Social Media Roundup: Responding To A Crisis Via Social Media
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Social Media Roundup: Responding To A Crisis Via Social Media

During a crisis situation, tone is everything, and as the Boston tragedy showed, a careful, reverent response is the way to go on platforms better-known for more casual approaches. Also: Why you should be transparent with your staff members when they're performing poorly.

Throughout the Boston tragedy, we saw how technology and social media networks helped citizens and law enforcement officials respond to the crisis. These communication tools helped people find a place to sleep if they were stranded or offer a bed and food to those who couldn’t make it home, and even find out if their loved ones were okay.

But if your association isn’t directly affected by the crisis, a careful, cautious response may be a better option than saying anything at all. That, and more, in today’s Social Media Roundup:

Tweeting During A Tragedy

At a time of crisis, social media can effectively help members understand and react to a crisis situation. However, keeping in mind the nature of the event, you should be more cautious about what you’re posting. For instance, you may want to cancel scheduled tweets and avoid tweeting until you’ve written a carefully-thought-out statement. “Silence during times of crisis prevents you from making a devastating social media faux pas. It also gives you a chance to personally process events and gather resources which can help you to respond more helpfully,” Jenise Fryatt, the co-owner and marketing director of Icon Presentations AV, writes in her post for Cvent. (ht @JeffHurt)

Take The Time To Give Feedback

When you have a team member that isn’t pulling their weight, do you let them know or push them aside? As Kerry Stackpole points out, giving consistent feedback is one of the hardest parts of being a leader. It’s much easier, and probably less time consuming, to ignore the problems than to point them out. But talking to the staff member about their performance could push them to improve. “It’s likely members of your team are more resilient than you might think,” Stackpole suggests. “People can bounce back from failure and shortfalls. If they know their leaders stand with them and are committed helping them get back on track.” (ht @Neoterica)

What links have you been sharing today? Let us know in the comments.

Anita Ferrer

By Anita Ferrer

Anita Ferrer is a contributor to Associations Now. MORE

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