get the word out! tips for using social media and your website for crisis communications

Get the word out fast!Tips for using social media

and your website for crisis communication

A case study:Oregon Secretary of State

Jacqueline Sowell | Social Media and Web Strategist | 4/3/2014

Event: SoS IT staff take applications off-line for emergency maintenance.• Only the agency website is up and running.• Online Central Business Registry, UCC look up,

business name search, voter registration and campaign finance database, to name a few, are unavailable until situation is resolved.

Challenge: How do you keep customers informed?• Customers still need to get things done: – Register a business.– Document campaign finances.– Conduct a business name search.

Emergency Response Protocols

Formulate communications response plan in advance.

Be Bold: Get the Word Out Fast

Proactively Meet Customer Needs

Corporation Division SubsiteElections Division Subsite

Evolve Message As Conditions Change

Early February

Mid February Late February

Use Social Media

• Announcements.• Updates.• Pointers to more information.• Answer questions.

What’s Hot on Social Media?

Monitor discussion on social media.• Set up keyword

searches.• Report on trending

topics to leadership.• Determine customer

questions/concerns.

Engage on Twitter and Facebook

• Offer options for customerservice: phone, fax, email.

• Provide self-service options using data.gov.– Business name search.– UCC look up.

• Monitor and address trending topics.– Respond to concerns.– Add answers to FAQ.

Be Responsive

• People want to be heard, get answers and receive customer service.

• Jump into both positive and negative threads.

• Remain polite and helpful.• Don’t argue. Stop

responding to contentious comments after offering information.

Be Approachable

• Acknowledge the inconvenience.

• Apologize.• Leave others to defend the

agency.

Post Answers to Common Questions

• Publish FAQ to website and update it regularly.• Provide FAQ URL on social media, website and blog.

Frame the Narrative

Be Transparent: Blog it

Give Customers a Way to Receive Updates

• Identify key end-user groups.

• Provide email list subscription options.

• Promise to inform them when the application is back online.

1235 people signed up for ORESTAR updates

Reach out to affected customers

• Consider hiring a company of trusted security experts to contact customers whose data may have been compromised.

• Give input into the initial outreach letter.

• Review the script for their call center.

Elevate Crucial Information

Example: Temporary Rule for Voters’ Pamphlet Submissions• Posted to Elections landing

page.• Added to Elections page

listing elections rules.• Rule text posted as PDF

because rule wasn’t published in Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR).

Monitor Analytics and Publish Reports

Keep communications team and leadership apprised.

Questions?

Jacqueline SowellSocial Media and Web StrategistOregon Secretary of State

jacqueline.sowell@state.or.us | gotsowell@gmail.com | @gotsowell