Social media brings new crisis management concerns
Social media is still evolving, but there are certain rules that will help lead you to success. In a recent article, published on Ragan.com, social media expert Priya Ramesh listed her “10 Commandments of Social Media.,” a primer on social media crisis management. A sample:
1. Thou shalt move at lightning speed: The first 24 hours after negative news hits online are crucial, and case studies show that bad news spreads like wildfire on social media—especially on Twitter. This demands a sense of urgency to react in a matter of hours and not days.
2. Thou shalt build a micro-site to provide 24/7 updates: Every company must have a micro-site ready to go live with at least basic information about the situation. This will serve as the go-to site for all relevant, timely information. We encourage clients to quickly populate a FAQ page providing essential information, including next steps for customers to follow.
3. Thou shalt deploy a round-the-clock Twitter monitoring schedule: Twitter is fast and easy, and the viral aspect of the micro-blog spreads crises like wildfire. With proactive monitoring and by staying ahead of the conversation on Twitter, you can contain that wildfire, at least to some extent. We have seen that Twitter activity picks up during late evenings and on weekends when people are browsing online, reading a blog post or news story, and the next thing they do is retweet. This escalates the negative chatter online. Simply by monitoring and responding to tweets, you are letting your audience know their outpouring is being heard on social channels.
These are just a few of the list of things that every organization should be aware of and actively practicing. Your stakeholders are turning to these services in droves to communicate both with and about you, and the effort you put into participation will determine what you get out of it.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/