The media is a very powerful thing, especially today, when we have the Internet, which can spread information in an instant. If your business has to deal with the media in any format, the greatest of care must be taken. A single Tweet can ruin a reputation - we all know that bad news travels much faster than good – and with that in mind, here are a few tips on how best to handle the media.
Dealing With A Crisis
While we all hope never to experience a business crisis, they do happen, and how you deal with it could be the difference between success and failure. If you take a look at Insignia crisis communications planning, you can see that it really is important to handle any crisis in the correct manner. Ideally, you should assess all potential risks and put together carefully worded communications that would be used in the event a crisis should occur.
Making Comments
The digital age has brought us many good things, yet a single Facebook or Twitter comment could cause your business serious issues. It is always a good idea to have another person check any online comments prior to posting, as this could help to avoid a real crisis. Things can easily be taken out of context, and many people in the public eye have commented on something, only to find that their words were taken in the wrong context, which could be potentially disastrous for a business. There are many celebrities who have regretted a social media post they made in the heat of the moment. You should carefully consider every single comment that is made to any form of media.
Hire A Public Relations Specialist
Having a Public Relations expert in your team can prove to be invaluable, and this person’s role would involve proofing every single press release, as well as formulating a plan that will boost the company’s image. The PR person is responsible for ensuring that all media communication is suitable, as they monitor every aspect of the company’s image, and having such a person in your team could avert a media crisis.
Crisis Management Planning
There are specialist companies that help their clients to formulate a crisis management plan, which would include press releases and other forms of communication. Rather than simply responding to an incident that could be potentially disastrous when it happens, you can put an effective plan into place that covers external communication. There are many aspects to crisis management, and one is how a company responds to the media in any given situation. If you call in a third-party expert, they can help you to formulate a crisis management plan that covers every scenario.
Manage the Media
Knowing how to respond to specific situations could potentially save your company’s reputation. By following the above advice, you can certainly limit the damage caused to your business in the event of a public relations crisis. A business reputation that took many years to achieve, could be destroyed in minutes, should the wrong response be given to a specific incident, and you should take steps to ensure that all communications are of a positive nature.
