Social listening during crises: A practitioner guide for crisis communication on social media

Abstract

Stewart & Wilson (2016) created the STREMII model (pronounced STREAM-ee) as a means to assist institutions and organizations with social media crisis communication using a six-stage cyclical process, including: (1) social listening, (2) targeting audience(s), (3) engaging & responding, (4) monitoring and evaluating, (5) interacting, and (6) implementing changes [1] . Stewart & Young (2017) revisited the model, refining the stages to highlight the need for ongoing social listening and responsive engagement across all levels of crisis [2]. At present, the model is theoretical and applied only within a pedagogical context. In order for the STREMII model to be useful for practical implementation and relevant outside the theoretical and pedagogical contexts, we must develop a practical set of actionable steps for practitioners (crisis communicators and social media strategists). To accomplish this, we surveyed practitioners about the process they engage in listening, interacting and responding to audiences on social media during a crisis, and how they monitor and evaluate their responses and outcomes. The desired outcome of this research is to create a practical set of actionable steps for crisis practitioners and social media strategists, with specific guidelines, considerations and recommendations for adopting the STREMII model and integrating it into existing crisis management plans and social media strategies.