Note the background image on Kevin's Twitter profile...

With the recent Nestlé vs. Greenpeace Facebook debacle and Kevin Smith live-tweeting as Southwest Airlines staff kicked him off a flight because he was deemed “too fat to fly”, some* predict 2010 will be the Year of the Social Media Crisis. (Y2.01K?!)


Here’s what’s happening:

Companies entering social media without an adequate understanding of the space, insufficient planning & resource allocation
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Detractors, critics, angry consumers and mommy bloggers [*shiver*] are better able to mobilise and coordinate attacks against said companies
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[cue doomsday music]

The perfect social media shit storm.



*By ‘some’ I mean a PR agency who you could argue has a profit motive for fear mongering; but nevermind that, I’m going for dramatic effect here.

Regardless of whether this prophesy comes true, I’ve seen many branded social media endeavours that have a definite lack of contingency planning, so a little extra prep won’t hurt.


3 things to help you avoid a Y2.01K crisis:


1. Plans

  • add an addendum to your existing crisis management plan that outlines procedures, concerns and considerations that are specific to social media (i.e. public visibility, timeliness, communication channels)
  • mobilise an internal response team; stack it to include a PR person with crisis management experience, a social media person who understands the space and a lawyer who can reduce the risk of you getting sued

2. Policies

  • create 2 sets of policies:

    • Rules of Engagement: outline employees’ rights, responsibilities and repercussions of engaging in social media
    • Community Guidelines: set rules for users to follow if they wish to participate in any of your online communities (i.e. Facebook Page, forum, comment on your blog)
  • ensure both sets of guidelines exist in document form (‘understood’ policies don’t cut it) so that they can be published, distributed, referenced, called upon as proof in a court case – you get the idea

3. Systems

  • implement systems that monitor online conversations:

    • keep an eye on your critics and naysayers
    • watch for mood swings
    • create alerts to notify you when sensitive keywords are used in conversations about your brand (i.e. palm oil in Nestlé’s case)
  • connect with / enlist your advocates; anticipate issues before they blow up

Prevention is key, but in my next post I’ll outline some ways you can diffuse a mounting crisis.