Social Media & Disasters

Photo of flooding from Hurricane Irene

Social Media & Disasters

HOW AMERICANS USE SOCIAL TOOLS DURING EMERGENCIES

American Red Cross

24% of Americans would use social tools to tell people they are safe.

1 in 5 would try an online channel if they were unable to reach EMS.

80% expect emergency responders to monitor social sites.

One third expect help to arrive within an hour of posting a need to a social site.

THOUGHT: WOW.

These numbers speak volumes about what Americans expect out of social tools overall. Is it even realistic for them to  expect emergency personnel to monitor social sites for signals of distress?

Are we expecting more than social tools can deliver?

Another interesting aspect of how people react to disasters is through search. Like for other forms of news, people turn to search engines to learn more about disasters.

As news breaks, they will search using general terms that describe the breaking news story. As the disaster story plays itself out, they will search for ways to help by searching using keywords about the disaster coupled with “Fund” or “Relief.”

Understanding the evolution of search behavior over the course of a disaster has important implications for those providing information about survivors, for example, and, obviously, for those raising money to meet the needs of the aftermath.

Search optimization tactics should be built into disaster scenario planning.

WATCH how search behavior unfolded during the Haiti earthquake of January 2010.

 

(Hat Tip to Liz Kitt. )

FOLLOW FRIDAY: Tunheim’s own brand strategist & creative director, Pat Milan

 

Thank you for coffee. Good coffee.

 

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