Navigating Crisis Communication in the Age of Social Media
Posted on Dec. 16, 2023 / Research / Subscribe 0
Imagine this… it’s 2023 and you hear news circling on social media about a crisis that happened within your organization. Suddenly your organization is under fire and accusations are being thrown at you. Your brand and reputation are on the line. You need to address the crisis quickly but also strategically. How should you go about it?
Crisis Vs. Threat
When discussing crisis communication it’s important to bring up the communication scholar Timothy Coombs. He has shaped how we think about crisis communication. Coombs realized that organizations needed a framework to help them navigate the complexity of crisis management. In Coombs’ The Handbook of Crisis Communication, he defines a crisis as “the perception of an unpredictable event that threatens important expectancies of stakeholders and can seriously impact an organization's performance and generate negative outcomes”. In these situations, it is the responsibility of the organization to assess the level of threat, who is responsible, and how the issue will affect the stakeholder’s relationship with the organization. It’s important to note that not all crises are threats but all crises do require immediate attention.
A threat is the potential source of harm to an organization and the level of threat can be determined by how much damage is caused to the organization. A crisis can create three related threats: public safety, financial loss, and reputation loss.
The Coombs Model
Timothy Coombs is best known for his theory called Situational Crisis Communication (SCCT), which he proposed back in 2007. The Coombs model emphasizes the importance of strategy selection based on the specific nature of the crisis and its potential impact on stakeholders. This approach allows organizations to come up with customized response strategies that align with the unique circumstances of the crisis. This is also known as a crisis communication plan.
The Importance of a Crisis Communication Plan
A crisis communication plan is essential for every organization to have. Every organization has a crisis management team whose sole job is to come up with a plan as to how they would deal with different types of crises, in case they arise. The purpose of a crisis communication plan is to make sure that the organization is prepared and can respond immediately in case of a crisis. Typically these plans consist of the different types of crises that the organization is most susceptible to, who would be the first person they would notify, and the plan of action to make sure the issue doesn’t arise again.
The Overlap Between Crisis Communication & Social Media
Bryan Strawser’s blog Navigating Crisis Communication with Social Media Mastery helps to explain how and why businesses should leverage social media when it comes to navigating a crisis. The main reason that Bryan gives is that social media platforms allow businesses to have direct access to their stakeholders. This lets them control narratives and manage information flow during times of uncertainty. This is even more important nowadays since news travels faster due to social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok.
How to Resolve a Crisis
When social media is used correctly, it can help an organization build back the trust of its stakeholders but when used incorrectly it can further damage your reputation. The best way to deal with any sort of crisis is by identifying the issue and promptly responding to the situation on all of your social media channels. This is so that your organization has the chance to shape its narrative of what happened and to relay to stakeholders that you are aware of what’s going on. If your organization is at fault, it’s important to take responsibility, apologize, and make sure to empathize with the victims who were involved. By using social media, you can make sure that you can address the issue promptly and that your side of the story is out there before others. It’s also important to note that stakeholders appreciate it when organizations are transparent, honest, and open. Lastly, an organization needs to make a plan as to how they are going to resolve the crisis and prevent it from happening in the future.
By Samantha Cruz
0 Comments