How to Make Crisis Communication Management a Snap via SMS Text Messaging

In this age of various communication channels, SMS is still the simplest and most effective communication channel during emergencies.

It's made even more relevant by the time factor in mobile communication — an SMS message reaches the recipient in seconds; email takes a minute or less, Facebook and Twitter several minutes, and SMS alerts may take only seconds.

This may help for critical situation response and enable life-saving messages to reach people without delay.

Crisis communication is a very vital part of every business because it shows how quick and competent a company is in handling disasters. And with the help of SMS text messaging, everything can be handled quickly.

In today's article, I'll share how you can improve how your business responds during emergencies through SMS text messaging.

The Role of SMS in Crisis Communication

A crisis can strike at any time, and many businesses can be caught off guard without a plan in place. That is when SMS comes in handy.

SMS has become an important tool in crisis communication because it works on all mobile phones regardless of location or network type.

It can also be used as an effective way to reach out to people who are unable to access the internet or social media, such as those in remote areas.

It also allows organizations to reach their target audience directly with messages that contain key information about urgent situations.

The role of SMS in crisis communication is to enable a quick and easy way for people to get information and alerts on their mobile phones.

SMS is one of the most reliable forms of communication. It's also one of the most overlooked. In fact, 82% of text messages are read within 5 minutes making SMS the ultimate communication channel during emergencies.

Advantages of SMS During Emergencies

Text messages are more personal than email, and are often received faster than phone calls or email. This may be especially true in times of crisis when people are overwhelmed by the volume of information coming their way.

The advantages of crisis communication text messaging include:

• Immediate: Text messages are delivered instantly, giving people access to information they need in real-time.
  
• Secure: Messages are encrypted and delivered directly to users' phones using their phone numbers. The messages don't pass through any third-party servers, making them more secure than email or social media posts.
  
• Location-based: Users can opt-in to receive location-based messages that notify them when they have entered an area affected by an emergency (such as a flood warning).
  
• Short and simple: Text messaging is short and simple, which makes it easy for users to read quickly, decide if they need help, and respond accordingly.
  

In addition to being more reliable than other forms of communication, text messages are also more cost-effective.

This makes SMS ideal for sending your customers urgent messages such as warnings or instructions on how to avoid emergencies.

How to Write an Effective Crisis Communication Text Message

You don't have much time.

That's the first thing to consider when writing a crisis communication text message.

If your organization is facing a crisis, there are likely many people who need to hear from you immediately. And those people probably have phones in their hands and are looking for answers.

The message should be short, and it should not include any extraneous information. You don't want to confuse anyone or make them read more than they need to read.

Here are some tips for writing an effective crisis communication text message:

• Keep it short and sweet

Your message shouldn't be more than a few sentences long, if possible. People might not have time to read long messages, especially if they're in an emergency themselves.

• Be honest and transparent (but not too much)

People appreciate honesty but they don't always appreciate being told everything they might want to know about what's going on behind the scenes of their organization's response efforts during a crisis.

• Use simple language

Don’t use jargon or acronyms that only your staff would understand. People need to know what they should do in an emergency, so make sure everyone understands what your message means by using plain language at all times.

• Include instructions

Be clear when it comes to instructions. In emergencies, people are quick to act, so tell people how they can help themselves.

• Offer additional resources

Let them know that if they need more information, they can call or access it online using a link provided in your text message or direct them to an existing website that has more details on the situation.

Use Cases for Texting in Critical Situations

We have already talked about the importance of text messaging during crisis communication. But in today's world of digitalization, what is an emergency?

Let's break down some use cases when businesses can effectively and quickly communicate with their customers to inform them about the crisis.

• Business is suffering from a cyber-attack or ransomware

Customers need to know that their data was encrypted and there is no way to recover it until the hackers decrypt it for money. You can also send out a list of effective ways to protect against further cyber-attacks. This way, you will be able to save your reputation and avoid losing customers due to your mistake.

• Your website is down

You can send out a text message with information about how long it will take to fix things, as well as links to other channels where they can get updates or find more information (email newsletter, social media accounts).

• A terrorist attack

An attack took place near you or at one of your locations, and people need information about what happened and whether it’s safe for them to come back home yet or not.

• Weather alerts

Whether it's a hurricane or tornado, weather alerts can be sent out via text message to keep people safe and informed. This could also be used for other natural disasters like earthquakes or floods.

• Service interruptions

When there is a service interruption or other problem that affects your business, sending out a text message can let customers know what's going on and how long it will take before service returns to normal.

Final Thoughts on Using SMS in Crisis Communication

With the increased availability of mobile phones around the world, SMS is becoming a preferred means of communication among many. With it, we can better control crises and communicate with our customers while they are on the go.

The use cases described in this article are just a few examples of how businesses can make effective use of SMS during emergencies and crises.

The above considerations will help you toy with the idea of using SMS for crisis communications in your business. However, there are no hard and fast rules in crisis management, nor is there a fail-proof way to deal with every crisis by implementing a single template.

At the end of the day, it is your experience that will matter during your next crisis, coupled with a good knowledge of available channels and their pros and cons.