Crisis Communications Series, Part 4: in real time: Four benefits of using loyalty strategies
College Sports Information Directors of America
Chris Syme, CoSIDA's New Media/Technology Committee Chair who has done extensive consulting work in crisis and strategic communications, will be producing a series of pieces from her upcoming 
e-book - Listen, Engage, Respond - on using social media in a crisis.
The first in the series is below.
Social media is not only the vehicle that carries your messages in a crisis, it can also be the tool that helps build a loyal fan base that can help shield your organization or business in a crisis.
Developing loyal fans builds social capital, and social capital can come to your aid in a crisis (see Jeremiah Owyang’s research on social readiness, slides 9-10).
There are several benefits of developing engagement strategies that complement crisis strategies:
- Build a corps of invested ambassadors that will advocate for your brand in the event of a crisis
- Identify and cultivate goodwill conversations with key influencers and watch dogs who can extend your reach in a crisis
- Develop working relationships with media representatives in the social space
- Develop an experienced social media strategy and staff before crisis hits so the brand won’t appear a novice or “pretender” in the social space in the event of a crisis. Communities don’t mind doing you the favor of advocacy in crisis if you have nurtured the relationship already.
Engagement isn’t a strategy just for sales and customer service. Specific engagement strategies designed to build loyalty can help you build a community of advocates that will come to your aid in a crisis. Are you incorporating loyalty strategies into your social media plan?
An excerpt from the upcoming e-book, Listen, Engage, Respond.