When a crisis occurs, many people turn to their mobile phones to gather information from news, work, and other sources like social media. Today, 70 percent of Americans use social media outlets to engage with others, read news stories, and share information, according to Pew Research. With social media such a large part of our daily lives, organizations must utilize these channels to share pertinent information regarding emergencies and provide community members an additional avenue for receiving critical details. 

Read on for social media tips to implement before, during, and after emergencies. We will also cover the importance of integrating social media with a mass notification system (MNS).

Before An Emergency 

Organizations should not miss the opportunity to plug social media into their communications plans to share time-sensitive and accurate information. Doing so will provide an added layer of reach and better prepare communities for upcoming events or emergencies like hurricanes, wildfires, pandemics, and active shooters. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are commonly used for sending out quick information for emergencies like severe weather events when forecasts provide some amount of lead time. 

Set up a social media policy on crisis response so that you are prepared with appropriate messaging when a crisis arises.

• Set up templates for various situations to expedite the distribution process of notifications, which should be clear, short, and simple. 

• Employ an individual or a set group of individuals, like a crisis communications team, to be responsible for sending out the messages. 

• Halt or pause regularly scheduled social media posts during an emergency; doing so will focus on the crisis at hand.

• Encourage your team members to follow your company’s social media accounts so they can immediately access information shared online.
  
  

During an Emergency 

When an emergency like a natural disaster occurs, it is important to have your notification plan ready to minimize chaos. Provide real-time information to your community through social media posts that reach employees, emergency officials, and law enforcement. 

Social media allows individuals to share photos and videos instantly through their accounts, which sometimes can be seen faster than news outlets can broadcast an emergency. Organizations can choose to share posted content if relevant and appropriate, however, it's important to note that misinformation often gets shared online, so proceed with caution when sharing. This two-way interaction between companies and individual accounts further raises communication and community awareness.

Organizations should be prepared to provide consistent weather updates, evacuation route details, and important emergency numbers, while also answering questions quickly and thoughtfully during a crisis. These resources and answers will help ease concerns and keep your community members in the loop on what is happening.

After an Emergency 

After an emergency, organizations can use social media to share helpful information that supports the community. For example, if a wildfire spreads through an area, employees might have lost homes, belongings, or loved ones, so it is important to communicate with your employees and share steps you are taking to help them. Provide messaging company-wide on clear action steps, emergency numbers, safe locations, donation centers, and local agencies. Employees also need to know what is expected of them after a disaster, so communicate this as well on a wide-scale basis. For instance, if an office building is damaged in an earthquake, provide guidance on remote work policies, PTO use, and continuous updates on when they can expect to return to the office.

Integrate Social Media Into Your Mass Notification System

Further, organizations should be able to send alerts through social media channels using an MNS. An MNS broadcasts real-time emergency alerts to large groups of people to inform them of threats or dangerous situations. Integrating social media channels into your MNS system streamlines the process of logging into separate accounts to distribute messages, while also allowing companies to activate alerts through facility-based, network-based, and personal notification methods.

Social media supplies a simple, impactful, and important layer of redundancy to build into your mass notification approach. Contact us to learn more about our full suite of products and social media integrations.