Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Red Cross Adopts Social Media
byThe Red Cross has embraced social media for disaster communications – and it’s a case study filled with ideas for other organizations.
In a Ragan Communications story, a Red Cross communications director describes the progression. Following Hurricane Katrina, in which the local chapter was overwhelmed with calls and questions, the Red Cross developed a news portal for media, victims, employees and other audiences. They initially launched the portal for a local chapter but soon extended it to other disaster response efforts.
The portals have several social media elements: RSS feeds, photo slide shows, podcasts and a blog interface. They are built on the WordPress platform, allowing Red Cross officials to quickly create and launch new sites as disasters occur. Employees and volunteers have been trained to post updates and maintain the portals.
Perhaps the biggest take-away: The Red Cross developed a long-term vision for the portals, but they began with a smaller, pilot-style effort. This helped get the organization’s leaders on board – and allowed them to refine their efforts before extending the initiative. It’s an example of smart crisis communications and great use of a platform like WordPress.
