Most crisis communications plans now include social media to provide timely updates to the press and others affected by the crisis. However, companies should follow basic social media guidelines to ensure they don’t harm their brand’s reputation during an emergency.
Use social media to update journalists and your followers.
X’s organic post reach is approximately 2 percent of the page’s followers. This means your updates might not reach your followers directly. But during a crisis, journalists will turn to your social media for updates and share that information with their followers.
Social media is the primary way stakeholders and those affected by the crisis will publicly reach out or discuss the situation.
It would help if you listened as much as you shared on social media during an emergency. It’s critical to create a monitoring and response system so you are prepared to address hundreds, or even thousands, of discussions on and off your social channels when a problem occurs. Setting up Google Alerts for your business or crisis-related keywords can help you track and respond to the spread of information online.
Choosing the appropriate response is far more effective than deleting or censoring user-generated content.
Even if a social media user posts something illegitimate or false about the crisis at hand, it can damage your reputation if you eliminate it. If you’re worried about a social media user’s negative or misinformed comments, respond to them in a personal yet professional manner. Lashing out or ignoring the comment can let it escalate, but a polite, timely response can quickly resolve the issue.
Outline expectations for employee use of social media during a crisis.
Chances are, the media will reach out to high-profile employees via online channels to comment on the event or situation. Or, they may be tempted to post their own opinions about the issue to their friends and followers online. Make it clear to your employees what they should and should not post about the company, to avoid exacerbating the problem.
Don’t try to change your brand image amid a crisis.
You need to be serious and respectful during an emergency and strike the right tone. But it’s important to stay true to your company’s brand and communicate with your followers in your usual manner. Don’t be something you’re not. This will facilitate the rebuilding of trust after the crisis is resolved.
More: Social Media Do’s and Don’ts During a Crisis
