5 Ways to Prepare for Digital Crisis Management

We discussed many of the below elements throughout the Online Reputation Management articles but due to their importance for digital crisis management, it’s appropriate to briefly review them again.

1. Monitor

You must watch your brand 24/7. Use social monitoring tools like Google and Yahoo! alerts, Technorati, Blog Pulse, Monitter, etc. Use these monitoring tools to know what is being said about your brand, and take necessary actions if needed.

2. Respond Instantly

Communication is the only means to get closer to your audience. Answer any of their inquiries and convince the contrary if they have negative opinions. If you choose to ignore what customers are saying about you, they will start to question your company’s integrity. Do not let issues go beyond control. Respond to matters quickly, even if your answer is “We are looking into it”.

3. Keep a Regular Tone

One negative conversation could potentially lead to other discussions around similar issues. Therefore, as you respond to the negative feedback, it is vital that your messaging is consistent every time. You do not want to compromise your reliability by sending mixed messages.

4. Educate Your Employees

Many companies experience brand damage due to employees’ social media activity. Regardless of whether your company encourages its employees to get involved in social media, they are bound to do so during their personal time. Unfortunately, even when engaging in social media platforms on their own, employees can inadvertently cause severe brand damage.

To protect your online reputation, it is important to develop and implement an employee social media policy that outlines the do’s and don’ts of online engagement. It is imperative that your employees understand the power and consequences of social media involvement.

5. Establish a Corporate-wide "Digital Crisis Strategy"

It is wise to seek the expertise of a public relations firm if you need more thorough details and information concerning online crisis management. But if you do not have the resources to work with an external firm, here are some tips to consider:

• Hire a “crisis management team” - You may opt for some of your most trusted employees who are willing to work diligently to supervise and manage any social media issues 24/7.
• Listen to the responses to your response - Listen, respond and act. Then listen again. This will help you plan your next step. Your audience will make it clear if more details are needed.
• Update frequently - You should keep your audience informed about the latest updates you have brought about. Don’t keep saying “we are working on it” and never inform your viewers about the modifications. Your audience will appreciate the fact that you have kept your word and you are working to bring changes and improvements.
• Reach out to your brand representatives - It might be a good idea to ask a few of your loyal customers to respond to an issue. This often offers more credibility than just giving a response from your company. However, be sure their messages are truly authentic and that they too are consistent with your company’s messaging.

Online reputation management is rapidly becoming an important strategy for organizations. You may still not believe in social media or its power to influence buying behavior, but your company should start paying attention to who is saying what about your brand online.

Reputation management is not only about monitoring – it’s about taking action and this is not always easy. It requires persistence and a strong-willed determination to succeed. Online reputation management is critical because a bad reputation can cost your business millions of dollars in losses.

Remember, communication is the key to maintaining and improving your image on the Internet. Online reputation management through monitoring, analyzing and influencing online communications can help prevent the loss of business and ensure the ongoing success of your organization.