What goes into a crisis communications social media toolkit?

We design crisis communications training and develop a Crisis Communications Social Media Toolkit applicable for all public agency and hospital communicators in the Chicagoland area for The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communication (OEMC) and Northwestern Medicine’s Disaster Management and Community Emergency Preparedness Initiative. 

We ensure communicators at OEMC, Northwestern Medicine, and all partner hospitals and public agencies have access to best practice guidance and a clear and concise toolkit to allow them to confidently respond to the online elements of an escalating issue, incident, or full emergency.

Training consists of three virtual webinars highlighting key aspects of the forthcoming toolkit and giving all communicators from public agencies and the local hospitals a strong foundational understanding of communicating effectively on social media during a crisis. 

A social media toolkit supported by training

The toolkit covers all aspects of a crisis response, including sections on Strategy, Planning, Monitoring, Publishing, Engaging and Evaluating, along with advice on written and visual elements. 

We develop the toolkit in partnership with OEMC and Northwestern Medicine to ensure it meets the needs of all who will be using it.  A New York based PIO reviews the document for an external perspective on its relevance and usefulness.

The toolkit is introduced to communicators via a virtual webinar and Q&A session. It results in communicators at both organizations having a more streamlined and consistent approach to their social media activity during a crisis.