This is key to rebuilding trust. Handled well, a crisis can be an opportunity to reaffirm relationships. Handled badly and they can be the downfall of entire organisations.

Also be sure to take accountability of the situation. You have to acknowledge what went wrong and not place blame on anyone just how you will be more mindful and tackle the situation moving forward.

It may sound obvious but to engage, you have to give your audience a platform to voice their concerns. So make sure that stakeholders and those affected by the crisis have a means of getting in touch to express concerns, ask questions, etc. Timely responses that are empathetic and factual will go a long way to helping people through a stressful situation – no-one wants to be kept in the dark. Otherwise, social media is the obvious platform(s) to monitor and speculation can spiral quickly. Keep abreast of what people are saying and, if it's inaccurate, avoid being condescending in response. Rather, you can issue the correct information as long as you provide proof, whilst staying empathetic to the crisis if it's ongoing.

People do not want to be kept out of the loop, so transparency and regularity of communications should be consistent throughout the lifecycle of the crisis, whether it is resolved or not, If not, stakeholders and those affected will want to be reassured about the continuing work being done to resolve it – with proof wherever possible. Comms can also be used to allay any speculation that might arise, and provide people with facts where necessary. If so, focus on the next steps and what is being put in place to ensure that the crisis doesn't happen again. Again, provide proof of the measures being taken and how they will lead to better processes in the future.

A thorough post-crisis evaluation is crucial for any brand's communication strategy. It’s about identifying what worked and being honest about what didn’t. These insights are invaluable for refining your approach and ensuring you're better prepared for future incidents.

In a reputational crisis situation, you are either at the table or you're on the proverbial menu. This means being out front to address the situation authentically, transparently and with a bias for actions versus just words. It also means leveraging credible third party validators to help.. It means setting the record straight without being defensive or evasive. It means doing what you say you'll do in terms of timely updates and actions to mitigate disruptions caused by the event or incident. It means preparing leaders to answer difficult questions credibly or at minimum, committing to do the work to find answers. It also includes refuting false or misleading information and enabling those affected to access support resources.

Being proactive is the cornerstone of effective crisis prevention in PR. By regularly assessing potential risks and updating your communication plan, you can address issues before they spiral out of control. It's about staying one step ahead to protect your brand's reputation.