Nobody wants to think a social media crisis can happen to them, but it can. Here’s how to craft a social media crisis statement to help you respond to the situation quicker.
Include the following items:
- A factual headline.
- The date and time.
- The location of the incident.
- Basic details have been confirmed.
- Actions your organization is taking that you are willing to make public.
- An expression of compassion or empathy (if appropriate)
- Contact details OR details on further updates.
How to write a statement.
HubSpot offers examples of key messages in a crisis communication plan for financial, personnel, organizational, technical, and natural crisis.
Keep these six tips in mind while crafting your message:
- Use key messages, verified information, and avoid becoming defensive.
- Define and isolate the actual problem.
- Produce at least three key messages.
- Express empathy.
- Take action.
- Be honest.
Below is a press template you can use, which can also be posted on your website and linked to in social media.
Company X responds to ____________
Date: DD/MM/YYYY
Time: HH:MM
Company X can confirm that at __:__ (insert time) today at __________ (insert location) ____________________________ (details e.g. A fire broke out at our manufacturing premises/ Charges were filed against our CEO/ a bomb threat was called into our headquarters in Dublin).
__________________________________________ (what the company is doing about it e.g. An investigation is taking place (or will take place) into the cause of the fire/ The CEO has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation/ Our headquarters have been evacuated and all staff have been sent home pending a search of the building by the bomb squad.)
Company X would like to ___________________________(strenuously deny the allegations/ express our sincerest condolences to the victims) and assure the public that we are (taking this matter very seriously/ moving quickly to establish the details).
We have __________________ (established a task force/mobilised a response team/set up a call centre) and will provide further updates as soon as the information we receive can be verified.
Our next statement will be issued at __:__(four hours from now).