Crisis Management Tips You Need To Know 

With the advent of social media, a lot of stories have been breaking out in real-time. Most of these stories don’t reflect positively on the employees or companies in question. A lot of communication experts across the globe are immediately pushed into damage control mode out of panic. If you want to be good at your job, you need to be prepared as a PR professional. Well, here are some of the best crisis management tips you need to consider.

1. Be Prepared – Start by creating a crisis plan. Here, you will brainstorm potential crisis scenarios then use them to inform and update your plan accordingly. You can come up with messages for reactive statement templates as well as talking points for realistic potential crises, employ an emergency notification system.
2. Practice – It’s not enough to have a plan during crisis management. You need to be able to practice it. Everyone needs to know their role in crisis management and the plan in mind. You need to practice your talking points with these targeted individuals for the best results.
3. Accept Responsibility – If there is a PR crisis and your company is the one in the wrong, you need to admit it immediately. The public is always more forgiving if the company accepts responsibility outright for any actions early on instead of backtracking down the road or if they get caught up trying to cover up something. However, don’t make definitive statements without having all the information. This must not prevent you from communicating. 
4. Be Consistent – When there is a crisis, you need to become consistent with your message including the person delivering the message. Unless it is specified explicitly, the entire communications team and stakeholders should not deliver comments to anyone. Make sure all inquiries are directed to the approved spokesperson.
5. Operate Like You Are On National TV – If the situation is becoming more heated, you need to remain cool and think twice before doing anything. Remember, anyone with a smartphone can record your words or actions then share them on a national news outlet or social media.
6. Control The Damage – During the crisis, you need to address the problem and present a solution immediately. However, the message needs to be consistent and actionable. Don’t provide a solution that will not be actionable because it isn’t helping anyone. Also, the media will be able to sift through an insincere report. Make sure the press is updated with attainable and transparent messaging.
7. Reflection – It’s important to take time to reflect after the crisis has passed to identify what went right or wrong. Find out how you could have better supported your target audience during the crisis period and use these pointers to come up with the next crisis management plan.

Final Thoughts

Yes, every crisis may play out differently. These are some of the best steps to help manage any situation. Even when you are prepared, the reputation of your company may take a hit. However, take these steps to minimize the damage.