S for strategic

O for operational

C for collaborative

I for informational

A for adaptable

L for lasting

Strategic:

The plan needs to look at all your audiences and identify channels that will be used to communicate with them during emergencies. Basically, getting the right message, to the right audience using the right channel. But because our audiences are diffused, our communications planning must also be diffused. Hence the need to prioritize. Identify key stakeholders and key "influcencers" and engage with them.

Operational:

Your messaging cannot be limited to statements, to one-way directives. To be effective, you need to engage in conversations. You need the ability to listen = monitoring social media. More importantly, you need to set up the flow of information to all elements of your organization/EOC so relevant items/intelligence/situational awareness pieces are shared with those who need them to plan, respond and help with the recovery.

Collaborative
You can't work in a silo. Open data ... share data ... integrate data from others. Maximize your reach by reaching out via social networks. Open this capability to all elements of your organization/EOC to build up internal resiliency.

Informative:

The info you provide has to be actionable and cannot consist simply of posturing or vague messaging. Having established a presence before any incident will help you become a trusted source during a crisis but you will remain so only if the messaging you send out has value to your audiences because it's prompt, accurate and actionable. The more risk/hazard specific you can be, the better ...

Adaptable:

All plans need to be flexible and able to be applied to various situations. Your plan should outline how you will integrate your website and social networks and how info is going to flow. You need the ability to use different social network platforms to maximize your reach and different media. Having broadcast ready material helps. You also need to plan so you can revert to using traditional/legacy media as your main emergency info channel and other means: briefings, town halls, flyers, etc. ...

Lasting:

Will you be able to sustain your plan during activation? Do you have enough resources and staff? Do you have a process to do constant social media monitoring and ensure the info gathered from it reaches the right people within your organization/EOC? To be effective in the use of social networks, you must have the ability not only to monitor but to respond and interact. Do you have enough trained people and the right technology to do that? To respond to media and public inquiries on the web? Lasting means a scalable approach where the right resources are applied to get the necessary results. A critical precursor of success is the ability to transition from a pre-incident social media posture, to a heavy monitoring and engagement effort and back to routine engagement.

If you are SOCIAL in your plan, chances are you'll communicate successfully during a crisis or disaster.