Twitter
May
10
Crisis Management In the Face of Social Media
May 10, 2009 | Tagged crisis management, social media, twitter | Leave a Comment
Twitterpated was a concept introduced to me courtesy of Walt Disney in the animated flick “Bambi” some 15 years ago. In the age of social media the term has taken on a totally separate meaning.
Twitter is increasingly becoming a titan in the PR game with many organizations using the social network to strengthen corporate images. Just like blogging took center stage at its development, Twitter is holding its own against the ever-prevalent social networks like Facebook and MySpace.
Crisis management in the face of the developing social media culture is beginning to get more complicated as cyber-savvy individuals are hopping online at every chance to tweet or blog about some organization’s misstep.
Last month, multiple major public companies fell under fire as social media created a fire out of a spark. By neglecting the reaction of social media, companies faced an even worse situation than they had started with. As the Los Angeles Times reported, the twittersphere created a vacuum with tweeters filling the silent void with threats, criticism and petitions against the company.
Corporate industries are currently at a place where attention needs to be paid not only to traditional means of media but also the new wave of social media. The increasing use of social media has presented itself as a front-runner in the face of the ever-changing game of PR.
Social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace will not be going away at anytime in the future. While there are new networks popping up everyday it is crucial for companies to get on track and become twitterpated with new technology.
- Ricki McCarroll