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This is Part Two in a two-part series on social media crisis management and responsible sharing. Read the first part: 3 Lessons for Content Managers.
Social media is fraught with dangers of misinformation, panic mongering and, often, sheer malice. It is pertinent, therefore, more than ever before, to address responsibility on social media.
Recently, we published an article in which we argued that, given the increasing importance of social media for crisis communications, it was imperative that content-marketers and social marketing experts exercise discretion in the immediate aftermath of a crisis. The article was born of careful observation of marketing behaviours during the crises that have hit aviation this year – far too many for a year that’s only half done.
Social Media is not a Killing Field
We had published the piece fully intending to provoke an open discussion on how to act responsibly in a chaotic landscape. And we were heartened to see that we received a number of interesting responses. However, the responses followed a curious trend. While airlines and airports thanked us for “hitting the nail on the head” and being “supportive” and “understanding”, social marketing experts appeared to take our suggestions to heart. An email from an articulate aviation journalist claimed that we were, in fact, contradicting ourselves by writing about something we were advising our fellow experts against.
This misses the crux of our article completely. It would be ridiculous – and wrong — to suggest that experts place a self-imposed ban on putting forth their views on a crisis and how it was handled by the brand in question. Instead, our motive was to appeal to these experts to hold back on their views until the affected brand had sufficiently taken control of the situation. In other words, to exercise caution while the crisis was still unfolding. This suggestion is based on the age-old dictum that suggests we don’t kick those who are down. (Apart from the belief that it is in bad taste to score a few cheap points at the expense of a tragedy, while it is still fresh.)
It is in this spirit that we turn to address social media audiences – and suggest a few ways in which they can be a constructive part of crisis communications online.
- Be patient – In a time when instant communication is the norm, impatience abounds. But let’s step back for a moment and consider what this entails – do we value speed so much that we are willing to sacrifice accuracy? Crisis situations require brands to go to extraordinary lengths to procure and verify information. This requires time. Let’s act in the interest of accuracy, and allow brands time to collect verified information.
- Don’t feed conspiracy theories – It’s easy to be tempted by the sensational. But before we give in to the lure of conspiratorial and outlandish stories that claim to be the “truth”, let’s consider two things: First, does it hurt the brand further? Second, does it hurt victims (and their families) by offering false hope or, worse, an even more gruesome “truth”?
- Verify information that you share – There’s a video of a plane burning. An audio of terrorists claiming something or the other. A photograph of passengers held hostage. Instead of falling prey to quick gratification, it is important to double-check shared information.
- Promote official accounts – In addition to the above, audiences should be aware that the most accurate information is likely to be shared by the official brand accounts on social media. Instead of re-tweeting or sharing unchecked sources, it is in the best interests of everyone to ensure that the official voice is the most prominent during crises.
It would be best to re-iterate a few important points before closing this article. First, these suggestions are intended specifically in order to ensure some sanity during the frantic period in which a crisis is still unfolding. Second, we believe that not only brands, but their audiences as well, should be responsible for shaping the nature and quality of conversations on social media. Third, the value of kindness and a sense of charity, especially online, cannot be overstated.
As always, we value your opinion and invite your comments and feedback. Let us know if you agree with us, or if you don’t. Were there any points we missed out? Email us: shubhodeep@simpliflying.com or tweet to us @simpliflying.
- Download the latest “SimpliFlying Airline Crisis Guide” – An overview of 6 types of airlines crises concerning social media, including real-world case studies from recent years.
- Preview Crisis Communications Quarterly Report – An in-depth report of the 15 most important airline crises and disruptions from the latest quarter, assessing how they were handled, and how they could have been handled better.