Does your social media strategy have a panic button?

You've done your research and set your goals, and started executing a stellar social media strategy. You're on top of your game and everything is on cruise control ,that you're now indulging in leisurely activities online. But, do you have a panic button?

Oh you think I'm being dramatic? I'm not. Remember when Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley's campaigns sent fundraising emails during the Capitol Riots? In all likelihood, as almost everyone who's ever worked in social media, that this was a case of someone not reacting quickly enough to stop scheduled posts.

Read the room

A social media presence by your brand means that you must constantly be aware of the environment you're in. We do this by preparing things in advance. A somber post on remembrance days, a celebratory post for holidays, and so on.

Then there are events outside of our control and nowhere in our plans. A mass shooting, a plane crash, an earthquake, etc. are all events that we must be able to react to.

This is why you should take the Social Media Panic Button (SMPBv2.2) very seriously. Okay, I just made this up, but it is serious business, unlike what you may have heard, there is very much such a thing as bad publicity.

If you manage multiple channels with different systems, have Panic Button checklist. Where schedules posts are, how to access them and disable them.

Social media bomb disarmed, now what?

Now take a breather and follow the event that promoted pushing the Panic Button in the first place. Also, this would be a great opportunity to check up on your competitors. How are they managing?

It's always difficult to gauge exactly when would be an appropriate time to resume things. There is no easy rule to follow, but social listening can help. This doesn't have to be an overly scientific process. Have a look at any of your more general feeds and you will quickly notice how conversations are returning back to the regular chatter.

As you see that happening, you can return back to your regular programming.