The importance of social media in a crisis

Happy New Year all!

So I thought this blog post should be based on an important and very relevant topic. We have all been made very aware of the horror that is going on in Australia with the fires and the human and animal lives that have been lost because of it. 

Lots of social media influencers, celebrities and charities have been raising money and spreading awareness to support Australia at this incredibly tough time. I feel like although social media can be dangerous in certain crisis, for important publicity like this social media is needed. 

I thought I’d discuss the importance of social media in a crisis rather than the negatives because regardless of the crisis, social media can be seen as a way to genuinely communicate with your audience when the going gets tough. 

A more lighthearted example is Fatface, who recently saw that their jumper design caused quite a stir as it looked like boob bunting! Realising this slight mishap, they changed this into a positive experience and decided to donate part of the proceeds to every jumper sold towards Coppafeel, a breast cancer charity. 

It’s important for us as consumers to be talking about important issues that we deem unacceptable and to be engaged in crisis. It’s also important for companies and us as PR professionals/students, to know how to deal with crisis and issues that may come up and communicate efficiently with the public online.

Social media is a powerful voice and can be used to save lives and make the world a better place when used to its full potential. As a PR Student, I think that’s a wonderful thing to be engaged in.

Anyway, I thought I’d keep this post short and sweet and something to think about for the new year! 

Until next time… 

Abi x