Sprout Social: Stop Crises Before They Start

Handling crisis communications effectively is essential for any business that wants to maintain its reputation and customer trust. A mismanaged crisis can quickly spiral out of control, damaging your brand and affecting your bottom line. Are you prepared to navigate the storm when a crisis hits?

Step 1: Setting Up Real-Time Monitoring in Sprout Social

The first step in effective crisis communication is to know when a crisis is brewing. This is where Sprout Social comes in handy. Its real-time monitoring tools allow you to keep an eye on brand mentions, industry trends, and potential issues before they escalate. I’ve seen firsthand how early detection can make or break a crisis response; ignoring the warning signs is a recipe for disaster.

Configuring Advanced Listening

To set up real-time monitoring, you’ll use Sprout Social’s Advanced Listening feature. Here’s how:

1. Navigate to the Listening tab in the main navigation menu.
2. Click New Topic.
3. In the Topic Configuration window, enter a name for your topic (e.g., “Brand Crisis Monitoring”).
4. Add relevant keywords related to your brand, products, and industry. Think beyond your brand name: include common misspellings, product names, and related industry terms. For example, if you’re a restaurant in Buckhead, Atlanta, include keywords like “Buckhead dining,” “Peachtree Road,” and competitor names.
5. Specify your sources. Sprout Social allows you to monitor various platforms, including X, Facebook, Instagram, and even news sites. Select the platforms most relevant to your audience.
6. Set Sentiment Analysis to “Automatic” to have Sprout Social automatically analyze the sentiment of mentions.
7. Click Create Topic.

Pro Tip: Refine your keywords regularly. As your business evolves and new issues arise, update your keywords to ensure you’re capturing the most relevant information. Don’t forget to exclude irrelevant keywords to filter out noise. We once had a client whose brand name was also a common word, and the initial monitoring setup was flooded with unrelated mentions.

Understanding the Listening Dashboard

Once your topic is set up, the Listening Dashboard provides a real-time view of mentions. Pay attention to the following:

• Volume: A sudden spike in mentions could indicate a developing crisis.
• Sentiment: Track the overall sentiment of mentions. A shift towards negative sentiment is a red flag.
• Influencers: Identify influential users who are talking about your brand. Their opinions can have a significant impact.
• Themes: Sprout Social automatically identifies common themes in the mentions. This can help you understand the core issues driving the conversation.

Expected Outcome: You should be able to identify potential crises early on, giving you time to prepare a response. You’ll also gain valuable insights into public perception of your brand.

Step 2: Creating Crisis Communication Templates

When a crisis hits, time is of the essence. Having pre-approved templates ready to go can save you valuable minutes and ensure consistent messaging. Sprout Social’s Compose feature makes it easy to create and store these templates.

Accessing the Compose Feature

To create a crisis communication template, follow these steps:

1. Click the Compose button in the top right corner of the Sprout Social interface.
2. Select the social profiles you want to include in the template.
3. Draft your message. Keep it concise, factual, and empathetic. Avoid speculation or blame.

Building Effective Templates

Here’s what to consider when building your templates:

• Acknowledge the issue: Start by acknowledging the problem and expressing concern.
• Provide factual information: Stick to the facts and avoid speculation. If you don’t have all the answers, say so.
• Outline your plan of action: Explain what steps you’re taking to address the issue.
• Offer support: Provide contact information for customers who need assistance.
• Maintain a consistent tone: Ensure your messaging aligns with your brand values.

Example Template: “We are aware of the reports regarding [Issue] and are taking them very seriously. Our team is investigating the matter and we will provide updates as soon as possible. We understand the concern this may cause and are committed to resolving it. For assistance, please contact us at 555-1212.”

Pro Tip: Create multiple templates for different types of crises. A template for a product recall will be different from a template for a social media controversy. Remember to leave placeholders for specific details that will need to be filled in when the crisis occurs. Update these templates quarterly to ensure they are still relevant and accurate. For more on this, see our article on why you can’t ignore social media during a crisis.

Saving and Organizing Templates

To save your template:

1. Click the Save as Template button below the message box.
2. Give your template a descriptive name (e.g., “Product Recall Template”).
3. Organize your templates into folders for easy access. You can create folders by clicking the Folder icon and selecting New Folder.

Expected Outcome: You’ll have a library of pre-approved templates that can be quickly deployed during a crisis, ensuring consistent and timely communication.

Step 3: Deploying Your Crisis Communication

When a crisis hits, speed and accuracy are paramount. Sprout Social makes it easy to deploy your pre-approved templates across multiple social channels.

Selecting the Appropriate Template

To deploy a template:

1. Click the Compose button.
2. Click the Template icon (it looks like a document) below the message box.
3. Select the appropriate template from your library.

Customizing the Template

Before posting, customize the template with specific details related to the crisis. This might include:

• Specific product names or model numbers
• Dates and times of events
• Contact information for specific departments

Warning: Never post a template without customizing it first. Generic messaging can come across as insensitive and damage your credibility. Always double-check your facts and grammar before posting.

Scheduling and Publishing

Once you’ve customized the template, you can either publish it immediately or schedule it for later. To publish immediately, click the Send button. To schedule, click the Schedule button and select a date and time.

Expected Outcome: You’ll be able to quickly disseminate accurate information across all your social channels, minimizing the impact of the crisis.

Step 4: Monitoring and Analyzing Results

Crisis communication isn’t a one-time event. It’s an ongoing process that requires monitoring and analysis. Sprout Social’s Reporting tools provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your crisis communications.

Accessing the Reporting Dashboard

To access the Reporting dashboard, click the Reports tab in the main navigation menu.

Analyzing Key Metrics

Pay attention to the following metrics:

• Sentiment Change: Track how the overall sentiment of mentions changes over time. Did your communications improve sentiment?
• Engagement Rate: Monitor the engagement rate (likes, comments, shares) of your crisis communications. Are people responding to your messages?
• Reach: Track the reach of your messages. How many people are seeing your communications?
• Top Influencers: Identify the influencers who are engaging with your messages. Are they helping to spread your message?

Pro Tip: Compare your crisis communication metrics to your baseline metrics. This will give you a better understanding of the impact of the crisis and the effectiveness of your response. We ran into this exact issue at my previous firm; we didn’t have solid baseline metrics, making it difficult to gauge the true impact of our efforts.

Generating Custom Reports

Sprout Social allows you to generate custom reports to track specific metrics. To create a custom report:

1. Click the Custom Reports button.
2. Select the metrics you want to track.
3. Specify the date range.
4. Click Generate Report.

Expected Outcome: You’ll gain valuable insights into the effectiveness of your crisis communications, allowing you to refine your strategy for future incidents. You’ll also be able to demonstrate the value of your efforts to stakeholders.

Step 5: Refining Your Strategy

The final step in handling crisis communications is to learn from your experiences and refine your strategy. What worked well? What could you have done better?

Conducting a Post-Crisis Review

After the crisis has subsided, conduct a thorough review of your response. Consider the following questions:

• Did you identify the crisis early enough?
• Were your templates effective?
• Did you communicate clearly and consistently?
• Did you address the concerns of your stakeholders?
• Did you learn anything new about your brand or your audience?

Based on your review, update your crisis communication plan. This might involve:

• Revising your templates
• Adding new keywords to your monitoring setup
• Training your team on crisis communication best practices
• Updating your contact list

Common Mistake: Many businesses fail to update their crisis communication plan after an incident. This is a missed opportunity to learn from your mistakes and improve your preparedness. Don’t let complacency be your downfall.

Staying informed and analyzing trends helps you to anticipate future issues.

Staying Informed

The world of social media is constantly evolving. Stay informed about the latest trends and best practices in crisis communication. Follow industry blogs, attend webinars, and network with other professionals. You might also want to ensure your team has had proper media training.

Expected Outcome: You’ll have a continuously improving crisis communication strategy that helps you protect your brand and maintain customer trust. You will also be better prepared to face future challenges.

Effective handling crisis communications in the age of social media requires a proactive and strategic approach. By leveraging the tools and techniques outlined above, you can protect your brand, maintain customer trust, and navigate even the most challenging situations. Don’t wait for a crisis to strike; start preparing today to safeguard your brand’s future and your marketing investment. For more tips, read about turning bad PR into gold.