“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” 
– Benjamin Franklin

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There are a lot of things that we can’t predict in life, but it never hurts to be as prepared as possible. Part of that preparation includes having a thorough crisis communication plan that reaches people effectively. A good communication plan can be the deciding factor between disorganized chaos and a successful recovery from disaster.

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The Importance of Having a Crisis Plan

No matter how well you run your organization, you may still run into an unexpected crisis. A crisis can be anything from a disaster in your community, a major event, to a PR issue. If a crisis does happen, having a plan in place can help you keep your community or staff safe. 

Having a plan of action in place before disaster strikes is ideal so you can get through it as efficiently as possible. 

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Communicating During an Emergency

When a crisis occurs, your messaging needs to be clear, urgent, and up-to-date. You want to avoid making light of serious situations. 

Every organization needs to be able to prioritize communication that is fast, easy, and responsive. That’s where SMS comes to play. Since emergencies can strike at any time and have a significant impact on communities, businesses, and employees, prompt and effective communication is essential. 

Texting can be your best channel to use because it is reaching people directly. It is a critical component of any crisis management and disaster response plan and can help organizations respond to emergencies more effectively.

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Reasons to Adopt Texting in Your Crisis Communication Plan

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It’s Great for Fast Coordination

When disaster strikes, it can take a village of volunteers, donors, first responders, or staff to help resolve it. Texting can help organize those groups during a crisis. It can be used to communicate between different teams or to share information to specific communities. This can help to ensure a more effective response from supporters or those most affected by the crisis.

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It Can Be Used for Specific Notifications‍

Using a texting platform to manage your contacts creates a great bird's eye view of your messages. After organizing your contacts, you can alert employees, customers, or members of the public quickly with specified messages about updates that matter most to them.

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It Allows Updates in Real-Time

One of the biggest pros to texting is that it provides immediate, real-time information, which is critical in a crisis situation. Updates on a situation are reaching people in a more concise and active way than email or site updates. Since it’s also more personal for two-way communication, organizations can respond quickly to replies. 

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It’s Reliable and Accessible‍

SMS is a highly reliable form of communication, with a delivery rate of over 90%. This means that organizations can be confident that their messages will reach recipients. SMS is a simple and accessible form of communication that can be used by anyone with a mobile phone, even in remote areas where other forms of communication may be disrupted. 

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Do you have a crisis communication plan? The time to make one was yesterday. 

When you do start creating procedures and plans, don’t forget to think about the types of text messages you would send for different situations. Texting plays a crucial role in crisis management and disaster response. 

Want to learn more about setting up your SMS campaigns? Reach out to the texting experts here at Prompt.io.