Most of us were caught off guard by the recent storms. If you had looked at the weather forecast last week, you may have seen that it was predicted to rain over the weekend, but you may not have expected the deluge of rain we’ve had here in Dubai over the last few days. We’re lucky here in the UAE that the weather for most of the year is pretty constant and predictable. There are only a few weeks per year where we experience rain and storms, but when they come, these often bring the city to its knees. As residents here we need to be adaptable to these conditions – we may not know exactly when they will occur and the impact they will have, but there is a certain amount of preparation we can do to help us be ready.
These storms can be seen as a great analogy for social media issues…
The tell-tale clouds on the horizon are the threats, complaints and potential issues that run the risk of developing into a full blown storm, or equally can be blown away by the fair winds of positive content.
So how can you prepare yourself for the storms that will inevitably reach you?
1. Check the forecast!
Forewarned is forearmed. How can you be prepared if you do not know what is going on around you? Listening is the most important part of your social media activity. If you’re listening effectively, you’ll know what people are talking about, how sentiment is developing, and what the hot topics of the moment are – both positive and negative. In this way, you can you use your social media as an early warning system for any potential threats that may be gathering on the horizon.
2. Step outside your front door!
You can’t rely on the forecast alone – it’s not always accurate and the wind can change in a second. In the same way, you cannot simply rely on a media monitoring tool. If things are looking a little uncertain and unsettled, you need to physically take a look yourself – you’ll get a much better feel for the weather if you get up from your desk and step outside. So, if there is a threat or potential issue lurking on the horizon, you may need to go beyond your usual monitoring methods, and physically get online and expand your view to different platforms, people, or for different search terms.
3. Weatherproof your property
Invest in some storm-proofing to make sure your brand is as protected from the elements as possible. Have a clear social media strategy and policy, and a crisis communications strategy that your team is aware of and comfortable with. Ensure you have an effective media monitoring service with an alert system for key risks and issues, and that your senior management is educated about how social media works and may change in a crisis, so that you will have a smooth and fast approval process.
4. Have flood barriers and other preventive measures ready
If the storm rages on, or the rains increase in volume, you need to make sure you have the tools you need to hand, so that a small water leak doesn’t turn into a full-scale damaging flood. Having pre-prepared and approved holding statements ready, that can be used immediately, may be enough to block a water leak and bring the damage under control. It’s worth developing a bank of these, for both the frequent small issues/complaints that have the potential to escalate, and for major crises that may be less likely to occur but which would have devastating effects if they did.
5. Keep a rainy-day reserve
Make sure you have some budget set aside in the eventuality that you do experience a full blown storm – you may need extra resources to support you, increased media monitoring (frequency and or search terms), you may need to invest in additional advertising or boosting, or additional Google Adwords, or potentially some videography. Don’t leave it until you are ravaged by the weather to start thinking about how you will pay for prevention and fixing the damage.
Many of us are busy running around, and for the majority of us, the risks of social media are fairly small – we may experience a bit of rain, a few complaints, but generally not with any long term damage, so we don’t see crisis preparedness as a priority… Until the storms hits.
It only takes a small investment now to ensure that you don’t suffer if and when the winds turn, and ultimately being prepared will ensure that you can not only weather the storm, but also potentially benefit from the rains in the long term. The way you handle an issue can have a huge impact on perception, the sentiment and loyalty of your community, clients and colleagues, so take the time now, while the physical puddles are still around as a reminder!
