The Olympic Games are here and we all know how sportsmen and women are vulnerable to health issues like muscle strain, ligament tear and even some might be affected by change of weather. Thus this is a good time to refresh our minds on how to handle health crisis via social media. This could be the reason why many health organisations like the Red Cross are usually around during events like this.
Michail Vafeiadis, PhD candidate at Pennsylvania State University, College of Communications, dropped some tips as regards strategies on how to manage health crisis incase of unforseen contigencies. Excerpted here, his list of tips for using social media platforms both before and after a health crisis hits:
- Know what social media your stakeholders will use in a crisis. Make sure you understand those platforms and establish a presence in advance. Also, the more diverse social media platforms you use, the more likely your message will reach a wider audience.
- Post statements rebutting false rumors or provide links with accurate facts.
- Look at other organizations’ strategies, particularly their successes and failures, and see how they might work for you. Learn from the mistakes of others.
- Educate and train an eclectic team who will be in charge of social media in the event of a crisis.
- Customize your message according to the platform’s audiences (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn). Different demographic groups have different social media preferences.
- Provide a road map of action for the public with all the steps your organization plans to take to address the situation both in the short- and long-term.
- Have a designated crisis spokesperson for media as well as a dedicated crisis response team for social media 24/7. Note that the CEO, especially in the first hours of a crisis, should be managing the crisis rather than talking to media.
- Participate in any crisis preparedness drills scheduled in your organization. Craft your messages and test them with internal and external stakeholders.
- Get ahead of the game and educate the public early in a crisis, before things escalate. By providing accurate facts, you not only stem misinformation but you also can win your stakeholders’ trust and establish yourself as an accurate and transparent source for information
Source: PMNews: https://www.prnewsonline.com/social-media-health-crisis
