It is crucial to be ready for unexpected emergencies and traumatic incidents that may impact your business. Having a crisis communications strategy is particularly important for businesses that interact directly with the public, as it prevents hurried and impulsive decisions during such moments. By remaining composed and systematically following a plan, you can effectively handle challenging situations. Your strategy must include a set of guidelines for your team and clearly define each person’s responsibilities. This standardized operating procedure should consist of four main steps: planning, monitoring, taking action, and conducting a debriefing session.
Plan ahead
Most communication teams have established procedures to handle various tasks, such as providing quick quotes for press requests or managing major PR opportunities. However, it is crucial to also prepare for unforeseen situations. By developing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), training your team on implementing these strategies, and regularly reviewing and updating the plan to include up-to-date information and procedures, you will be better prepared to respond quickly when necessary.
In your statement of purpose (SOP), it is essential to incorporate crucial details encompassing the individuals involved, the actions to be taken, the timing, and the method. The individuals related to the information should be clearly identified, alongside specifying those who need to be informed, those who will assist in carrying out the plan, and the appropriate person to act as your representative.
The what should consist of specifying the sequential order of informing the relevant individuals, outlining the platforms for communication, and determining the format (written statement, video, or a combination) to distribute the information.
The “when” aspect should include details about the sequential delivery of messages and the desired timeframe. This may involve sending immediate statements (within 60-90 minutes), comprehensive responses (if needed, within 12-24 hours), and follow-up messages (at intervals of 24 hours, 48 hours, five days, 10 days, one month, etc.).
To ensure clear instructions on how to proceed with each action, it is advisable to create a timeline with various options. This will allow for flexibility based on the situation. Following this approach will help you navigate each step, whether it involves writing a concise statement for sharing on social media and via email or necessitates arranging press interviews and creating a rapid video featuring a speech from your executive leadership.
Identify Your Audiences
In any crisis situation, there are five audiences that should be acknowledged: customers, employees, suppliers, investors, and the industry as a whole. It is crucial to recognize the significance of each audience and ensure they receive informative and compelling messages.
Know Their Worries
Each audience has distinct concerns and priorities, seeking different information. For instance, customers may inquire about the continuity of receiving your products or services. Employees may be interested in knowing if they can work remotely or if their workplaces will remain operational. Investors may require reassurance regarding the existence of a well-defined plan by the leadership team, ensuring the security of their investments. Suppliers may seek certainty on whether the company will maintain its purchasing activities. Additionally, the industry may be curious about the company’s resilience and potential for growth. These are merely a few possible scenarios, emphasizing the need to thoroughly consider their concerns before addressing them.
Monitor news and events
As a communications and marketing professional, you possess extensive knowledge about your business and industry compared to others within the organization. It is your duty to regularly track competitors’ activities and products, significant events that could directly or indirectly impact your organization, and news related to your executive leadership and immediate partners. This regular monitoring is critical for identifying potential crisis risks. Effective methods for monitoring these risks involve establishing email notifications for news updates, actively following and reviewing social media platforms, and maintaining consistent communication with reporters you regularly collaborate with.
Figure Out How They Get News and Information
The way in which each audience receives information varies. When planning, it is important to consider five different types of content delivery: written, visual, video, audio, and experiential. Additionally, there are various delivery tools to choose from, such as phone calls, meetings, email, social media, text messages, and more. It is crucial to be careful in both developing the messages and selecting the appropriate delivery method.
Engage People with Influence
For effective communication, it is important to have two levels of communication for most audiences, as the leadership team cannot and should not be solely responsible for all communication. Employees often find their job satisfaction is linked to their direct manager, whom they trust and rely on for guidance and support. Consequently, they feel comfortable approaching their manager with questions and concerns that they may not feel comfortable raising in an all-company conference call. Likewise, customers tend to have a strong relationship with their account managers, salespeople, or project managers, whom they trust and know well. These individuals play a crucial role in ensuring that messages are conveyed clearly and consistently, and thus it is necessary to have dedicated communication with them to effectively reach the intended audience.
Create a Cadence
Not all audiences will desire communication on a daily basis; however, it is important to determine the frequency at which messages or conversations should be proactively sent to audiences. For example, certain important investors may prefer to receive daily calls or emails. Some customers may require updates every other day, especially in cases where there are delivery difficulties. Certain employees, particularly managers, may request weekly updates. In times of crisis, when there is a great deal of uncertainty, one thing is definite: people will seek updates. By considering these updates carefully, you will find that you spend less time and effort responding to inquiries and resolving issues.
Debrief and adjust
The final step post-event is often overlooked by many organizations, yet it is equally crucial as the previous steps. Due to the heightened emotions and potential discomfort associated with handling complex communication problems, conducting a debrief can be a challenging task for an organization. However, incorporating a debrief into your initial standard operating procedure (SOP) with well-defined steps can help your team perceive it as an integral part of the process rather than an avoidable burden.
When it comes to communications strategies, optics are crucial. Taking a step back from a situation and reflecting allows for a clearer view of any possible weaknesses or areas for improvement. The most effective way to debrief is to involve the team who collaborated on the strategy and also include individuals in the organization who were directly affected or could gain from knowing more about your processes. As a group, challenge yourselves to pinpoint areas that require adjustments, refinements, and updates to your standard operating procedures (SOPs) in order to be better prepared for future instances where these guidelines may need to be followed.
