This document discusses social media crises and crisis communication strategies. It begins by outlining goals for crisis preparation, including proactive monitoring, training teams, and building relationships. During a crisis, organizations should respond quickly and compassionately, understand public emotions, monitor comments, and integrate messages across platforms. Afterward, teams should evaluate responses and identify lessons learned. The document also defines crisis types, key players, and recommendations like training, monitoring trends, and adapting strategies with data. The main takeaways are that social media crises can often be prevented with preparation, and organizations must recognize mistakes and support teams and communities during difficult times.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA CRISESKaren Freberg
Assistant Professor
University of Louisville
karen.freberg@louisville.edu
@kfreberg

4. TRAVELER
+EXPLORER
EDUCATOR AND LIFE
LONG STUDENT
COFFEE ADDICT
*CLAIM TO FAME: FEATURED IN A
TWITTER MOMENT STARBUCKS
CREATED FOR NATIONAL COFFEE
DAY

7. Goals and Objectives
Audience Analysis
Listening & Monitoring
Crisis planning & playbook
Scenario & Education Training
Crisis history
Corporate Culture
Frontline & Senior Employees
Strategic Storytelling

8. Preparation
• Establish proactive monitoring protocol
• Crisis communication team training
• Set social media guidelines and scenarios
• Build healthy and interactive relationships with key parties
Response
• React quickly, compassionately with authoritative and clear words
and actions.
• Understand emotions via social media
• Pay attention to comments and feedback in real-time
• Integrate crisis messages to appropriate medium
• Monitor and integrate comments into crisis plan strategy
Recovery
• Evaluate team members and crisis response tactics and strategies
• Analyze data to see what can be done next time during a crisis
• Determine best practices and learning lessons from situation.

9. @KFREBERG
WHAT IS A CRISIS?
‣ Problems: commonplace; predictable; quickly resolved; and
may go unnoticed.
‣ Issues: a contestable question of fact, value or policy which
affect how stakeholders grant or withhold support and seek
changes through public policy
‣ Crises: less predictable; time- consuming; costly; and bring
unwanted public attention. A specific, unexpected and
nonroutine event that creates high levels of uncertainty and
presents an organization with both opportunities and threats to
its high priority goals.

10. Crisis types based on Attribution
Victim Crises: Minimal Crisis Responsibility
• Natural disasters: acts of nature such as tornadoes or earthquakes.
• Rumors: false and damaging information being circulated about you organization.
• Workplace violence: attack by former or current employee on current employees on-site
• Product Tampering/Malevolence: external agent causes damage to the organization.
Accident Crises: Low Crisis Responsibility
• Challenges: stakeholder claim that the organization is operating in an inappropriate manner
• Technical error accidents: equipment or technology failure that cause an industrial accident.
• Technical error product harm: equipment or technology failure that cause a product to be
defective or potentially harmful.
Preventable Crises: Strong Crisis Responsibility
• Human-error accidents: industrial accident caused by human error.
• Human-error product harm: product is defective or potentially harmful because of human
error.
• Organizational misdeed: management actions that put stakeholders at risk and/or violate the
law.

11. @KFREBERG
MAJOR PLAYERS INVOLVED IN CRISES
▸ Activists / Activist Groups
▸ Influencers (Local, National + International)
▸ Government Agencies
▸ Whistleblowers
▸ Crisis communication professionals
▸ Businesses
▸ Government officials
▸ Community leaders
▸ Citizens
▸ Bloggers
▸ Media

17. @KFREBERG
KEY TAKEAWAYS
▸ Social media crises for the most part can be prevented.
▸ Educational training is key
▸ Simulations
▸ Identifying key trends, issues, and warning signs (listening AND monitoring)
▸ Understanding the narrative and impact visual storytelling has on these types of crises.
▸ False images + “doctored’ photos + fact checking
▸ Many voices = ONE message
▸ Training for crisis communication messages ACROSS mediums
▸ Role of the spokesperson (and key players) shifts the impact and responsibility of the crises.
▸ How you present yourself is just as important as what you say (WV Water Crisis + BP Oil Spill)
▸ Rise in emerging issues and trends in crisis communications.
▸ Influencers
▸ Advocates + Activism

18. @KFREBERG
WHAT NOT TO DO IN A SOCIAL MEDIA CRISIS: VENT OPENLY

19. @KFREBERG
UNDERESTIMATE THE RECEPTION OF BEING “SNARKY”

20. @KFREBERG
WHAT TO DO: RECOGNIZE A MISTAKE HAS BEEN MADE AND TAKE ACTION

21. TEXT
WHAT TO DO: SUPPORT YOUR TEAM + COMMUNITY

22. @KFREBERG
RECOMMENDATIONS + NEXT STEPS
▸ Be aware this is a profession that always changes. You have
to continue being a student in the field (even after
graduation).
▸ Adaptability, flexibility, and strategic thinking are key traits
for crisis communication professionals.
▸ Use data to inform + brainstorm strategies on crisis
situation. Tie into current SWOT analysis + early warning
detection signs (understand the difference between
listening + monitoring).
▸ You will ALWAYS have a job in this field. If you think you
have seen it all….. wait a few seconds.

24. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Karen Freberg, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Strategic Communications
University of Louisville
kfreberg
karen.freberg@louisville.edu