When incidents happen that affect the members of a group or the general public, those in leadership need a diverse array of communication tools at their disposal to respond appropriately.
One platform that can be used among various industries to respond to incidents as they arise, whether large or small, is a private social network, such as Go2s. For groups ranging from community organizations and healthcare agencies to schools and daycares, social media provides a channel for reaching out to members collectively or individually to disseminate important communications.
Using Social Networking for Incident Response
If your community group or organization has created a robust social networking channel, it creates a unified platform for sharing updates and information. Here is how that can translate into effective incident response:
Sending Private Messages
Sometimes incidents only involve one or two parties. If you need to get in touch with a parent or guardian about an incident involving their student, you can reach out to them personally to discuss what happened or to set up a meeting. Even something as simple as letting a parent know their child isn’t feeling well and needs to be picked up can be done with private networking. In the healthcare industry, organizations and professionals can receive questions or inquiries via private messaging on a secure social network.
General Posts and Updates
Go2s also enables community groups and associations to send up-to-date, important alerts to members in their channel. If a large-scale incident occurs, such as a natural disaster or active shooter scenario, you can quickly post details, instructions, and guidelines for your group members. Because the network is private, you have a more controlled response to the incident without information spreading and potentially becoming contorted among the general public. Even when dealing with serious but non-life-threatening incidents faced by schools, associations, and other communities, keeping everyone on the same page is vitally important to managing the negative impact.
Posting Pictures and Files
You can share files, including images and photos, via the library feature on Go2s, which is a useful way for healthcare and social service agencies and community organizations to provide credible, authoritative information to members. Some of these files may be preemptive, including data about what people can expect in the case of an emergency or incident. Other content can be added when a specific event transpires. As you receive guidelines, restrictions, or updates from law enforcement, first responders or other public agencies, you can easily share them within your network. One crucial part of effective incident response is having consistent, credible communication that people can rely on. Being this source of knowledge and information for your group mitigates the risk of them gathering and sharing misconstrued information from other sources.
Monitoring Social Media
One benefit of social media is that it provides two-way communication, which is crucial for incident response. As the administrator of a group or network, you should also monitor the activity of your group members. This gives you an opportunity to not only see how they’re handling the incident, but also actively engage them by answering questions, responding to their posts, and correcting any misinformation being shared.
Developing an Incident Management Plan
In order to utilize your network for emergency response, you need to incorporate a social media strategy into your incident management plan. Some of the key elements to include when communicating via your Go2s are:
- A brief, factual description of the incident that contains pertinent information and only excludes facts that could exacerbate the incident or cause further harm.
- How the incident is being handled, sticking to the basics: who, what, when, and where.
- What temporary processes are in place, such as ongoing security measures, safety mandates, and directives for employees, families, or other group members.
- Information regarding the logistics for returning to normality, including what steps are necessary and the estimated timeline.
Additionally, when using your network for incident response and management, empathy is crucial. Show compassion and understanding for those who are negatively affected. This is especially important when you’re using a small, private network that involves a tight-knit group of individuals or people who are close to one another in meaningful ways. The way that your organization responds will determine whether you remain strong and resilient amid a challenging situation.
Starting a Go2s Network
Go2s offers a variety of features that makes it an effective communication platform for all types of community groups, from educational and cultural institutions to healthcare, social service, and nonprofit organizations. Whether you’re sharing about to day-to-day events and operations or managing a crisis situation, Go2s allows you to foster meaningful collaboration and communication among your members.