Your social media crisis checklist
In the midst of a crisis, social media becomes a lifeline, connecting people to essential information and providing reassurance. This checklist is designed to equip emergency managers and social media advisors with key questions that ensure their social media response is timely, transparent, and deeply human. By covering critical areas - from team readiness to audience engagement - this checklist will help you build trust, counter misinformation, and maintain meaningful connections when they’re needed most.
Review these questions regularly to ensure your team’s crisis response is prepared, adaptable, and audience-focused.
Want a printable version? Click here for a PDF.
1. Team readiness and access
Do you have a backup plan if your main social advisor is unavailable?
Are passwords securely stored and accessible to essential team members?
Do you have updated contact information for team members and partner social media advisors?
Has your team received basic social media training to step in as needed?
Is your team trained in scenario planning and prepared for future crises?
2. Audience reach and channel strategy
Is your channel mix aligned with where your audiences spend time?
In general, are you aiming to broaden your reach, deepen engagement, or both?
Do you know the key community group admins you can reach out to if needed?
Can you post in community groups or forums like Reddit to expand your reach?
Are you regularly guiding your engaged followers to owned channels (e.g. website, email, app)?
3. Engagement and empowerment
Are team members empowered to take initiative and engage authentically?
Do you have a clear, efficient sign-off process to prevent delays?
Are you encouraging and participating in conversations on your pages?
Do you use user comments as opportunities to deepen connection?
Do you have protocols to guide responses during high-engagement times?
4. Trust-building and community standards
Do you set and enforce community standards for behaviour on your channels?
Do you acknowledge and apologise for mistakes when necessary?
Are you using relatable, empathetic content to reassure audiences?
Are you actively addressing misinformation and guiding audiences to reliable sources?
Do you create a safe, supportive space for people to express concerns?
5. Amplification, monitoring and post-crisis engagement
Do you collaborate with partners and influencers to amplify messages, especially in crises?
Are you clear on how to amplify partner posts during emergencies?
Are you monitoring audience feedback and tracking changes in sentiment?
Are you keeping audiences engaged post-crisis to maintain trust and connection?
Are you providing consistent, educational content to build audience knowledge?