The social media platform TikTok is still growing with more than 1 billion active users. With popularity and notoriety comes inevitable crises. Creators on this platform are not immune and often face intense scrutiny by their thousands, or millions, of followers daily. One of the key roles that strong public relations plays, regardless of the platform, is crisis management. Our team flagged a viral video this week from TikTok star Elyse Myers (@elysemyers) who posted an apology.
As leaders in crisis communications, we wanted to review the actions taken by Elyse and provide insight when viewed from a public relations lens.
*Disclaimer* Every crisis is different and poses unique needs for all involved. These are observations and should not be considered advice for every crisis.
When faced with a crisis, it is important to control where input is being received. For example, Elyse chose to take down the video that allegedly caused a problem amongst her audience. We often advise our clients to monitor their social media pages to pause public comments when faced with certain situations. Taking down a controversial post or video can help to stop its spread and minimize damage.
For Elyse, facing her viewership head-on in an apology video was how she decided to rectify the controversial one. She followed an apology approach that corresponds with the best practices of apologies in public relations: happening early, sincerity, accountability and future steps.
There is a reason why public relations is key when it comes to managing a crisis. Our team is full of experts who utilize their knowledge to craft key responses for clients as they need them.
Public relations is not just a call you have once a month with your team. Public relations tactics and strategies often play a role in daily life on and offline.
If you have a crisis you or your company is facing, reach out to us for a conversation.
