Let's start by defining what a crisis is. A crisis is any unexpected event that creates confusion and uncertainty, with significant consequences for the lives of people or institutions.
A crisis is associated with risks that have not been managed properly or, in some cases, were unavoidable. More often than not, one crisis turns into a bigger one because communication is not handled properly, resulting in a negative image and reputation.
Today, with the so-called Web 2.0, information has become two-way: users no longer just consume information, we produce it too. This participation has increased the pressure on organisations and businesses which, used to having full control over their image and message, now find themselves challenged by new digital stakeholders.
Digital crises, therefore, are a reflection of the interactions that take place in this new online context. If negative information about our brand is generated, we end up with a bad reputation that damages our image, and that is a digital crisis.
That said, there is no such thing as a digital crisis that isn't linked to the outside world. The digital environment is just one more tool in our ability to communicate and share opinions. A flow of negative or unfounded opinions does not necessarily amount to a digital crisis.
To count as a digital crisis it must follow the same initial definition, that is, a digital crisis is the result of mismanaging our audience's expectations, with the negative impact created or amplified online.
Now that we're clear on what a digital crisis is, at acrōnim Digital Feeling we suggest 5 keys to managing one:
5 keys to managing a digital crisis:
- Anticipation
Although most companies put social media crisis plans on the back burner, it is estimated that 83% of brands will suffer some kind of reputation crisis. That's why we consider it vital to establish a response plan so we can get ahead of the situation. Analysing possible scenarios and preparing responses will help us prevent a potential digital crisis. What's more, in the online world everything moves so fast that any piece of news can spread in a matter of minutes, and our response time will only get shorter. - Know yourself
Not every company has the same resources or the same capacity to react to a digital reputation crisis. We need to put in place an alert plan that, through a social listening system, picks up the topics that could pose a risk to our brand. It is very useful to keep a database with a history of the reputation crises the company has been through, to analyse whether they still pose a risk. We should also keep an eye on risks that affect the sector, not just the company. - Alert matrix
We need to develop a matrix to classify the alerts we receive according to how serious the situation is. In other words, depending on the reach and relevance of the message, the alert is rated yellow, orange or red. That way, when we're in a yellow alert situation we can trigger actions to keep it under control and stop the “mini” crisis from escalating into a serious digital crisis. - Strategies
Once we know the different possible crisis scenarios and have classified them, the next step is to develop strategies for each one. This lets us anticipate what will happen and react in good time. We need to set out the communication plan for dealing with this potential crisis, defining which channels will be used, what tone the message will take and what actions we will carry out. The message put out during a digital crisis must be sincere and transparent, without covering up the facts or making excuses. Taking responsibility will help the digital crisis die down rather than destroy our brand. - Evaluation
Finally, whenever we go through a digital crisis – whether a minor yellow alert or a reputation catastrophe – we should gather all the data obtained and analyse our execution and results. This also gives us valuable information to keep refining our Digital Crisis Plan.
For more information, don't hesitate to get in touch with us.
