Better #28

Kia ora friend,

Cats truly came into their own during the lockdown, stealing the spotlight with their perfectly timed cameos on Zoom calls. My little friend, Holly, was no exception.

Holly passed away on Sunday after an impressive 17 years of ruling the roost - spectacularly grumpy and undeniably the boss to the very end (classic tortoise shell). We adopted her from the SPCA in London during our OE, and she traveled back with us to New Zealand, settling into life here effortlessly.

Sharing an office with her litter box wasn’t ideal TBH, but Holly more than made up for it. She had a knack for keeping me company in her own little way - patrolling my desk, standing on my keyboard, and (surely on purpose) sprawling across whatever paperwork I happened to be working on.

So here’s to our faithful WFH companions - the cats, dogs, and other beloved chums who distract us, comfort us, and entertain us.

And here’s to my little mate, Holly. I’ll miss her.

Cheers,
Seamus Boyer 👋

Emergencies are when social media can shine brightest - and when the pressure is also highest. Your socials becomes a lifeline, a connection point, and a platform for reassurance, all rolled into one. But to succeed when it matters most, your social media team needs to be prepared, and also free to act.

So here are five things you shouldn’t have to worry about in an emergency (because you’ve already planned, agreed, and practised them). And five things you should be focusing on when crisis strikes.

Five things you shouldn’t have to worry about in an emergency

1. Access and admins

The last thing you want during an emergency is to be locked out of your own channels (this is my nightmare BTW).

• Ensure you have central access to all your accounts, with up-to-date passwords stored securely.

• Spread admin access across a group of trained staff (including managers) to avoid bottlenecks.

• Have a plan for when someone is unavailable - whether they’re on leave, sick, or unreachable.

• Keep a list of contact details for other social media teams in your network. During a crisis, collaboration is critical, and you don’t want to scramble for phone numbers.

2. Your channel strategy

Emergencies aren’t the time to figure out how to reach your audience - you should already know.

• Identify your key platforms and the audiences you serve on each. Can you reach the people who need you most?

• If not, you need to be focusing more on expanding your audience during peace time. This might include starting a new channel to broaden your reach.

• Plan for how you’ll supply information to other pages and groups, especially community-run ones that act as trusted local hubs.

• Build relationships with community admins in advance and keep their contact details handy.

3. Your engagement strategy

Clear rules of engagement help your team connect authentically while managing challenges.

• Set and communicate behaviour standards for your pages. Do you enforce these consistently? If not, start doing so.

• Encourage debate and conversation - these can build trust when handled well. Are you comfortable addressing criticism and difficult questions?

• Invite quieter followers to share their views. Sometimes their insights are the most valuable.

• Own your mistakes. Apologising when you get it wrong can strengthen credibility.

4. Initiative and sign-off

Emergencies demand rapid action. A rigid sign-off process can slow you down, so make sure your team knows where they stand.

• Build a culture where your team feels empowered to act in ways that reflect current platform preferences.

• Allow freedom to tailor messages for different channels, adjusting tone and content based on audience knowledge.

• Clarify the sign-off process ahead of time, so no one is left waiting for approval in a crisis.

• Teams/Slack is better than email for making the process quick and easy.

5. Converting to owned channels

Social media is a valuable tool, but it’s not always the most reliable or direct way to reach people during a crisis.

• Train your audience now to visit your website or use other owned channels for detailed updates.

• Encourage followers to sign up for email, text alerts, or app notifications for critical information.

• Shift your most engaged audiences to these channels where possible - they’ll be invaluable in amplifying your messages later.

Five things you should worry about in an emergency

1. Sharing information

In an emergency, accurate, timely updates are your top priority.

• Be the trusted source people turn to for clarity. Share what you know, even if it’s incomplete.

• Stick to facts and ensure your messages are simple, clear, and actionable.

• Ensure your updates are timely and frequent, even if there’s little new to share. Regular communication reassures your audience that you’re actively managing the situation.

2. Amplifying information

Emergencies demand collaboration. Your role isn’t just to inform but to amplify the right voices.

• Share critical updates from trusted partners, such as emergency services, local government, and utilities companies.

• Know how you intend to share that info - will you like, comment, or share their posts? Will you take the key info out and post it yourself?

• Credit your sources clearly to reinforce trust and encourage others to follow those accounts too.

• Allow room for natural human interaction with other accounts where appropriate.

3. Gathering information

Social media is a goldmine for real-time insights during emergencies - but it means being proactive.

• Monitor comments, direct messages, and mentions for reports of issues, damage, or confusion. This feedback can inform your response.

• Watch community groups for trends or emerging concerns, but validate before acting on anything unverified.

• Share what you’ve learned with the wider response team to ensure your organisation has a solid picture of what’s going on and can respond effectively.

4. Managing misinformation

Misinformation can spread as quickly as the emergency itself. Tackling it effectively is critical to maintaining trust.

• Monitor your channels for signs of misinformation, whether it’s in comments, messages, or shared posts.

• Correct inaccuracies quickly and politely, without escalating tension. State the facts simply and provide links to reliable sources.

• Be proactive. If you anticipate confusion or common myths, address them preemptively with clear, authoritative messaging.

5. Relating and reassuring

In emergencies, your audience isn’t just looking for updates - they’re looking for connection as well.

• Be human in your responses. Show empathy for those affected, acknowledge fears and frustrations, and offer reassurance where you can.

• Keep your tone warm and approachable, but always professional. Balancing care with authority builds trust.

• Don’t shy away from humor or levity when appropriate - it can help ease tension and bring a moment of comfort, but only when it feels natural and respectful.

In an emergency, all eyes are on your channels. While these moments are undeniably challenging, they also present powerful opportunities to build trust and inspire positive action.

By planning ahead - securing access, defining clear strategies, and empowering your team - you free yourself to focus on what truly matters during a crisis: sharing vital information and supporting your community with empathy and care.

That’s it for today, I hope you enjoyed it.

The information above is based on a workshop I gave at the New Zealand EMPA conference earlier this month. Shout out to all the wonderful, passionate people I met there.

I also created a simple social media crisis checklist, which you can find below 👇

See you in two weeks for more tips on how to get a little bit Better, and the final edition before I take a summer break 👋