What do Subway, Habitat, Associated Press and HMV all have in common?

Answer, they each weren’t prepared for a social media crisis they themselves caused or fell foul of not responding to consumer feeling/feedback.

Subway is the latest in a sadly never ending line of brands and organisations that have fallen foul of social media backlash and do not have clear procedures and guidelines when a social media crisis arises. This month’s anonymous flash poll from the DMA is looking to see what percentage of marketers feel they are prepared to handle a social media crisis if it hit tomorrow.

Being prepared when it comes to social media responses is not only sensible but also a key way of selling in social media in the first instance. Step one is usually having a response procedure (sometimes referred to as an “engagement matrix”) should the worst happen – however due to the speed at which things change, having an update policy is also required.

Be it Twitter, Facebook or Google+ each carries a risk as well as a reward – the question is how prepared do you feel?

By DMA guest blogger Paul Armstrong, Founder of Digital Orange Consulting and DMA Social Media Council member