Crisis management is the best way to mitigate the negative impact that it can have on organizations. It is why it is necessary to have a robust plan in place to put into action when such a situation arises.

Public relations will be the department that will be handling the entire situation. However, if you don't have one or your department cannot deal with a crisis, you can always go to a communications firm.

They have all the techniques to handle a crisis. Let's move on to the first few steps that you need to take for effective crisis management.

10 Steps for PR Crisis Management

Below is the step-by-step guide to help your PR team in crisis management. You can follow these steps before, during, and after the crisis is over to prevent it from escalating into something big.

• Step 1- Assess the Crisis Beforehand

Although there is no way to determine the crisis that the company will have to deal with, it is always a good idea to plan. You can discuss with your PR team all the possibilities that can happen.

Upon highlighting all the situations, you can create a Crisis Response Plan. It will be a pathway enabling you to take the appropriate measures to ensure control of the crisis.

• Step 2 - Prepare a Crisis Management Team

When it comes to crisis management, having a team with strong leadership is vital. That is why you need to create a team that includes top executives as well to deal with the situation.

The CEO should lead the crisis management team along with legal counsel and public relations HOD (Head OF Department) as the CEO’s advisers.

• Step 3 - Train your Team

Once you have a team, the next step is to train them to deal with any crisis. Most importantly, you need to identify a spokesperson for dealing with the media and stakeholders. The spokesperson should be confident with impeccable speaking skills to deliver an accurate message.

They need to counter all the questions and clear out any misunderstandings or misinterpretations that arise due to the crisis. If you don't have someone with those capabilities, you can always turn to communication firms for help.

• Step 4 - Understand the Impact of the Crisis

Before sending out any message, it is vital to assess the impact of the crisis. It includes the short-term and long-term effects that the business will face.

Also, you need to look at the damage it will cause to your brand image, business reputation, and the company's financials. You need to consider all of these factors before you take a corporate stance.

• Step 5 - Establish the Protocols of Communication

Communication protocols are an imperative part of crisis management. They are helpful before, during, and after the crisis as well. In case any of the employees find out about a potential crisis, they can inform the relevant person about it beforehand.

Throughout the crisis, the team will know which person to contact in case things are not going according to the plan. Once the emergency is over, you can use the same communication protocols to deliver your employees the message about the situation.

• Step 6 - Reach Out to the Stakeholders

You must take your stakeholders into confidence first before dealing with the media. These people have a stake in the business, and that is why you need to ensure their trust in the company is still there.

Stakeholders can include customers, employees, vendors, lenders, etc. For a private limited company, private investors can be key stakeholders, and for a public limited company, the shareholders are the key stakeholders, which need to be addressed.

• Step 7 - Take a Position and Develop Key Messages to Deliver

One of the most crucial steps in dealing with a crisis is to deliver a message. The message will set the position that your company has on the situation. It will also tell how you will be dealing with it.

When developing the message, it should be addressing the key points and not lead to any further speculations. Also, keep it concise as a long paragraph can open you up to cross-questioning from the media.

• Step 8 - Make use of Social Media Platforms

In the era of social media platforms, news spreads like wildfires. That is what you need to use to your advantage. Making appropriate use of social media will help you deliver your message more efficiently and quickly.

You can identify the effective social media channels you will be using and the hashtags for the situation. All in all, you can leverage the power of social media in your favor.

• Step 9 - Monitor the Situation

Once your message is out, the next step is about keeping an eye on the reaction. With your word out, it is critical to look at the views of the public and other stakeholders regarding your position.

It can take a couple of days for the situation to cool down. There is a possibility that the stakeholders or public are not satisfied with your message. So, you will need to follow up with another press release or a press conference.

• Step 10 - Do a Post-Crisis Analysis

Once the situation is under control and the crisis is over, it is time to sit and do a post-crisis analysis. It will help you identify the mistakes and prepare you for future instances.

The last step is also imperative to prevent any damage due to a mistake during crisis management. You can identify such mistakes and avoid making them again in any future situations.

Wrapping Up

No company is safe from a crisis, and that is why having a strong plan is necessary. Though big brands have to deal with crises more often, small and medium enterprises sometimes have to face the same situation as well.

So, it will be beneficial for the companies to deal with situations effectively to steer them out of the situation without causing a lot of damage. If you feel you don't have the right expertise for crisis management, you can always take the help of a communication firm to deal with it.

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