When sending an alert through an emergency notification system, it’s important to have the best possible message for each type of communication channel. This presentation gives you a variety of best practices for each communication channel. Follow these guidelines and your alert will be more successful.

1. Best Practices for Emergency
Notification Messages

2. Sponsored by
Smarter emergency notification,
incident management and mobile
communication applications.
www.missionmode.com

3. It’s not enough to
blast a message to
everyone. It’s crucial
that the message is
understood.

4. Most emergency
notification systems can
deliver to a wide range
of communication
channels.

5. SMS
Voice
Email
Mobile Push
Notification

6. SMS
Each channel has its
own limitations.

7. Guidelines
for all
channels

8. Identify your
organization
immediately in
the message.

9. Restrict the amount
of information to
only what’s essential.

10. Use simple
language and avoid
complex words.

11. Immediately
state the reason
for the alert.

12. Convey the key
information in the
first sentence.

13. SMS

14. Use 2-3 short sentences. Cut
#####
out unnecessary language.

15. You can exceed the 160
#####
character limit, but the alert
will be received as several
individual messages.

16. If you are asking for a
#####
response through a simple
poll, you may need to exceed
the 160 character limit.

17. Some notification systems can
#####
send multiple SMS messages
that will be received as a
single, longer message.

18. When you send a website
#####
address, many tablets and
smartphones will turn it into
a clickable link.

19. Voice

20. #####
Keep the
message
under 20-30
seconds in
length, if
possible.

21. #####
If you are
asking for a
response,
the message
will need to
be longer.

22. #####
Repeat the
message.

23. #####
Communicate
the gist of the
message in
the first 10
seconds.

24. #####
Have a
hotline that
people can
call for more
information.*

25. * With some
#####
notification
systems,
recipients can
press a
button to be
connected to
the hotline.

26. #####
Record the
message in
your own
voice.

27. Email

28. Use no more than two brief
paragraphs, unless more
detail is necessary.

29. A shorter message is more
likely to be read and
digested.

30. If your notification system
supports HTML formatting,
use bold and a font color to
highlight critical information.

31. If you include a website
address in the message,
include “http://” at the
beginning of the
address.

32. Mobile Push
Notifications

33. Keep the message length to
3-4 short sentences.

34. Maximum message length will
vary, depending on the vendor
who provides the notification
app.

35. Communicate the gist of
the message in the first
sentence.

36. For more information,
direct people to a hotline
or website.

37. #####
Follow these
guidelines and
your alert will be
more successful.

39. Best Practices for Emergency
Notification Messages

40. Best Practices for Emergency
Notification Messages