A crisis can strike at any moment without warning. That’s why many companies develop a Crisis Management Manual to deal with any contingency that could negatively impact their image. These manuals, which originally focused only on offline crisis situations, now have an important aspect to implement: crises on social media.
According to the organization iRedes, an international annual congress focused on the world of social media, at the beginning of 2023, social media users worldwide reached 3 billion, with Facebook being the preferred platform with over 1 billion followers, followed by YouTube (800 million) and Twitter (500 million).
The importance of social media in corporate communication has gained special relevance and has become a valuable tool for positioning a brand or seriously affecting its reputation.
With the aim of reducing the impact of an online attack, we share six basic tips to face this situation simply and effectively:
- Continuous monitoring. Constantly review the comments made by your brand’s followers on social media. This way, you can quickly analyse the situation and start defining actions.
- Understand the problem and confront it. Investigate why and where the situation originated. Determine if it’s a well-founded fact and dismiss rumours. Once the situation is confirmed, acknowledge the error or situation. Often, an upset customer who receives timely attention can become an ally.
- Plan your strategy, define spokespersons. Every company has managers or leaders who are experts in their areas or departments. It’s important that these executives are trained to integrate a crisis committee, where roles and responsibilities of the spokespersons are defined, who will be in contact with the public to provide responses and resolve doubts.
- Constant communication. The company’s website, Facebook, and Twitter are the best sources for disseminating statements or press releases. It’s essential to provide a clear and timely position according to how the situation unfolds. Avoid overloading with too much information. Remember that communication should be based on true and transparent facts.
- Solve the problem. Provide coherent and tangible solutions that repair the damage in a short time. Fulfill the commitments made, remembering that you are constantly being observed by your followers.
Learning. A crisis situation is also an opportunity to learn. At the end of the problem, write a report on the actions taken, what worked, what was not so useful, and establish your best practices for the future.
In the face of a crisis, remember these simple tips, act quickly, ensure the veracity of the problem, confront the situation with solutions, and always evaluate the facts and actions taken.