Every business, small or large, operates in the society. Hence, it is accountable for its actions and subject to diverse public opinions. Whether it is the internal stakeholders like employees, suppliers, and directors or external participants like customers, these opinions shift rapidly when a crisis strikes. The way you manage the aftermath has a significant impact on their direction.
So, it is crucial to stay prepared always. For this, employ experts for crisis communication planning. They manage the situation in a controlled manner by guiding to the positive aspects. Such a proactive approach must get backed by research. It helps in manoeuvring the public opinion in the right direction to protect business reputation. Here are some of the ways to do it:
Appoint right messengers
A spokesperson plays an important role while communicating a crisis. While choosing the higher executives for this is common, it is not always the right approach. It makes the response seem planned or even fabricated. Instead, analyse the situation and appoint responsible leaders to speak. As they are more informed about the issue, their word offers better credibility. You should test how this works out by addressing a small group first.
Personalise the response
It is essential to identify the target audience while communicating. This is because what may interest an employee does not apply to customers. So, using uniform communication is not the right strategy. Address what matters to different stakeholders to plan out the response accordingly. Public opinion research helps with this. It gives you the data needed to gauge the diverse interests.
Acknowledge consequences
When a crisis occurs, it impacts both you and the stakeholders. Therefore, it is only fair you address their issues first. Doing this automatically lifts your reputation as it shows that you care. Make sure your momentary downfall does not impact the people associated with the business. For this, analyse the situation from their point of view. Get their opinion by conducting conferences and meetings.
Use proper channels
Like deciding the right messenger and response, choose the right platform. Public opinion polls assist in making this decision. Your primary plan should focus on identifying the most used channels. It enables you to leverage them for effective crisis communication planning. It also helps spot the sources of criticism to nip the problem in the bud. The research for this should involve constant monitoring to see the impact of your efforts.
Besides these practices, it is essential to respond quickly to control the audience sentiments.