Crisis communication in the digital age

Recently I was asked to run a webinar about crisis communication and how to approach it in the modern era. It was a great way for me to focus my mind on the things I do when faced with an emergency or critical situation. Some of the elements are straightforward, making sure you start communicating and continue right throughout the crisis and even when it has been concluded. But in the digital era there are some aspects that have definitely changed.

Internal communication is now even more important. Your staff need to understand what has happened and what can be said about it. They need to have access to regular updates and know how they can provide help or answer queries about the crisis. As most employees are now using social media if they are kept in the dark they will speculate and create further complications to handling a crisis.