How to make an effective crisis communications plan

How do you make an effective crisis communications plan that helps your organization instead of slowing it down?

Here's what a good one actually includes.

Easy to Find, Easy to Activate.

Your crisis communications plan isn't much use if you can't find it. Your plan should have a home that everyone knows about - a shared folder with access to key personnel. But once you've found it, how do you activate it? There should be a clear, simple activation process that clearly lays out who can activate it, how the team is notified, and the first steps when a crisis hits. 

Clear Roles, Clear Responsibilities, Simple Approvals.

When you think of a crisis communications plan, a lot of people think about messaging and tactics. But a lot of the time, the most important part of a plan is what happens internally. There needs to be clear roles and responsibilities for your team members. Who does what and who needs to sign off. Everyone who has worked on a crisis has seen one go off the rails during an approval process. Your plan should clearly state who has to approve and the amount of time it's expected they need to sign off. 

Social Media Protocol and Process. 

A crisis can live on local or national TV or in news outlets, but eventually every crisis makes its way to social media. A crisis plan should include specific guidance on how your team monitors, responds to, and escalates issues on social media channels. Again, the process can be as important as the messaging. 

A crisis communications plan that covers these three things won't prepare you for everything, but it will keep your team rowing in the right direction.

At Fitler Square Strategies, we help organizations navigate crises, build advocacy campaigns, and communicate when it matters most. If you're facing a challenge or just want to be better prepared for the ones ahead, we'd love to talk. Get in touch or learn more about what we do.