Social media crisis prevention done right
Not long ago we wrote about the U.S. Navy making use of social media for crisis management and community building. Now, we’ve got another great example of social media policy from their counterparts at the U.S. Air Force. “Navigating the Social Network” is a comprehensive document that serves to educate and inform about the proper use of social media. The slick PDF contains guidelines for everyone from Airmen:
In general, the Air Force views personal social media sites positively and respects your rights as Americans to use them to express yourself. However, by the nature of your profession, you are always on the record and must represent our core values. When you engage via social media, don’t do anything that will discredit yourself or the Air Force. Use your best judgment because your writing can have serious consequences.
…to their families:
Don’t give criminals a chance to get your information. Be careful of the personal details, photos and videos you post to your profile on social networks. It’s highly recommended that you set privacy settings so that only “friends” can see specifics. Even after establishing privacy settings, don’t assume your information will remain private; there’s no guarantee. Always use common sense: For example, don’t inform potential criminals you’re going out of town!
“Navigating the Social Network” also covers several other common pitfalls of social media, and includes tips on protecting operations security and preventing social engineering scams. It also provides guidelines for analysis, and procedure for using social media during a crisis, including real world examples like the recent tsunami in Japan.
If every corporation created a social media plan of this quality…well, we’d have a lot less fodder for this blog! Being informed and prepared before crises strike is the key to managing them well, and by ensuring that airmen and their families see this document, the Air Force has drastically cut down on its risk of encountering a social media crisis.
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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training, and co-host of The Crisis Show. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]