Why you need to pause your social media in times of tragedy

Crisis and tragedy will happen. It is a sad fact of life. It is our job as social media managers to know when and when it’s not appropriate to post social media content.

Avoid appearing insensitive

First and foremost, when posting content during a national, regional or even local tragedy that is unrelated to the situation your brand will appear insensitive. There is a time and place to promote your brand. Times of tragedy are not this time.

Ask yourself what are you contributing to the conversation

Sometimes you might feel inclined to make a comment or offer condolences during times of tragedy. I encourage you to take a step back before posting and consider what you are contributing to the conversation, and if it’s necessary. Also ask yourself, does this statement make the most sense to be coming from your brand or should it instead come from your personal profile.

Oftentimes brands will receive backlash for empty words. Pride month is one example where we see brands create rainbow profile pictures to show their support but users are quickly to point out and question what actions is the brand taking throughout the entire year to support the queer community.

Double check scheduled posts

When tragedy strikes or in a crisis scenario, your first step should be to pause your social content and then wait and listen. If you are scheduling content, be sure to check and pause any previously scheduled social media content. The last thing you want to happen is have a post go out as scheduled by mistake. The same goes for any paid social campaigns. Be sure to pause your ads for the time being so they do not show up on someone’s feed. I promise, audience members will notice and it will influence what people think of your brand.

Take breaks

As social media managers, we are forced to constantly be on social media. It’s a 24/7 job. Especially during times of tragedy, be sure to set boundaries for yourself. “Doomscrolling” or the obsessive urge to continuously look at social media is real. It’s important for not only your brand to take a break, but also for yourself.