Things go wrong: A disgruntled employee with the Twitter password posts a message of profanity. It’s leaked that a C-level executive has been having an affair. An exposé appears in a national newspaper about allegations of bad company culture. As a social media professional, you can’t help but feel empathy for the communications team of these organizations—and hope that the same never happens to you. But with the following strategies from our #SproutChat community, you can allays some of your fears.
Prepare With Room for Flexibility
Planning for unexpected moments is crucial for every company, but quick thinking is also important in crises. Being prepared assists to lighten the load and lessen stress. Still, each situation is unique and requires thoughtful consideration. Understanding the organization’s main values will provide a framework for how to mitigate the negative impact when something goes wrong.
A2. A bit of both. Plan ahead as much as possible, but employ people who can think on the fly and manage accordingly. #Sproutchat
— Danny Brown (@DannyBrown) September 9, 2015
A2: Have guidelines in place to help craft consistent messaging, but be authentic! Empathy & authenticity are key in a crisis. #Sproutchat
— Erica Marois (@ens0204) September 9, 2015
A2: There’s no cookie cutter approach. But some cookies can be ready for your team to sprinkle with … words. @SproutSocial #SproutChat
— Adam T. Music (@MusicAdamT) September 9, 2015
A2. The most confusion is at the beginning. People need answers then. Be the source of answers, not silence. #sproutchat
— Josh St. Aubin (@JoshStAubin) September 9, 2015
Know How to Reach Your Audience
Social is the first place many people go to get information about a crisis situation. So remember: Remaining silent will only cause more damage. Use your channels strategically to steer the conversation in the direction that is best for everyone.
A3: Everyone is getting the same info from the same sources at the same time. Social lets your voice be heard among chaos. #SproutChat
— Alan Fleming (@alan_fleming) September 9, 2015
A3: Oftentimes, social media is where crises live (where those perpetuating them bring the issue). Plus, it adds transparency #sproutchat
— Dinah Russell (@ItsADinah) September 9, 2015
A3) You have the chance to remedy the problem right then and there. Your quickest way of reaching someone. #sproutchat
— Kyle Murray (@TheKyleMurray) September 9, 2015
@sprout_sarah Try ur best to answer as many as u can. Or, you can do a video Q&A to address many pp.’s common Qs #sproutchat
— Ai Zhang (@aiaddysonzhang) September 9, 2015
Activate the Right Players
Each member of your team should know his or her role when things go south. This eliminates confusion and allows for quick and efficient action. The quicker you notify the right people, the quicker you can get your message to the public.
A4a) Escalation is key – knowing how extensive the crisis is can foster smarter strategies in allocating time, team, etc #sproutchat
— Gordon D (@gordondym) September 9, 2015
A4. A few key folks. What’s important here IS to have a defined process in place so customer comms can take place fluidly #sproutchat
— Alexander Wilson (@anthrofoodie) September 9, 2015
A4: You don’t want to be writing messages as group. It all gets homogenized and you lose the edge of it. #SproutChat https://t.co/WKyCtEijh0
— Alan Fleming (@alan_fleming) September 9, 2015
Breathe
Times of crisis are stressful, but often, it’s not worth stressing over. Take the situation in stride, and remember that tough times aren’t lasting. Use these last Tweets as your mantra to keep your head on straight when you feel as if the world is ending.
A6) Don’t fret about things you can’t control; you can’t control other people. Focus on what you can do and do all you can. #sproutchat
— Kyle Murray (@TheKyleMurray) September 9, 2015
A6) I think first and foremost you need to have intrinsic qualities: being calm and composed helps #Sproutchat
— Alexandre Bourgeois (@wakanouka) September 9, 2015
@SproutSocial Breathe. Realize it’s not the end of the world. Formulate a plan on the best way to respond. Don’t go it alone. #Sproutchat
— Jessica Ross (@jessicalyneross) September 9, 2015
Join Us
Join us next week for #SproutChat, when we discuss SEO tips for social media managers. See you on Twitter at 2 p.m. CT this Wednesday, Sept. 16!
The post #SproutChat Recap: Social Media Crisis Planning appeared first on Sprout Social.
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