How to Create a Crisis Communication Plan

Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify every potential crisis your organization could face. This foundational step shapes every decision that follows in your crisis communication plan.

• Catalog all potential crisis scenarios specific to your industry, geography, and operations, including natural disasters, cyber attacks, workplace incidents, product recalls, and reputational threats.
• Rate each scenario by likelihood (1-5) and potential impact (1-5) to create a prioritized risk matrix that guides resource allocation.
• Interview department heads and frontline staff to uncover blind spots that leadership may overlook during the assessment process.
• Document the communication challenges unique to each scenario, such as technical complexity, emotional impact, regulatory requirements, and media interest level.
• Review historical incidents in your industry and region to ensure no common risk category is overlooked.

Build a dedicated crisis communications team with clear roles, decision-making authority, and redundancy. Your team is the backbone of your crisis response capability.

• Designate a Crisis Communications Lead who has authority to make messaging decisions without waiting for multiple levels of approval.
• Assign a Public Information Officer (PIO) as the primary interface with media and the public during incidents.
• Include a Social Media Manager responsible for monitoring, responding, and managing digital channels during a crisis.
• Recruit an Internal Communications Lead to keep employees informed, aligned, and empowered as brand ambassadors.
• Ensure legal counsel is part of the team to review messaging quickly without creating bottlenecks.
• Identify backup personnel for every critical role to ensure 24/7 coverage during extended incidents.

Select and train the individuals who will serve as your organization's official voice during a crisis. The right spokesperson can build trust; the wrong one can accelerate a crisis.

• Choose primary and secondary spokespersons based on credibility, composure, communication skills, and availability.
• Invest in professional media training that covers message delivery, body language, bridging techniques, and handling hostile questions.
• Practice on-camera interviews, live press conferences, and phone interviews to build comfort across all media formats.
• Develop a spokesperson authorization matrix that clarifies who speaks for which types of incidents and in which channels.
• Ensure spokespersons understand the legal boundaries of what can and cannot be shared during different crisis types.

Develop pre-approved, fill-in-the-blank message templates for every identified risk scenario. Having templates ready eliminates the dangerous gap between incident and response.

• Write holding statements for each crisis category that acknowledge the situation, express concern, and promise updates without speculating.
• Create press release templates with pre-approved language, boilerplate, and formatting ready for rapid customization.
• Develop social media response templates for platforms including X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn with appropriate tone and length for each.
• Draft internal communication templates for employees, board members, and key stakeholders that provide talking points and guidance.
• Build notification templates for regulatory agencies, partners, and community leaders as required by your industry.
• Have all templates reviewed and pre-approved by legal counsel so they can be deployed in minutes, not hours.

Identify, test, and maintain every communication channel your organization will use during a crisis. Channel failure during an incident can be as damaging as message failure.

• Map all available channels: media relations, social media, email, SMS/text alerts, website, intranet, physical signage, and public address systems.
• Establish redundant channels for critical communications in case primary systems are compromised or overloaded.
• Create a channel priority matrix that matches each audience segment with the most effective communication channel.
• Set up a dark site or crisis page on your website that can be activated within minutes of an incident.
• Test all channels quarterly to ensure they function correctly, contact lists are current, and team members know how to use them.

Create detailed, step-by-step procedures for managing media interactions before, during, and after a crisis. Clear protocols prevent unauthorized statements and ensure consistent messaging.

• Establish a media inquiry logging system that captures reporter name, outlet, deadline, questions, and assigned response owner.
• Define response timelines: acknowledge inquiries within 30 minutes, provide substantive responses within 2 hours during active incidents.
• Create an approval workflow with no more than two levels to prevent bottlenecks while maintaining quality control.
• Document press conference logistics including venue selection, podium setup, media staging, equipment needs, and security considerations.
• Develop guidelines for off-the-record conversations, background briefings, and exclusive interviews during crisis situations.
• Include procedures for monitoring and correcting media reporting errors in real-time.

Social media moves at the speed of rumor. A dedicated social media crisis plan ensures your organization leads the narrative rather than chasing it.

• Implement 24/7 social media monitoring using tools that track brand mentions, keywords, hashtags, and sentiment in real time.
• Create platform-specific response templates that match the tone, character limits, and audience expectations of each channel.
• Define escalation triggers that determine when social media activity requires crisis-level response versus standard community management.
• Establish clear guidelines for pausing scheduled content, switching to crisis-only messaging, and adjusting advertising during incidents.
• Develop a rumor control protocol for identifying, tracking, and correcting misinformation as it spreads across platforms.
• Plan for dark social (private messaging, DMs) where misinformation often starts before surfacing publicly.

A plan that has not been tested is just a document. Tabletop exercises transform your crisis communication plan from theory into practiced capability.

• Schedule at least two tabletop exercises per year, using different crisis scenarios each time to build versatility.
• Include realistic elements such as simulated media calls, social media injects, time pressure, and evolving scenarios.
• Recruit role-players to act as reporters, concerned citizens, and angry stakeholders to pressure-test your team.
• Conduct thorough after-action reviews that identify what worked, what failed, and what needs improvement.
• Update your crisis communication plan within 30 days of each exercise based on identified gaps and lessons learned.
• Gradually increase exercise complexity from discussion-based to functional exercises to full-scale simulations.