If previous major disasters teach us anything about social media, it is that local government and emergency managers must already be engaged within the community on systems like Facebook and Twitter to truly leverage these tools and be the trusted, go-to source when an actual disaster strikes. While many emergency managers have accepted the need to use Facebook and Twitter, many still are unsure how to leverage these tools when "nothing is happening". So, I thought I'd share a few ideas for pre-disaster engagement:
PRE-IDENTIFIED HASHTAGS: Hashtags are one of the primary mechanisms to search and classify information on Twitter. Unfortunately, in most disasters hashtags are complete organic and defined by the crowd. However, there is a new strategy to pre-identify hashtags for use. For example, A few days ago, the City of Houston adopted this very strategy for impending severe weather. They identified hashtags like #powerout, #debris, #hail, and #wind to help filter their social media information.
TWITTER TOWNHALLS: Public gatherings (aka townhall meetings) have long been the standard to engage the general public on topics of interest. However, as the general public becomes more dependent on the availability and time-saving possibilities of technology, physical meetings have become less effective. As a result, there is a growing trend for Twitter Townhall meetings. President Obama utilized this functionality in 2011 as did several emergency management offices looking to engage communities before disasters occur.
STREAMING AND RECORDED VIDEOS: The ability to record a video or stream activity to an online video outlet (ex: Ustream or YouTube) has become nearly ubiquitous with inexpensive technologies and integration with cell phones. But emergency managers are often reluctant to use these technologies for anything more than traditional public service announcement videos. These technologies can be utilized (before the disaster) to introduce local staff, highlight activities, or introduce "behind the scenes" components of emergency management.
