Congratulations on completing module 3. Here are the highlights:

skills to prepare key messages for communicating the crisis
compiled a list of effective bridging phrases
identified simple steps to build confidence in an interview

Now it's time to move onto module 4.

Work your way through the following sections.

The principles for using social media are the same as every other channel: have clear communications objectives and defined target audiences for each of your social channels. Know what you want to say, how you will say it and when you will share it.

But what will you do when things go bad on social media and people publicly criticise your actions?

Module 4 will help you to:

identify the most appropriate social media channels for your business
prepare key messages and visual materials (photos, tiles) suitable for social media
identify tools to respond to good supportive comments and manage bad public comments and trolls.

Open the worksheet, Simple tips for social media. This worksheet introduces ways to avoid the pitfalls and maximise the benefits of social media. Use the checklist to assess your key messages and intention for sharing a post on socials.

Crisis comms social media lady sitting at table working on a laptop

Case study

Watch: Lemontree Feedlot’s experiences with social media and their advice when thinking about the role it can play for you.

Scenario exercise

Introduction: Setting the stage

A scenario exercise is a commonly used discussion-based activity, using a relevant situation that may occur within a designated timeframe.

Participants are expected to have some familiarity with the situation being tested or the plans being exercised. Participants may include farm owners, key personnel, stakeholders, external facilitator, industry association contacts or extension officers.

Here we nominate a hypothetical scenario based on a common agricultural threat or risk. We use the Toolkit worksheets to test, exercise and improve the response to the situation.

Preparation for the exercise is as important as the exercise itself, as participants need to be aware of what is required of them before, during and after the exercise. To set the stage, topics for a pre-exercise briefing may include:

aims, purpose and objectives
roles and responsibilities of each participant during the exercise
information, communication tools and technology to be used
action in the event of unforeseen circumstances
post-exercise de-brief and actions arising from the exercise.

Use the scenario exercise to integrate lessons into the worksheets. For example, refining your key messages, adding names to the key contacts list or using the risk matrix to identify the likelihood and consequence of this specific hypothetical situation occurring in your farm business.

Source: Good Practice Guidelines, The Business Continuity Institute/The BCI Forum Limited. Published 2017.

Hypothetical scenario: Spray drift and urban encroachment

Insect pressure in your orchard is on the rise and your need to spray the crop urgently before it impacts fruit quality. The forecast is for clear and calm weather early the next morning, so you prepare to spray. Ideally it would be good to start at 5am, but there have been complaints from the nearby peri-urban subdivision about the noise of farm machinery, so you wait until 7am.

It is breezier than forecast, and while this makes you a little uncomfortable, you are reasonably confident that you are safe to proceed. As the morning progresses the breeze is gusty at times, but you don’t feel this from inside the tractor cabin. A week later you get a call from the paper – your neighbour has complained that your insecticide has killed the beneficial insect population, which will result in poor pollination. The journalist has also interviewed the nearby blockies who allege the spray drift has affected their breathing. You look on social media, and your page has been bombarded with abuse and threats.

What is your response?

Refer to the crisis response action plan to answer:

What are my immediate actions?
Who do I need to call – either for advice, support or to disclose information?

Refer to the Interview preparation worksheet to answer:

Will you do the interview? If so, why?
What is your communications objective?
Who will be the spokesperson for your family / business?
Who are your target audiences?
Will the local paper reach these audiences?
How do you want to be portrayed in the story and what will you do to achieve this? (E.g., a villain, caring, dismissive, angry etc.)

Refer to the simple tips for social media and answer the following questions:

How do you choose to use social media in this situation?
What channels (if any) will you use?
What is your key message?
Will you respond to comments from the public?
Are there other stakeholders who can provide support for you through their channels (e.g., farmer associations etc.)?

Real-life lessons

Following the rules doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be perceived as causing harm.
Emotional triggers in the story – age of victims, sentimental connections to plants, poisons travelling on the wind.
The corporate and emotionally distant language disconnects the chemical company from the audience and plays to stereotypes about ‘big bad corporations’ not caring about the innocent little guy.
The word ‘if’ - the language used to describe correct chemical use still retains a level of risk, causing doubt and fear among some readers.
What’s left unsaid – if it’s harming plants, can it harm people too?