Once a crisis breaks out on social media, you should first identify your influencers as they are most likely to impact the conversation. All people in social and digital are not the same, so make sure you know which people have the ability to shape decisions about your company. Here are the top 10 tips on how to handle a social media crisis.

1. Avoid the information vacuum. Information spreads as soon as it’s available, regardless of its veracity.
2. You can’t have a press conference every other hour; you have to release news in real time.
3. Own your brand in social media before someone else does. People are actively stalking and brand jacking. You should know not only your corporate entity’s brand, but all of your subsidiary brands.
4. A majority of journalists use Twitter for sources. Journalists are getting their news from Twitter in real-time before verifying the source of the story.
5. Make sure to include people, not logos, on your social media accounts. No one wants to engage with a logo, especially in a crisis. We want to talk and hear from someone.
6. Integration is key. It is critical to integrate your crisis communication plan across all channels.
7. Know what you are talking about. Once you lose the credibility, it is really tough to get it back.
8. When you blow it, own up to it quickly.
9. When all else fails, don’t forget humor. When you have really gotten in too deep, the best way to recover is humor.
10. Have clear employee rules and training for social media engagement.