Speaking of my #preparedness pallet…I mean kit.
I hope all of you have your stuff ready. Half way through National Preparedness Month!!!!
#NatlPrep #SMEM #HSEM
My preparedness pallet #NatlPrep
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Tag Archives: spam
Cans with pop tops? Nah, You’ll definitely need to plan for this #NatlPrep
When planning for tools in your kits for your family and friends, canned goods are great, but don’t forget about the….
PlanAhead to include a can opener in your emergency preparedness kits. Bec you never know when it might come in handy. #NatlPrep
Make sure you are prepared for anything including your own foods.
And for good measure, get some SPAM!
For more free planning and preparedness tips, check out www.ready.gov
My new favorite MRE
It’s Monday…but I think I found my favorite MRE.
Special thanks to my peeps at DHS/FEMA USAR Ohio Task Force-1.
Blizzard of 2015 meme – Hoard water, spam and bacon
Since we are talking about winter preparedness today, I am reminded about this meme created in 2015.
Yes, I said meme. It looks like a screen grab from a national news station, but it has been doctored up a bit. Obviously.
While I cannot support all the bullet points, I can tell you that first bullet point definitely on my list.
BTW-it’s Hoard water, SPAM, and bacon.
Long live the Oxford comma!
The wrong hashtag and checking official accounts – Safety-PIO-SM-14-005
| 14-005: The wrong hashtag and checking official accounts | |
| Agency: TEEX | Topic(s): Official accounts and hashtags |
| Date: Fall 2014 | Platform: Twitter |
Citing the original source of information is a solid idea on Twitter. But citing the correct source with the correct Twitter handle is even more important. That’s what Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) did when they tweeted information about a gym bag/emergency preparedness kit.
The use of the wrong hashtag will drive your audience away from national trends. Remember, the general idea behind the hashtag is to help bring together trending posts especially this month because September is National Preparedness Month. My. Favorite. Month.
A quick search of “#Prepared2014” shows tens of thousands of tweets.
A search using “#BePrepared2014” yielded 13 tweets.
Those two letters really do make a difference. A big difference.
Also, when citing sources, make sure they are current agency accounts. The @readydotgov account has tweeted twice in 2014 and has 396 followers.
It also states in the description box “please follow us @Readygov”
The verified @Readygov Twitter account has 3,000 tweets with almost 90,000 followers and has been tweeting since August 2008.
No matter how good your communications plans are, your mechanical no-look cut/paste actions must be double checked every time. It takes five seconds to check. Additionally, you stand the possibility of your readers questioning the validity of your information when they see that you posted old/not used stuff.
A more effective tweet could have read:
If you can pack a gym bag, you can pack an emergency bag: ow.ly/i/4Eui3 #Prepared2014 #NatlPrep @ReadyGov @AnaheimCERT
By phrasing it this way:
- You cite FEMA’s main current preparedness Twitter account (@ReadyGov).
- You use the correct national hashtag to increase visibility in your message (#Prepared2014).
- You add additional hashtags to help pair your efforts with national campaign themes in your message.
- You cite the right agency accounts on Twitter which will help them gain visibility with your audience.
- Your agency shows coordinated efforts with national response agencies when you use @mentions on twitter.
Time is valuable, so tweet good stuff.
***To download this as a single-page printable format, click this:
TheWrongHashtagAndCheckingOfficialAccounts-Safety-PIO-SM-14-005a
A lonely shortened Facebook link on Twitter – Safety-PIO-SM-14-004
| 14-004: A lonely shortened Facebook link on Twitter | |
| Agency: South Central Sierra Interagency IMT | Topic(s): Shared information/update |
| Date: Summer 2014 | Platform: Twitter |
Speed is primarily the reason why everyone loves social media…especially Twitter. Many agencies use social media to provide updates and information when assigned to certain incidents. That’s what the South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team did during the French Fire in California when they pushed this lonely shortened Facebook link out on Twitter.
I get that 140 character max on Twitter is short…and you have lots to say…and you don’t have time…and blah blah blah. Everyone else doesn’t have time too. But pushing a non-descript link, does raise a concern that perhaps your account has been compromised by spam bots. Your agency has worked diligently to establish solid working relationships. During an emergency is the WORST time for your audience to question and/or ignore your official accounts with trusted reliable information.
If your social media plan calls for directing all efforts to Facebook as the primary source of information, a Public Information Officer (PIO) should still take the time to provide a little information (like a short description) on other platforms driving the traffic to that primary source. Providing just a link is not enough.
In the PIO business, we are forced to be precise, however just providing a link pertaining to a dangerous situation or disasters will not be enough to satiate the Twittersphere’s social interest.
Audiences change on various social media platforms, however, many agencies *think* they are all the same.
Knowing your audience is the hallmark of success. If you pair your Facebook and Twitter accounts to save time and to pass the exact same message – you should consider separating them now. Remember, you write/post/share information differently on various social media platforms.
A more effective tweet could have read:
| Still assigned to the French Fire here in California-Check out pictures frm @BLMNational Interagency Fire fb.me/1BV35Tytx #CAWildfire |
By phrasing it this way:
- You have more visibility by informing your followers that your team is still assigned to the incident.
- The link looks less spammy and readers know what the specific content is in the link.
- Your #hashtag will give more information about the current overall disaster/emergency.
- Your readers are likely to click on this hyperlink because it will take them to a picture. People love pictures.
- Your agency shows coordinated efforts with national response agencies when you use @mentions on twitter.
Time is valuable, so tweet good stuff.
***To download this as a single-page printable format, click this: ALonelyShortenedFacebookLinkOnTwitter-Safety-PIO-SM-14-004a
