|
JUST A THOUGHT
| |
The Golden Rule applies to social media just as well as anywhere else in life. Treat your community as you wish to be treated, and you'll bank positive reputation all day long.
Erik Bernstein
|
FROM THE EDITOR We're back! Many apologies for the belated issue, but your fearless editor's recent move resulted in a few more real life crisis management situations than expected, including late-night U-Haul shenanigans and a brief stint trapped in a freight elevator. Exciting, to say the least!
This week we're featuring an article by yours truly that touches on a subject very near to my heart - mostly because of the difficulty involved in convincing resistant C-suiters to get on board. Hopefully, "Social Media Doesn't Close for the Weekend" will provide enough material to sway any similar discussions (debates? arguments? :P) you readers may be having.
Have a story of your own to share on the subject? Send it to [email protected] and you could see it in a future issue of Crisis Manager!
As always, below you'll find a summary of the best from both of our blogs.
If you like what you see, please share it with others by using the "Forward Email" link at the bottom of the ezine and tell them to subscribe! IMPORTANT NOTE: If you just "Forward" using your own email program's "Forward" function and your recipient thinks they're being spammed, they can click on the Opt Out link and opt YOU off the list. So use the "Forward Email" link, please.
Thank you, and read on! - Erik |
Social Media Doesn't Close for the Weekend
| |
We applaud social media networks for allowing us to communicate with the public on a massive scale, but it's critical to remember that while many businesses may close for the weekend, the average stakeholder's online activity usually rises sharply during that same time.
Because of the 24/7 nature of social media, stakeholders expect a quick reply regardless of what time their query is sent. Even when long past normal business hours, you can bet that the expectation is half a day at most from question or complaint until response (and believe us, this is at the outside of many user's tolerance).
 | |
Erik Bernstein
|
Now, that isn't to say that you're obligated to fully resolve an issue in this time frame. The most important thing in online reputation management is acknowledging you are listening and working on a solution. Simply replying with something like, "@whoever - We're very sorry for your problem, and will message you the instant we have a solution," will buy you enough time to, well, actually find a solution.
How can you stay on top of social media, even in your off-hours? It's actually pretty easy and - especially important because budget is still a large obstacle to many organizations' social media readiness - very inexpensive. Programs like HootSuite and TweetDeck offer free versions that allow you to track by keywords and set specific key influencers aside in their own "must read" categories. Their paid versions cost about as much as a lunch out monthly and are even more powerful, with full analytics and many other customizable options.
To catch those midnight social media crises as they erupt, both Facebook and Twitter actually have built-in SMS notification features, and services like TweetBeep will allow you to track from five to 200 keywords of your choosing, depending on need. Some organizations have set up a "Bat Phone" of sorts, a specific cell that constantly travels with the CEO or a member of the social media team and exists purely to detect a sudden explosion in activity on their various accounts. Others simply set up a schedule that includes weekend and at-home rotations to man and monitor social media.
The room for customization is almost endless, but the end result should be the same - you know exactly when a storm is brewing, and have the capacity to step in there and do something about it. Don't be caught with your pants down when it comes to online reputation management, because social media doesn't close for the weekend.
Erik Bernstein is a freelance writer, editor of Crisis Manager, and Social Media Manager for Bernstein Crisis Management
|
BLOGS!
| Here's a look at some recent posts from both the Bernstein Crisis Management blog and our Crisis Management blog over at Carter McNamara's Free Management Library.
Facebook investors are not happy. Stock prices have been sinking since day one, and THE face of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has been avoiding serious discussion of the situation, leaving plenty of room for reputation-damaging rumor and innuendo to sow their hurtful seeds. One would expect a social company to be...social, but the extended silence means No "Likes" for Facebook's Crisis Management.
While of course frightening, the simultaneous threats at both the University of Texas at Austin and North Dakota State provided an intriguing look how Colleges Use Social Media to Defuse Bomb Threats, and how very effective social media messaging has been at informing students and their communities about dangerous situations.
Bic's "For Her" Crisis, or How to Play Ostrich is the story of Bic's ridiculous "For Her" line of pens, the public outrage that they created, and the manner in which Bic handled - or didn't handle, in this case - the fallout.
Our pages are full of "how not-to" stories, but occasionally an organization does things so well that we just have to give them kudos. Pingdom Gets "We're Sorry" Right is a fantastic example of quality online reputation management .
With droppings from massive crowds of seagulls causing severe pollution at city beaches, San Clemente is putting birds of prey to work with some High-Flying Crisis Management. Check out how a falconer and his flock are helping to make beaches clean and safe for the public.
CTU Strike - a Modern Labor Dispute examines the massive Chicago Teacher's Union strike, and how both sides of the argument are putting a modern spin on the age-old labor dispute. From Twitter hashtags and celebrity endorsements to carefully planned photo ops, the future is here.
Taped dropping some seriously polarizing quotes at a private dinner, presidential hopeful Mitt Romney gave pundits like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert enough fodder for a month, not to mention putting a smile on the face of Democrats everywhere. Besides, it serves as a telling reminder of the fact that pretty much everyone is carrying a pocket-sized recorder around all day, every day. Read on to learn more about how the Romney Film Reveals Crisis Management Risk.
As guest author Rick Amme said of his post, "Unpleasant as this is, it is something you have to think about in a position of leadership: prevention, not just response, when it comes to shootings in the workplace." The information in this piece could literally save lives, so are you Worried About Mass Shootings? Think Prevention
What? Another example of crisis management done right? Three in one issue?! No, you know where hasn't frozen over, but it might be close! This email that went out following a six hour outage proves that GoDaddy Does Online Reputation Management very, very well.
How do you help those affected get over a crisis quickly? Make Your Apology Mean Something. Show you care, explain what you're going to do about it, and go the extra mile. Do it right, and you have the opportunity to come out of a nasty situation with a stronger reputation than you went in with.
|
| APROPOS OF NOTHING | |
We Are Giving Away Business!!
Did that get your attention? Bernstein Crisis Management has been blessed for some time with more work than I can handle on my own, so the expert contractors in my Crisis Management Database have been getting more and more referrals lately and/or brought in as my subcontractors. That's the virtual business model I've had since 1994, and today that model is widely accepted and appreciated by our clients. So, if you have a crisis management-related business and would like to be considered for my Database, please write to me! - Jonathan
The Bernsteins Available to Deliver Free Guest Lectures
Jonathan alone, or the team of Jonathan and Erik Bernstein, are available at no charge to deliver guest lectures to college classes via Skype or Google Hangout. We've already conducted several with our friend Dr. Janice Frates at Cal State University Long Beach, and are ready to expand our offering to any college professor. All you need at your end is a single computer with webcam and a strong broadband connection. Contact us for more info!
Attention Corporate Boards of Directors (and those who serve them).
If you're connected with a corporate board of directors in some way and think that board would benefit from having a veteran crisis management pro amongst its membership, please contact me. -- Jonathan
|
BUSINESS ANNOUNCEMENTS
(aka blatant self-promotion) NEW PRICING FOR
Keeping the Wolves at Bay: Media Training  Reflecting a significant change in the book-selling marketplace, we have reduced the cost of this popular media training manual from $49 to $25 for the hard copy and from $29.95 to $10 for the PDF. Visit The Crisis Manager Bookstore for more information and/or to purchase.
Manager's Guide to Crisis Management
Whether you're a seasoned manager, aspiring up-and-comer, or student of crisis management, Jonathan Bernstein's textbook, Manager's Guide to Crisis Management (McGraw-Hill, 2011) will put you in control of any situation.
Want To Blog And Tweet About Your Organization But Don't Have Time?
Missing out on all the promotional and SEO advantages of doing so? Hire someone to be your voice...like Erik Bernstein, editor of Crisis Manager.
More info:[email protected]. |
GUEST AUTHORSGuest authors are very welcome to submit material for "Crisis Manager." There is no fee paid, but most guest authors have reported receiving business inquiries as a result of appearing in this publication. Case histories, experience-based lessons, commentary on current news events and editorial opinion are all eligible for consideration. Submission is not a guarantee of acceptance. |
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER AND EDITOR  Jonathan Bernstein is both publisher of Crisis Manager and president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., a national crisis management public relations agency providing 24/7 access to crisis response professionals. The agency engages in the full spectrum of crisis management services: crisis prevention, response, planning & training. He has been in the public relations field since 1982, following five-year stints in both military intelligence and investigative reporting. Write to Jonathan at: [email protected]. Erik Bernstein is editor of Crisis Manager and is also Social Media Manager for Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. Write to Erik at: [email protected]. |
|
LEGAL DISCLAIMERAll information contained herein is obtained by Jonathan Bernstein from sources believed by Jonathan Bernstein to be accurate and reliable. Because of the possibility of human and mechanical error as well as other factors, neither Jonathan Bernstein nor Bernstein Crisis Management is responsible for any errors or omissions. All information is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Bernstein Crisis Management and Jonathan Bernstein make no representations and disclaim all express, implied, and statutory warranties of any kind to the user and/or any third party including, without limitation, warranties as to accuracy, timeliness, completeness, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose.
Unless due to willful tortuous misconduct or gross negligence, Jonathan Bernstein and Bernstein Crisis Management shall have no liability in tort, contract, or otherwise (and as permitted by law, product liability), to the user and/or any third party.
Under no circumstance shall Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein be liable to the user and/or any third party for any lost profits or lost opportunity, indirect, special, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages whatsoever, even if Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
A service of this newsletter is to provide news summaries and/or snippets to readers. In such instances articles and/or snippets will be reprinted as they are received from the originating party or as they are displayed on the originating website or in the original article. As we do not write the news, we merely point readers to it, under no circumstance shall Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein be liable to the user and/or any third party for any lost profits or lost opportunity, indirect, special, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages whatsoever due to the distribution of said news articles or snippets that lead readers to a full article on a news service's website, even if Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Authors of the original news story and their publications shall be exclusively held liable. Any corrections to news stories are not mandatory and shall be printed at the discretion of the list moderator after evaluation on a case-by-case basis.
|
|
|
|
