This document discusses managing crises in the digital age. It notes that crises now spread much more quickly online, with many people aware of issues before an organization can comment. Effective crisis management now requires constant monitoring of online conversations, quick response, and staff training to respond and steer discussions. Key strategies include preparing communications in advance, building relationships before a crisis occurs, listening constantly for early signs of issues, responding rapidly online to own the narrative, and ensuring visibility in search results through content and search engine marketing.

1. Managing crisis in the
digital age
Presented by @matthewgain

2. THEY DON’T MAKE EM LIKE THEY USED TO
The old adage was that the first you would hear about a
crisis was when the media contacted you for comment.
By the time that happens today, potentially hundreds of
thousands of people are already aware of your issue
and sharing it amongst their friends.
Managing a crisis in the digital age requires rigorous
preparation, constant monitoring and a team that is well
prepared to ride the digital storm, converse naturally
and constantly whilst staying true to the golden rules of
crisis management.

3. DIGITAL CRISIS MANAGEMENT IS TRADITIONAL CRISIS
MANAGEMENT
Does the issue
Issue vs Crisis Community as
affect business
Community usual, either now or
Managers
Managers on in the future
through
staff
Communication is partnership
Identify the source
part of the solution,
of the crisis and fix
but it isn’t the
it
solution
Restore business as
Remember the goal
usual

4. SOCIAL MEDIA HAS CHANGED THE GAME
• 140 news cycle
• The speed from crisis to mass awareness reduced
• Citizen publishers
• Isolated issues now have the potential to gather
momentum and bubble up into mainstream media
• Influencers use social
• Even if you, your friends or your customers don’t
use social media
IT IS NOT GOING TO RETURN TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS

5. PREPARING FOR CRISIS COMMUNICATION
Community
Community
Managers
Managers on
through
staff
partnership
PREPARE TO
FAIL PREPARE TO REMEMBER TRAIN STAFF
LISTEN
RESPOND ONLINE AND
IT WILL CONSTANTLY
QUICKLY VISIBILITY PRACTICE
HAPPEN

6. PREPARE TO FAIL
• Spend time with your leadership team to identify all
potential future crisis
• Prepare Q&As and reactive statements suitable for
media, social media and even Twitter
• Identify all potential touch points and train them all
• Get senior level buy in – VERY IMPORTANT

7. PREPARE TO FAIL: BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
• Once a crisis starts it is too late to look for friends
• Identify and partner with relevant partners and
develop relationships of mutual value
• Potential partners:
• Industry bodies
• Charities
• Government/ law enforcement
• Key opinion leaders – eg online influencers
academics/commentators

8. LISTEN CONSTANTLY
• Listen constantly for early
warning signs
• Free and paid tools help
monitor the landscape:
• Radian 6, Google alerts,
Twitter Search
• Identify online influencers
• Integrate into customer
service
• Shape messaging from
online conversations

9. PREPARE TO RESPOND
QUICKLY
• Acknowledge issues quickly
and provide rapid updates
• Review all other proactive
business as usual comms
• Update constantly across all
communication channels, to
staff and stakeholders
• Prioritise respondents and
close discussions in one
conversation

10. ONLINE VISIBILITY: OWN THE FACTS AND
THE DESTINATION
• Nobody is better positioned to own the facts about a
crisis than those in the middle of it. Owning the
location for facts about the crisis is crucial to ensure
the right information is getting out.
• This site could be:
• Your website/blog
• A specially designed dark site
• A dedicated community site where people
involved in the crisis can come together
• All communication should direct here

11. ONLINE VISIBILITY: SEARCH IS KING
• Search is the first destination for people seeking
information. Owning the top results for keywords
related to your search is crucial.
• A program of search engine marketing is the quickest
and most effective way to ensure your destination is
at the top of the results
• Other considerations:
• Social embassies rate well in search engines
• Ensure your existing web properties clearly point to
your crisis destination

12. USE SEM TO OWN THE CONVERSATION
Community
Community
Managers
Managers on
through
staff
partnership

13. TRAIN STAFF AND PRACTISE
• In a Web 3.0 environment everyone is a spokesperson.
Train widely about online engagement:
• Transparency is key – no astroturfing or
anonymous posts
• Engage in conversations do not delete material
• Be nice
• Practise crisis procedures with key team members
• Ensure community managers are briefed and
involved in any response

14. SUMMARY
Community
Community
Managers
Managers on
through
staff
PREPARE TO partnership
PREPARE TO REMEMBER TRAIN STAFF
FAIL LISTEN
RESPOND ONLINE AND
IT WILL CONSTANTLY
QUICKLY VISIBILITY PRACTICE
HAPPEN

15. Get in contact
Matthew Gain
Email –
matthewgain@hotmail.com
Phone – +61 434 481 133
Twitter – @matthewgain