1. Using Social Media for
Crisis Communications
Workshop D
Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011
ALI Social Media + Government
Conference, Victoria, BC
2. Today we’re thinking about:
¤ Your plan
¤ Social media + traditional communications
¤ What’s in your toolkit?
¤ Content ≠ Messaging
¤ Keeping things simple
3. Getting social
¤ Say hello to your team
¤ Share some info
¤ Top 3 things
Hello!
My Name is
4. It’s all about
¤ Being human
¤ Being concise
¤ Knowing your boundaries
¤ Knowing your objective
¤ Knowing your tools
8. Being Prepared
¤ Most crises can be predicted
¤ Develop workflow
¤ Identify key people + build on your strengths
¤ Create a clear approval process
¤ Keep info flowing across your organization
9. It all starts with a plan
• Who will handle?
• Who is your audience?
• How will you reach them?
• Can you be proactive?
• Or, will you be reactive?
10. You CAN predict the future
¤ Reputation
¤ Error in judgment
¤ Public safety + civil disobedience
¤ Earth, wind + fire
¤ Community Relations
11. How des a Crisis Begin?
Sudden or Smoldering Crisis?
of crises start small
12. Checklist
¤ Issues management + Communications plan
¤ Digital hub
¤ Media monitoring (on + offline)
¤ Quick response team + tools in place
13. Be a good listener
¤ Being prepared means paying attention.
¤ Monitor traditional, digital, + social media
¤ Set up online monitoring, listening posts
¤ Such as…
16. 4 steps to success
¤ Know your team
¤ Know your audience
¤ Know your platforms
¤ Know your limitations
17. What’s your budget?
¤ Internal soft costs
staff, R&D, training + education
¤ Public-facing information campaigns
ad/marketing spend
Influencer/blogger programs
¤ Technology investments
brand monitoring, social CRM, social media
management systems, grab + go media kits
27. Crisis Hits
v Plan activated
v Website + Social
Media Outposts
deployed
v Team
Dispatched
Ø Initial media
reports
Ø Influencers +
critics reporting
on Twitter/ Blogs
>6 Hours
v News Release
distributed
v Team in place
>12 Hours
v Regular updates
v Key figures
available for
Media
Ø Public sharing
info, myths +
questions
through
Ø social media
Ø Main
narrative is
established
>24 Hours
v Establish key position
+ authority
v Myth busting w/
Social Media
v News
Conference
v Video
response
Ø Editorials in
the Press +
Social
Media
A Day in the life…
28. Where to Respond
Website
q News room
q Homepage call-out
q Response microsite/ blog
Social Media
q Facebook
q Twitter
q YouTube
q Existing community forums/pages
Traditional Media
q News Release + Media Advisory
q News Conference
q Interviews
q Letters to editor + commenting
29. Some things to think about
¤ Who are you speaking to?
¤ Different audiences have
different needs
¤ Who + how many people will
be speaking on your behalf?
!
30. It’s always personal
¤ Is there a fire near my house?
¤ Where is the smoke coming from?
¤ Is my road closed?
¤ Is my food safe?
¤ What do you want me to do? !
31. Your response
¤ Is proactive
¤ addresses the concern
¤ uses appropriate language + tone
¤ is consistent
¤ has room for multiple voices
¤ is accessible – think mobile
¤ + drives people back to your main info site
32. Your digital hub
¤ Is easy to use + update
¤ Is built with tools that you know
¤ Puts function over flash
¤ + substance over style
36. Traditional news is STILL vital
¤ Know your medium
¤ Determine who will do the interview
¤ Keep it short
¤ Stick to few focused points
¤ Follow up
37. Why video works
¤ Powerful
¤ Gives a big picture view
¤ Sharable content
¤ YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine
¤ Doesn’t have to be polished
39. BC Forest Fires Binta Lake video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vJIhudICxQ
¤ Raw footage
¤ Huge media pickup
40. Go where the people are
¤ The crowd is always there
¤ And willing to help
¤ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0-
UtNg3ots&feature=related
41. Think about roles + responsibilities
¤ Information bulletins/public notices
¤ Spokesperson message lines
¤ Media relations
¤ Issue identification & management
¤ Conference calls with agencies/partner groups
42. Start small + build on success
¤ Expand online presence as needed
¤ Community building + outreach
¤ Revamp/refine your communications plan
¤ Create a designated one-stop shop
¤ Train your team members early
45. 5 things to keep in mind
¤ Social media takes time, people, money + technology
¤ Know your team + your audience
¤ Not all communities will have access to or will want to use
social media
¤ Smartphone videos are fine
¤ Use tools that are available
46. Signs that your efforts are working
¤ Sense of community + lots of dialogue
¤ Active community monitors itself
¤ Answers, corrects misinformation + responds to
requests
¤ Feedback is immediate
¤ Two-way interactions built credibility/trust
47. Successes
¤ Sense of community + lots of dialogue
¤ One place to get info online
¤ Real-time public feedback
¤ Media coverage of social media approach
48. Challenges
¤ Staffing resources + technology investments
¤ Limited info from local governments + other stakeholders
¤ Data or content is difficult to read/navigate
49. Time to Assess + Celebrate Wins
¤ Post-mortem with all team members
¤ Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities
¤ What did you do really well
¤ What was the biggest time suck + not worth the effort
¤ Be honest + consider anonymity
50. Take all feedback as an opportunity
¤ Continue to take all your communications into the open
¤ address concerns + gently correct record
¤ Being helpful also means being present
¤ Regularly check your social media channels
¤ Look for questions, comments + criticisms
¤ Respond promptly
52. Going forward
¤ Ongoing silo busting
¤ Developing best practices
¤ Finding and partnering with new communities
¤ Building a community of practice
