Crises come and go, and many, like the pandemic, can’t even be foreseen. Nonetheless, those that seriously affect the brand, its employees, operations, and leadership can have devastating and long-lasting effects. The acceleration of social media has added to the challenges of crisis communications, an impact that a Pentland Analytics study says has doubled the impact on shareholder value.

The study also found that those companies that responded well saw an average increase in the value of 20% while those that didn’t experience a 30% decrease. In a world where today’s COVID-19 crisis is much bigger than the brand but can have a tremendous effect on its business and operations, it’s highly advisable and not too late to craft and employ a social media crisis management strategy.

In his October 9, 2016 blog about the Baltimore Ravens fourth-quarter loss to the Washington Redskins, former NFL player Dan Birdwell threw in this quote: “You have to play this game just like somebody just hit your mother with a two by four.”

Game or what’s since evolved into gamification perked up again during the pandemic with so many people quarantined at home. Since 1984, companies were urged to use gamification to improve employee engagement and get workers to more clearly define their goals. It was viewed as a novel way to keep score and get more frequent feedback from employees.

There’s a general rule of thumb that people can “learn just about anything” on YouTube – and the entertainment value is high, too. From educational content to silly videos, to elaborate stunts and fun commentary, there’s plenty to experience on the user-generated video sharing site. Recently, though, new and unique topics have been trending on YouTube, underscoring how the platform is both art imitating life and life imitating art. 

Viewers have popularized videos about how to make PPE masks, quarantine lifestyle tips, and fun ways to make it through online education. Meanwhile, reposted content from political leaders related to COVID-19 response are also jumping into the most-viewed videos lineup in a given time frame. In recent remarks to the media, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said her team was monitoring the shift in content and viewership: 

According to some digital media pundits, less than 2% of customers actually make a purchase upon their first visit on a site. This is where remarketing and retargeting come in: both tactics are designed to help businesses reach back to customers who have shown interest in their brand.

That said, it’s easy to confuse the two when devising a digital marketing strategy. Here is a guide to understanding the difference between the two, and advice on how to use these tactics to re-engage with site visitors.

A newsworthy story generates massive pickup throughout the media. ‘Viral’ would be another word that can be used in place of newsworthy.

In the field of Public Relations, there is one cardinal rule; whatever steps you take in creating spin or buzz, it has to be picked up by the press. All the PR in the world won’t do any good unless people get to see it. Here are the five most important traits in ensuring that your PR efforts are reported far and wide

Many people seem to be unaware of the fact that it’s not just Instagram and YouTube where people are able to gain a profit from sharing content. The same thing is also possible on Twitter, as every single account, hashtag, and tweet has an economic market value that anyone is able to calculate.

However, it’s a lot easier to make these calculations for people or accounts that are considered influencers, as they tend to have a higher number of followers, as well as better engagement. As with other social media platforms, the more popular an influencer is, the higher their potential social media-related wages are going to be.

For several years now, the mainstream news channels, including newspapers and TV broadcasts, are no longer the main industries for breaking news stories – especially if it means keeping up with any new developments to those stories in real-time.

All of this is due to the rapid development and increased popularity of social media and has led to traditional media outlets no longer having a monopoly on news and stories. This is especially important for public relations professionals, who used to rely on creating and maintaining relationships with media networks as a way to gain valuable newspaper and primetime TV space. This is no longer the case.

Traditional journalism is dead, just ask the Internet. Except, of course, we know that’s not true, because traditional media – what some like to call Legacy Media – is going strong, maintaining a solid grip on the hearts and minds of millions upon millions of faithful fans and followers.

But what is the role of traditional journalists in the modern age of digital marketing and social media influencers? It’s a strong, vital role, to begin with.