Key elements affecting Digital Crisis Management and the framework organisations can use to get ahead and manage crisis using Social Media.

1. Crisis Management with Social Media Muhammad Karim, 2011

3. Dialogue trumps messaging in this arena.

4. People who don’t like you have the same tools.

5. Consumers demand a very high transparency.

7. Spin may work in traditional media, but the Internet has a built in B.S. detector. - Chris Pirillo, tech celebrity People relate to people not companies. -Tony Hsieh ZapposCEO

8. If you treat them as a “Target Market” and not as People, prepare to get punched in the face.

9. A Framework for On-line Crisis Management CRISIS PRE-CRISIS POST-CRISIS SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORINGCategory, Product, Competition. WEEKLY DAILY / HOURLY PREPARATION1. List of Influencers2. Infrastructure Set-up 1. CREATE + MAINTAIN LIST.2. SET-UP POLICY + WEBSITE & SM CHANNELS KEEP INFLUENCERS INFORMED & ENGAGED. MAINTAIN INFRASTRUCTURE OF DIGITAL ASSETS UPDATE and INFORM on MINOR EVENTS DETAILED UPDATES ON BLOG + WEBSITE ACTIVATE TWITTER + FB WITH ONGOING UPDATES DURING CRISIS (HOURLY/DAILY) RESPONSE OWN ALL SEARCH TERMS + ENHANCE SEO ON SPECIFIC CRISIS-RELATED SEARCH TERMS. - VERY IMPORTANT! SEARCH / SEO MAINTAIN SEO + SEARCH TERMS ON BRAND CREATE SEARCH TERMS PRE-CRISIS POST-CRISIS CRISIS

10. Respond!  Decide who answers which relevant query Brand Team? Customer Services? Agency? PR? Senior Executives? Be honest, open and clear. – you will be caught out if you hide anything. – Be HUMAN! KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID! (KISS Principle)

11. Own it. Make Sure you know… Who is the first contact Who responds to which category of query/ responses Establish set guidelines around responses to specific questions pertinent to your brand. How to respond (also set up training for this).

12. Key Elements in Dealing with Digital Crisis Management Start listening now… to all your relevant social media around your brand. Identify the top online influencers for your brand (and begin building relationships) – Bloggers, Tweeters, etc. Develop a policy for all your communication online (e.g. Twitter, Blog, YouTube) Establish Social Media Engagement Guidelines across all relevant departments in your team – PR, Brand, Customer Services.

13. Any Questions? Muhammad Karim Email: muhammad@karim.co.za Twitter: @mkarim