By Evan Nierman, founder and CEO of Red Banyan, a global crisis PR firm. Co-author of The Cancel Culture Curse and author of Amazon bestseller Crisis Averted.
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Cancel culture can affect everyone. It isn’t only a problem of the rich and famous. Anyone with an opposing viewpoint can become the focus of an online mob and potentially find their reputation and livelihood at stake. Knowing what to do if this happens is key to coming out on the other side intact.
A careful review of your life, your business and your area of expertise can provide clues and indicators that suggest from where a cancel culture attack is most likely to emerge. Reacting quickly is essential, as misinformation and rumors that are shared on the internet can create reputational problems if nothing is done to stem the tide of innuendo.
Expect the unexpected.
For starters, be smart about how you use social media and have a plan of action in place before you need one. This is like insurance; no one wants to pay for insurance but you may need it to make you whole in the wake of a disaster. The process for creating a cancel culture plan is similar to developing a detailed crisis communications plan.
The very first step in creating a plan to weather a cancel culture attack is to set aside the notion that it could never happen to you. That is a dangerous mentality based on wishful thinking rather than reality. To deny the possibility or avoid the issue altogether is a natural psychological reaction rooted in fear. Formulating a plan to deal with this real possibility is the best way to combat a cancel culture attack.
Consider your contact information.
A tactic called “doxing” is often employed by cancel culture “vultures.” It’s a term that describes seeking and publicly sharing someone’s personal identifying information, such as your or your employer’s address or phone number. With these details, those who wish you ill are in a powerful position to do major harm. Once your mobile phone number is made public, you may experience hateful or vengeful phone calls and texts.
Do you know what you would do if your personal information was shared online? Business owners, company executives, entrepreneurs and private individuals must have a plan in place to survive. Planning is part of the survival process.
One way to safeguard against the release of your personal information is to have another phone at the ready that you can use, and into which you have already loaded the contact information for a select group of close friends and family members. A cheap prepaid cellphone with a fixed amount of data or talk time is a good option. Another proactive measure is to invest in web-connected doorbells, cameras or alarm systems to help ensure your physical security. Unfortunately, a number of our clients have endured the terrifying experience of vengeful strangers showing up at their homes to intimidate them once their private details became public, so it’s important to have security measures in place.
Monitor the conversation.
Knowing what is being said about you or your brand in times of crisis is essential. Are the comments online getting progressively worse or is the firestorm likely to pass? You won’t know if you aren’t keeping track.
Social media monitoring software is a powerful and effective way to keep track of online conversations and can be a worthy investment. Numerous options exist today, with a range of capabilities from simply alerting you to news stories to producing detailed charts and graphs with sophisticated metrics. This monitoring software tends to be expensive but can save you time because it is constantly scouring major social media sites to get a better handle on what conversations are taking place.
Free alternatives, such as Google alerts, can be tailored to include a company’s brand name and other keywords related to their industry so you will know when your name is mentioned.
Know when to ask for help.
A general rule of thumb when it comes to effectively communicating is that you need to tell your story on your own terms and from your own perspective, since failure to do so means that someone else is going to tell that story for you. If you are not sure how to do that, it may be time to get outside help.
Do you have the name of an experienced crisis communications guide who can counsel you? A professional crisis PR agency or a legal expert can provide great advice, but interviewing during a brewing crisis can be tough. Selecting a crisis communications agency or legal expert well in advance will allow you to take your time and vet the right partner to ensure that the firm or individual has the relevant expertise, ability and fighting spirit you will need when everything is on the line.
A well-known truism states there are generally three sides to every situation: what one person said happened, what the other person said happened and what really happened. If you want your side of the story told, make sure you have the right megaphone so your voice is heard.
