Earlier this year, Hurricane Matthew and its aftermath wreaked havoc on millions of Americans on the East Coast. Communities flooded. Power and phone service went down. And for citizens seeking information, communications chaos ensued.
There's no stopping a natural disaster like Matthew, but great leaders are prepared to communicate effectively no matter the circumstance.
So, how do you pull that off?
In emergency situations, information needs to be shared quickly through the most-watched channels. These days, that's social media.
With more than two-thirds of Americans using social media, according to the Pew Research Center, emergency management pros have embraced the technology, which allows them to simultaneously gather information from citizens and traditional outlets and provide real-time, on-the-ground reports to those in need.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, commonly called FEMA, for example, has a Twitter account that regularly churns out useful information and links to outside resources.
That said, the use of social media can cause problems when inaccurate rumors start circulating.
So, for emergency management teams, such as those in local governments, the key is being prepared and willing to communicate during a disaster by:
_Designating and training a group of staff members as the social media team that will handle disaster-related communications.
_Understanding where community members get information and establishing a presence in that network.
_Sending out regular updates and repeating information, as some posts will inevitably get lost in users' social feeds.
_Answering questions in real-time.
_Using location hashtags.
_Having a pre-built, disaster-specific website that can be turned on in a moment's notice and updated regularly.
And while the folks at city hall play their part, a community's small-business owners can contribute to the response through social media by:
_Making relevant and targeted updates.
_Knowing your community and its needs.
_Being sensitive to the situation and watching the tone of messages.
_Using event-specific hashtags so your information is easily found.
_Being present and responsive to inquiries.
_Making sure your website is responsive and mobile-ready.
Many organizations are still grasping the nuisances of social media. It is important to think before you tweet. Using the above guidelines, your organization will avoid an embarrassing communications failure.
Remember, communications during a disaster can be the different between life and death.
