How should college brands and other businesses use social media as part of their crisis communications plan? When used well, says Smirk New Media's Mike Koehler, it can be a listening tool and a platform for positive brand content and messaging. This presentation was given at the 2015 NCAA Convention in Washington, DC by Mike Koehler, president of Smirk New Media, a social media strategy and digital marketing agency in Oklahoma City.

1. Social media
is first a tool
for listening
to what the
public is
saying about
your brand

2. Who should you listen to?
External
Fans
Media
Online influencers
Internal
Student-athletes
Staff
Influential
supporters

3. Determine
internally
difference
between
common
criticism and
real crisis
red-flags

4. Fans: Bad behavior
Media: Sourced stories
Online influencers: Outrage
Internal: Controversial
statements, bad behavior.
Campaigns gone wrong

5. Run all planned brand
social media campaigns
through worst-case scenarios

6. Beware #Hashtag hijacking. h/t: fourthand140.com

7. Be prepared
for how
quickly a
social media
fire can
spread

8. Prepared reaction
● Prewritten responses,
formatted for each platform
● Content for fans and
influencers to share with their
audiences
● Pro-brand #hashtags which
run continually in background

9. Prepared reaction
Think multimedia in off-line crisis
reaction as well:
● More than one statement, also
one that is visual, 140-characters
● Who controls access to coach,
team and brand accounts?
● What pre-done social media
content will media need?

10. Don’t be afraid to delete,
ban and control the content
and access that you can.