6 Key Steps for Social Media Crisis Management

Good communication is the key to overcoming a PR disaster.

Social media crisis management is a thing. If you’re in a position of leadership for a company, this needs to be in your wheelhouse. Someone in your chain of command needs to hold the keys to how you respond to a crisis.

How many times do we see viral news media when a well-known brand encounters a crisis? Everyone's got a smartphone. Pictures in Facebook and Instagram and Twitter buzz start hitting the internet in seconds. When there is no immediate communication from the company, rumors and hearsay become “news”. Uncontrolled burns are not how we want to go down in the public eye. 

 Sh#t Happens

Manmade or an act of God, crises happen. Fires, power outages, environmental disaster, employee crime, sexual harassment, and more – the topics are endless. It can happen to any business despite the best planning and risk mitigation. Bad press just adds insult to injury.

It's imperative for brands to be prepared for extreme situations. Most large companies have internal communications and a PR team that helps them with crisis management. As a business with or without a PR team, you can have a derailment of reputation that erodes or destroys your brand in a matter of minutes. Don’t let this happen; be prepared.

We are in a digitally transformed era, so crisis communication must be proactive and swift. Social media is the go-to source of information for every internet-connected individual on the planet.  Giving real-time updates of the crisis, right from the business, state, and local authorities is a necessary conduit to customers and the public. 

Who is Not on Social Media? 

One of the defining phenomena reshaping the world as we know it is worldwide accessibility to the internet.  The internet birthed social media, which comes in many forms such as social networks, forums, blogs, business networks, photo-sharing platforms, social gaming, microblogs, and chat apps. 

Statista reports that in 2021, 82 percent of the population in the United States had a social networking profile, representing a two percent increase from the 80 percent usage reach in the previous year. (Tanovska, 2021) As of January 2021, the most popular social network based on active users is the American market leader Facebook followed by YouTube and WhatsApp. (Tanovska, 2021)

Imagine the power these platforms hold to communicate correct or misleading information. We see this every day. Often, social media has a hold of newsworthy information even before broadcast media. No filters, no holding back, just perception based on a camera lens and the opinion of the smartphone owner.

Social Media Roadmap During A Crisis

Here are key steps on how to handle your social channels in a crisis or emergency:

1.     It's a Wrong Time to Go Silent – Listen and Acknowledge

An unexpected crisis is hard for your business, and you could be juggling to put business operations back in order. You may look away from your PC, even momentarily, and communication takes a backseat. If your response is “business as usual”, your wheels are off the track. Haters, internet trolls, and even brand advocates can take part in the conversation. Either way, you lose!

Let your customers, employees, and everyone involved know that there is an operational or people crisis and assure them that the company is handling it. Use different social media channels to keep your followers updated on events as they unfold. Twitter is an ideal platform for live updates – it's short and to-the-point communication. Alternatively, update your Facebook feed every few hours.

Rule of Thumb: Words may differ, but the messaging should be the same on every social media platform. 

2.     Know Your People, Your Audience 

Your posts on social media feeds are being consumed by people in different parts of the world. It should make sense to all of them. Especially for multinational businesses, communicate both locally and internationally in other languages for your audience. Localize your messaging. English is the first form of communication in most countries. Ask your digital media marketing expert if there is an auto-translate option on these platforms. 

3.     Interact with People in Real-Time 

After your posts, it's only natural to get comments, questions, and concerns on your social media channels. Do not give any personal views and stick to only company-relevant information. If the situation involves external bodies, it's best to direct your audience in need to either emergency services or local/state authorities as applicable. 

4.     Safety is Paramount 

In situations like fire, air-borne illness, flooding, any catastrophic physical damage to your facility, your staff and consumers present may need medical attention, and a roll-call meeting or assembly points for an accounting of who is present, and emergency service contacts. Put all of this crucial information in your employee handbook and share it as needed on all company's social media channels during a crisis – most importantly, Twitter and Facebook. 

If there is an option of setting up an emergency helpline within the company, plan how to use it to avoid last-minute panic. Post the helpline number on your website and social channels. 

5.     Be Empathic – Spread Concern, Not Panic 

Your posts are being consumed by everyone – people who work for you and their families too. In extreme situations, internet and cell phone connectivity is intermittent, and some might not instantly reach their families. It's time for the company to step up and communicate with empathy – don't write anything that can cause panic. Keep your updates strictly professional, relevant, and within the company's communication guidelines. 

6.     Activate Social Listening

It's not only important to communicate but also address general questions and mentions in social posts. Your brand is in the news – not for the desired reason, but it is. Your social media strategy should include social listening as well. Look out for all the trending hashtags and mentions of your company during the crisis. It will help you address all these questions and guide people with correct information. 

Social Media Is Now the Face of Your Business

Difficult times call for a strong yet human response in communication. Your company should support its staff and customers in dire situations and pass on hope and a sense of future possibilities with the brand. 

If you haven't already created a proactive crisis communication plan with social media strategies, we can help! Connect with us to know more. 

Here is a simple PDF download to get you started creating a crisis management and mitigation plan, a chain of command and a tone of voice for your digital media during a crisis situation.

DOWNLOAD THE PLAN HERE

Works Cited

Tankovska, H. “Most Used Social Media 2021.” Statista, 9 Feb. 2021, www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/.

Tankovska, H. “Social Media Usage in U.S.” Statista, 14 Apr. 2021, www.statista.com/statistics/273476/percentage-of-us-population-with-a-social-network-profile/.