| Communicating with speed and accuracy during a crisis is crucial. Social media have changed how crisis communications are performed. Social media is not a replacement, but an integral addition, to other methods of communication in the crisis communicator's toolbox, delivering crisis information to a large group almost instantaneously.;University relations professionals surveyed in this study perceived that they used communications media and tools allowing for almost instantaneous communication with students, but the media and tools they chose did not necessarily include social media. The media and tools they most frequently used were the university's website, text messages, and emergency notifications through phone or text. Of these methods, all allowed university officials to retain control of messages from composition to delivery. IT infrastructure and wireless connectivity were perceived as important for communicating with students during a crisis.;Although, university relations professionals did not rate social media high regarding perceptions of use or effectiveness, they responded positively to statements that social media were effective for communicating with students on a daily basis and during a crisis.;A Social Media Model for Crisis Communications and recommendations for best practices are presented in this study building on the idea that social media can be used in crisis communications to reinforce and refer messages redundantly. Emergency preparedness information, posted on the university's emergency information page, becomes the home page during a crisis.;Emergency alerts are repeated on email, text and voice alerts, and social media referring individuals to the university's website for additional information. As heavy users of social media, students will pass information to their social network interpersonally or through social media, creating a snowball effect where the messages spread quickly and in their unadulterated form.;Crisis information is hosted redundantly through the university's website and the various social media. If the university's IT infrastructure fails, information is still available through social media at little to no additional cost. |
