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
