Since the arrival of the Covid19 pandemic in 2020, companies have become aware that it’s crucial to know how to anticipate, react and adapt to all kinds of situations. The only way to prosper, or even survive. The question remains: how do you communicate in times of crisis?

According to the Larousse definitionThe term “crisis” is defined as “a breakdown in the balance between production and consumption, characterized by a weakening of demand, bankruptcies and unemployment”. It could also be defined as “any event that occurs suddenly, destabilizing an organization, and is accompanied by a strong emotional charge, causing the organization to lose its bearings.” To put it simply, a crisis is an event that can leave your company vulnerable. This is what we experienced with the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

If you want to avoid disaster, you must work to restore your company’s trust and brand image by :

• Anticipating crises and detecting weak signals to better avoid them;
• Mitigating a crisis and reducing any associated financial risks ;
• Learning from the “why of the how”;

For their part, communicators need to develop a crisis communications strategy in line with the intensity of the crisis. You must speak at two points:

• Throughout the crisis: from start to finish, it’s important to keep the various players around you informed about the situation and to reassure them;
• Once the crisis is over: in order to turn the page, a briefing is necessary. This is the time to list the consequences of the crisis, the profits to be made and the lessons to be learned from the ordeal.

To manage your external communications properly, you need to communicate constantly across channels to reassure your customers. You also need to remain contactable throughout the crisis situation, and speak out at the right moment, whether for an official press release or on social networks.

According to Talkwalker, “69% of companies have experienced a crisis in the last 5 years, and 29% have no crisis management team. crisis management. ” Social networks are the perfect tools for managing your crisis communication, which is why it’s essential to anticipate a crisis on the networks to ensure your company is as secure as possible. Today, your website and all your social networks are the best means of communicating during a crisis. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are real assets for staying connected to the outside world. It’s also an opportunity to pass on information about how things are going.