Information for this blog post was sourced from Sprout Social.

Chances are a crisis is going to come up at some point during your social media marketing career. Instead of freaking out, having a plan in place ahead of time will help you navigate your crisis with ease.

First Off, What is a Social Media Crisis?

This is a great question. A social media crisis is any activity on social media that can potentially hurt your brand’s reputation or ability to do business. This can be anything from a single negative comment or complaint to an outright boycott of your brand. And if we’re being honest, this crisis may not be within your control as a marketer. The important thing is how you handle it through your messaging.

We’re here to help you navigate the rough waters with 3 things you need to have in your crisis management plan.

Stop Your Scheduled Posts and Take Control of Your Accounts Immediately

The first thing you need in your crisis management plan is guidelines regarding when to pause previously planned content. At a minimum, it is important to review the content to ensure it still feels relevant given the current conditions.

The last thing you want when handling a crisis is a tone-deaf pre-scheduled post to go out. Halting your automated posts, even temporarily, allows you to respond to criticism and address the crisis authentically in real-time.

Assess the Situation and Apologize If Necessary

Anytime you find yourself in a crisis, you want everything to go back to “normal” as soon as possible. While this desire is understandable, one thing you don’t want to rush is an apology.

Take time to assess the situation and determine the type of apology that is necessary. Taking responsibility is a step in the right direction, but a half-hearted apology could do more harm than good. Being accountable for the damage caused, whether it is intentional or not, is much more impactful in resolving a crisis than giving a general “we’re sorry you were impacted” statement.

Determine What Information to Share

As stated previously, giving an authentic apology that accepts responsibility is a step in the right direction, but what other information should you share?

First, share any effect the crisis has on business. This can include different hours of operation, new cleaning procedures, or updated return policies.

Next, share how your brand intends to support those who are affected by the crisis. Are you donating goods or providing physical space for relief efforts? Highlight this in a post to show the audience that your brand is taking steps to assist with the crisis efforts.

Lastly, know your audience. What are their questions, concerns, or needs right now? What kind of content can you provide that directly correlates with these needs?

Now that you’re equipped with the starting pieces of your crisis management plan, you can take a deep breath knowing you're prepared for when - not if - a crisis arises.

Resources

Essential sprout features to help your brand maintain connection in an uncertain time. Sprout Social. (2021, June 23). Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/crisis-management-tools-in-sprout/

How to build a social media crisis management strategy to Protect Your Brand. Sprout Social. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/guides/social-media-crisis-management-strategy-guide/?registered=true&cp_status=error#what-to-share-and-when-to-pause

How to create a Social Media Crisis Communication plan. Sprout Social. (2022, April 19). Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-crisis-plan/