Crisis Communications On A Blog
NRA Flees Facebook, Twitter Following Sandy Hook Shooting
How do you handle crisis communications on your blog? I’m not talking about that time a semi-famous comedian started cracking jokes about your company name. I am talking about a crisis that has shaken an entire country. While I don’t want to get into politics and guns, I can’t imagine how tough it could be as a social media manager to not say anything.
From my experience in crisis of far less scale, here are my quick tips for blogging in a crisis:
- Don’t you DARE say anything insensitive. Communicate with your employees early to make sure they also don’t share anything insensitive or inappropriate on behalf of the company.
- Think about the big picture. If you make a comment in 1 place, you have to prepare messages for Facebook, Twitter and even Pinterest (depending on your audience).
- Remember that when you open up the door and let your brand speak, you should be ready to listen. Turn things around quickly and show your audience that you hear their suggestions loud and clear.
- It has to be OK to not say anything at all. I haven’t been in a situation so big that I thought it called for saying nothing at all but the NRA is in one of those corners right now. If they speak up (and mess up) in a big way, they’re going to lose a lot of support that they need to maintain their political power when parents around the country want to take it away.
How do you communicate a crisis via blog or other social media sites?
Update: NRA Breaks Social Silence With First Tweet Since Newtown Shooting
facebook social media strategy blogging crisis communications social media
Kat Kibben View All →
Kat Kibben [they/them] is a keynote speaker, writing expert, and LGBTQIA+ advocate who teaches hiring teams how to write inclusive job postings that will get the right person to apply faster.
Before founding Three Ears Media, Katrina was a CMO, Technical Copywriter, and Managing Editor for leading companies like Monster, Care.com, and Randstad Worldwide. With 15+ years of recruitment marketing and training experience, Katrina knows how to turn talented recruiting teams into talented writers who write for people, not about work.
Today, Katrina is frequently featured as an HR and recruiting expert in publications like The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Forbes. They’ve been named to numerous lists, including LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Job Search & Careers. When not speaking, writing, or training, you’ll find Katrina traveling the country in their van or spending some much needed downtime with the dogs that inspired the name Three Ears Media.