Several of our shopping center clients were affected by Hurricane Harvey last week and are now preparing for Hurricane Irma in the coming days. We know many of you are preparing as well and wanted to share the benefit of our experience in managing social media during crisis periods like this.
Whether a shopping center, multifamily development, mixed-use community or more, here is a simplified Hurricane Social Media Crisis Plan:
- Pause all scheduled social media postings and advertisements.
- Update your website with center statuses and resources for storm alerts.
- Share weather updates from local news sources including text alerts and donation opportunities. (Follow CNN.com for live updates.)
- Share updates from your tenants on store hours, statuses, etc. (If you are a grocery-anchored center, share specific news about hours and supplies.)
- Respond to community questions about parking, center closings and preparedness plans. (Many hurricane tips advise parking vehicles in a parking deck or garage. If your center has a deck, be prepared to answer questions about eligibility. Oftentimes, decks need to reserved for first response vehicles. Consult with your city officials about how your center can be used in their efforts.)
- Reach out to your shopping center community for affected employees and determine how you can help those in need after the storm.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.
Sincerely,
infinitee's Social Media Team