Can social media keep you safe from disasters? It’s not surprising so many people use social media in crises such as floods, communication from emergency responders to the public during disasters. Social media benefits emergency management as well as the public. The popularity of social media platforms has changed forever the way in which people communicate. Today, social media starts to play a crucial role in disaster relief efforts. Facebook is one giant example.
Leveraging Your Social Media Account During Emergencies
The social media movement has expanded the number of people we can reach and connect with on a personal level. The new relationships and connections we create with people all over the world can have a profound effect on our personal and business growth. We learn about cultures and nations that we were, perhaps, previously ignorant of. None of this is a new concept, but what maybe is how quickly you can destroy your business by using social media incorrectly.
The emergence of various social networking sites has had a huge impact on how employers and job seekers find each other. If you want your job search to be a successful one, then you have to take advantage of the social media. But how are you actually supposed to do that? Facebook has launched Safety Check, a tool that will help users let family and friends know they’re safe, check on others in the affected area.
Facebook Launched Safety Check
‘Emergency Management on Social Media’
Preparedness is the most challenging phase of implementing and sustaining a social media presence. A lot of effort and resource is required to build up a strong network of ‘fans’ to enable you to reap the benefits during the Response and Recovery phases. You will not gain a strong fan base just by creating a social media account or profile. Think about when, where and how you will promote your presence, and consider the different stages of calamity.
How to use Facebook’s Safety Check Tab in Case of Emergencies
- Establish connections with partners and local organizations you already know.
- Publicise your presence in press releases, and place links to your social media sites on your main website.
- Provide regular updates on interesting activities.
- Establish connections and strategy with other responders.
- Initiate conversations with your audience, encourage feedback.
- Retweet others and ask others to retweet your own messages.
- Use popular hashtags. Ex. #SOS
- Participate in other sites emergency posts.
Social Media As Your Emergency Kit During Disasters
This may be the one time when you want to ignore that good advice. Social media has come of age, once people laughed at it, but now they are using it to look for areas where they can find shelter. The advantage of these networks over the traditional cell phone has been obvious. These events have taught us a lot about how people use Facebook during disasters and we were personally inspired to continue work on the disaster message board to incorporate what we’ve learned.
Final Words
Social media is vital to the safety and security of our families, friends, and colleagues and I’m happy we have them. Of course, some social media users send out “fake news,” including giving out false “emergencies” and sending police to locations that don’t exist. Some even called for evacuations in places that weren’t in danger. Luckily, that is why Facebook sets out to create a simple and easy-to-use tool that allows people to connect with their network of friends and family when it matters most.
