In the first nine months of 2015, wildfires destroyed more than 300,000 acres of parched California brush and timber. As one community after another was impacted, victims increasingly turned to social media in order to obtain and share real-time information and help those confronting fires to find essential resources.
In recent years, many REALTORS® have learned the importance of dedicating a portion of their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and other social media bandwidth to benefit communities and families in crises. The following tips are designed to help leverage your social media efforts and ensure they make a difference the next time your community experiences a significant crisis:
1. Plan your approach in advance. It’s important to come up with a basic social media communication plan before the next crisis strikes. First, identify which social media outlet you will use. Even though you may employ multiple platforms in your daily marketing, you may want to consolidate your communications into one venue that will presumably reach and help the most people.
2. Determine relevant and useful information. In your plan, list the types of information your audience may need and determine where to find that information. Local, county and state agency web and social media sites are a natural place to begin. In some cases, you may be able to sign up in advance to receive emergency notifications you can pass on as needed. Local governments, police and fire departments, CAL FIRE and other organizations use social media to communicate critical information on weather conditions, areas impacted, and evacuations. CAL FIRE, for example, distributes fire updates directly to cell phones, maintains an official Facebook page and distributes information via Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest and Flickr. Sharing these official communications will likely be your first priority.
3. Avoid gossip and hearsay. Accurate information can be hard to come by in the early stages of a disaster, and it may be tempting to Tweet or post information picked up anecdotally. Remind yourself that gossip and misinformation can lead to additional damage and confusion, and be sure to stick to the facts.
4. When possible, publish official updates. The most valuable information is accurate and complete information. Try to attach the full text of announcements and updates rather than communicate the essence in 140 characters or a Facebook post. CAL FIRE and InciWeb provide detailed and frequently updated status summaries, including road and area closures along with resources deployed to each event.
5. Consider setting up a disaster-specific Facebook page. There may be enough information shared on a specific topic to warrant a separate social media page or Twitter hashtag addressing that need. The Facebook page, Rough Fire Lost & Found Livestock & Pets, was created to bring together people, pets and livestock lost during evacuations. More than 300 area residents used the site to track down lost or injured animals and reunite them with their owners.
6. Be prepared to transition to recovery efforts. Once the fire has been dowsed or flood waters have receded, the recovery effort begins – and a whole new group of organizations, such as FEMA and the Red Cross, will benefit from your sharing of timely and accurate information. Again, you may want to consider creating a Facebook page or Twitter hashtag to address a specific audience or need. For example, one social media user created a page focusing on fund-raisers benefitting firefighters who lost their homes to fire.
7. Watch out for scams. Disasters can bring out the best, and unfortunately the worst, in people. Be careful to avoid passing on requests for donations from individuals or groups with whom you are unfamiliar. Instead, encourage donations to the Red Cross or other well-known charity groups that provide disaster assistance.
The use of social media during times of crisis can help mitigate disaster and bring communities together in new and different ways. With thoughtful planning, REALTORS® can play a key role in helping communities survive and recover from whatever disasters may come their way.