Unpredictable scenarios
What would you Tweet if something unpredictable happens that impacts or is relevant to your business? The most extreme recent example is the swine flu outbreak, which tore across the twitterverse and other channels.

While there were some "irresponsible" tweets and spam messages telling consumers not to eat pork because of swine flu, Tyson Foods decided to tackle the situation head-on via its @TysonFoods account.

Tyson Foods' Twitter messaging platform focuses on hunger relief efforts and is tied to the company's relief website. The tweets relative to swine flu were proactive and consistent with their message platform of helping. Tyson even used the hashtag #swineflu so that folks searching on the trend would see the company's messaging.

In addition, Tyson tied the outbreak to issues relevant to its cause by including shortened links to an article about swine flu and food insecurity.

The outbreak directly impacted Princess Cruise Lines and their customers as well. While its Twitter platform is mostly promotional and experiential, Princess Cruises used the @princesscruises channel to link to the company's swine flu updates, credit offers, and itinerary adjustments, creating a direct link to its other communications about the outbreak to better serve customers. There was no observed direct messaging to customers.





While no one could have predicted the swine flu scenario, there are ways to lay a foundation for "what-if" scenarios and plan for the expected, as well as the unexpected.  

Here are some key points to build on and establish a "what-if" scenario messaging platform:

• Define your Twitter message platform, tone and content upfront. Identify the value that this can bring to your organization and brand. This will help set and manage expectations and guide your messaging as well as identify required resources for different scenarios.
• Consider that Twitter's impact is exponential. It is more than just your immediate followers. It is their followers and their followers, other media channels, and so forth.
• Identify other resources and channels to handle a scenario that may require a more demanding response.
• Follow the top Twitter trends, selected brands (i.e., competitors, aspirational).
• Monitor the conversation for your own brand to help prepare and respond to certain "scenarios."
• Twitter is not an isolated messaging platform. Outline "what-if" scenarios and how you might respond, from the possible to the improbable. Make sure that for each scenario you address what sort of information you might need and from whom and where you would need it from.
• Integrate, communicate, connect, and work with others in your organization as appropriate, particularly in scenarios that are far-reaching and more business critical. 
• Be open and flexible to evolving, learning and adjusting.

As a general rule, plan for the probable and possible, expect the unexpected, manage expectations, and exceed them.

Denise Zimmerman is president and chief strategy officer of NetPlus Marketing Inc. Follow her on Twitter: @dzimmerman.