It’s never too early to start crisis communication planning for 2019.

To help get started, the GroundFloor Media  team of crisis communications experts put together the following 10 tips to consider during a crisis: 

1. Timing is Crucial. The speed of a crisis can be overwhelming. You have to react immediately or you will remain stuck behind the story.
2. Be Honest and Open. It’s better to hear bad news from you than from the media. Never underestimate people’s capacity for forgiveness.
3. Don’t Forget Employees. There is no greater community ambassador than an employee. Treat them like other valued audiences.

1. Have a Plan and Test it Regularly. Nothing makes a crisis easier to handle than having a set of processes and messages in place.
2. Your Plan is Just a Starting Point. Even the best plans have to be customized to a degree on the fly for the specific crisis.
3. Social Media has Changed Everything. The ability for one or two disaffected customers to get attention has never been greater, not to mention viral advocacy campaigns that can damage business and ongoing reputations. Figure out who is monitoring and if or how to respond on all social media platforms.
4. Go Where the Conversations are Happening. You don’t control where people talk about you, and you have to go where they are.
5. It Isn’t Personal to Media. Media cover a crisis because they think it is a good story, not because they have a vendetta against you.
6. A Crisis is Like a Boxing Match. Even if you win, you are going to hurt for a little while.
7. You’re Never Sorry Later for Having Taken the High Road. Crises can be emotional, but try hard to keep it in perspective.

If you need help creating or updating your crisis communication plan, please contact us at crisis@groundfloormedia.com.