As 2013 comes to a close, I thought we could reflect back on the top 10 crisis management take-aways of this year. These are all things that your organization will need to carry into the new year, if you truly want to be crisis-ready.
Top 10 Crisis Management Take-Aways of 2013
# 10. If you aren’t yet on social media (at the minimum, as a crisis preparedness strategy), you are so 2011!
# 9. Telling yourself that an online issue or crisis will die down on its own, is like telling yourself that Facebook will magically delete all negative comments posted to your timeline, before anybody has the chance to see them – it just doesn’t happen.
# 8. Promoted tweets can be used against your organization.
# 7. 3 crappy public apologies don’t equal one good one.
# 6. Twitter is the leading social media platform when it comes to the dissemination of news, information and updates in a crisis.
# 5. Compassion, sincerity and a real apology can go a hell of a long way.
# 4. Internet defamation is a serious issue and there are more and more options available to help organizations protect themselves, both legally and reputationally.
# 3. Good leadership manages a crisis with both the head and the heart.
# 2. Your online reputation IS your reputation.
# 1. Mobile is the new black.
Author of Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World, Melissa Agnes is a leading authority on crisis preparedness, reputation management, and brand protection. Agnes is a coveted keynote speaker, commentator, and advisor to some of today’s leading organizations faced with the greatest risks. Learn more about Melissa and her work here.
Interesting recap of notable crisis management situations in the past year. Especially loved #10, as it's hard to believe that there are still organizations and people not on social media. I also think that online reputation is something that people are starting to pay more attention to, as it is easy to find unflattering posts or information about almost anyone on the internet these days. Whenever I think about this, I wonder about how different the world will be in 10 or 15 years, and how much things like political elections could be affected by something like an incriminating social media post from a decade prior.