A real crisis is big. Whether it’s triggered by traditional media or a wave of online commentary, a crisis occurs when your platforms are taken over.
In a crisis, we stop (almost) everything. To manage the crisis, we interrupt, among other things, already scheduled publications, current advertising campaigns and current promotions. The crisis must be considered an emergency, as THE priority. All resources must be monopolized.
Fortunately, proactive and effective social media management can quickly defuse the situation, ease consumer concerns, and even turn detractors into ambassadors. Indeed, a well-managed crisis can increase the public's sympathy capital!
When we sense that a crisis is brewing, the first step in intervention is to put things into perspective, take a step back and evaluate the situation objectively. One negative comment is not a crisis, but 100 negative comments on the same subject accompanied by mentions in the traditional media, that is a crisis. However, diagnosing the crisis is not enough. We also need to determine whether it is small, medium or large. To react well, we must therefore evaluate it correctly.
Why do you need it?
When you need it… you will know! If you feel like the situation is getting out of hand, it is time to consult a specialized agency.
When you anticipate news that could harm your business's reputation in traditional media, or if you feel like your page is being bombarded, it's time to take things seriously and take action before the situation escalates.
In a crisis, the greatest fear of customers is the negative impact on the company, its reputation and, incidentally, on sales in the short, medium or long term.
Peace of mind, despite the crisis. Entrusting social media management to specialists while the crisis passes often provides immense relief. Freed from this burden, companies can intervene with other employees on the ground and limit the damage.
Benefit from Spritz’s seven years of crisis management experience. Daily community management helps prevent crises. A crisis is often the result of a lack of understanding on the part of the public, the sharing of misconceptions or gaps in the information disseminated. The crisis often escalates when the company is not proactive.
Inform as soon as possible, without neglecting strategic thinking. The first loan database criticism of companies is often that they did not respond to concerns sooner, which sows doubt in people's minds and leads them to believe that the brand has something to hide. However, "early" does not mean "fast" at all costs. It is essential to take the time to properly orchestrate the steps to be taken to ensure that you generate a positive reaction from the public.
Prevention is better than cure
Nearly 70% of consumers have already used social media to file a complaint or resolve a problem. When you report a problem to a company, you expect a response, especially when the comment is negative.
With proactive community management, a crisis can often be prevented by addressing comments as soon as they are posted, before the situation escalates. In cases where a business responded to a negative comment, 46% of consumers said they were satisfied with the response, and 22% even posted a positive comment about the organization!
How does it work?
A crisis is managed as a team. In collaboration with the client, we organize a commando operation. A press relations officer, an experienced community manager and members of the client's marketing team will be among the responders. Other collaborators may be added to this team, depending on the scale of the crisis and the resources available.
Acknowledgement of the mandate and analysis of the situation
Compilation of articles, mentions and comments (press review)
Proposal of key messages
Suggested responses to comments
Social media management until things return to normal
Pro tips for effective crisis management
Stop all current and planned short-term activities. Demonstrate that you are listening.
Communicate relevant information to your community quickly. Even if you don't have all the answers, be proactive.
Communicate clear messages and create a good FAQ. Plan an interactive FAQ that is updated in real time.
Be transparent. There is no shame in not knowing all the answers. It is normal in an emergency situation to not have all the information available to you right away. If you don’t have the answer to a question, say so and specify that you will answer as best you can as soon as possible.
