If you are in the business, having a crisis management plan at the ready is a must. The main function of this would be to let the organisation know who would handle the situation internally and what action they should take. The existence of an effective and efficient crisis management plan (or absence) will have a substantial impact on your business.
However efficient the crisis plan that you have set up, when the time comes to implement a few alterations need to be made so that it provides a solution that fits the problem like a bespoke suit. While doing this, the PR experts need to keep in mind what the audience is already saying about this along with what the brand in itself has to say about the issue. Here is where the missing piece to the puzzle fits in, and it goes by the name social media. It gives the brand instant access to valuable feedback across the different media like, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. You will need to put into action certain social media strategies that will help you if and when a crisis arises.
Keep Those Ears Open
When people think social media they think how we can get our word to the people out there. Starting from creating content, looking for and sharing new content. What brands need to realise is that listening to and moderating what customers are saying on social media needs to be given equal priority.
With great reach comes great response. This implies that when businesses analyse their social media they need to analyse the kind of response they are going to be getting from that vast reach. After all, not all publicity is good publicity. Whether the situation is good or bad, one must keep a tap on the public response. Before going knee-deep into an emergency situation it is advisable that you know what you are dealing with, in terms of how people feel about your company and where the sentiments lie. Generally, a community manager keeps track of conversations regarding the company. This enables the manager to respond in the right way when it comes tending to a crisis.
Let’s take a look at an example. A client carried out a social media initiative to raise awareness about the unique dog care services that they offer in such a manner that it was a head taller than the rest of the content out there. They worked with an agency to come up with a “Bad to the Bone” contest, a country wide hunt for the worst behaved dog. A state-by-state call to action was issued so that per owners could submit their videos of their little mischief makers demonstrating criminal behaviour along with a tiny description as to why their mutt should be given the title of “Worst Dog in the Country”.
An engaging campaign like this helps you track engagement as well as brings listening value to the brand. This campaign helped the brand see a rise in their engagement levels with their customers across different platforms while giving them the opportunity to listen to their customers’ sentiments about their pets and target the need for sensitivity, passion and personal touch when people raise concerns about their beloved best friends.
