# How to handle a social media crisis

> In a crisis, pause scheduled content, find out what's true, respond once with a clear statement, & keep monitoring. Prepare a short plan now, because decisions made under pressure are worse than ones made in advance.

Updated: 2026-10-05.

## What counts as a crisis

A crisis is something that's spreading fast & could damage trust: a mistaken post, an offensive comment from the account, a safety issue, a data problem or a viral complaint.

Most small brands will meet one at some point. Having a plan makes it manageable.

## First: pause what's scheduled

The most common second mistake is a cheerful, pre-planned post going live in the middle of a serious situation. Look at the queue straight away & hold anything that could look tone-deaf.

Do this before replying to anyone. It stops a bad situation getting worse.

## Then: find out what's true

Gather facts from whoever knows: what happened, who's affected, what has already been said publicly. Don't respond to rumours with guesses.

Agree who speaks for the company. One clear voice avoids contradictory statements.

## Respond once, clearly

A good first statement says what happened, what you're doing about it & when you'll update. Avoid defensive language, blame & jargon.

Then update when you have something new to say, not on a timer. Silence is risky, but so is repeating yourself.

DunSocial doesn't send updates for you, but once the statement is agreed it can publish it to every connected platform at the same moment.

## Where DunSocial fits

DunSocial's calendar shows every scheduled post across connected accounts in one place, so reviewing the queue is quick. You can edit, reschedule or cancel posts that no longer fit the moment.

Roles help too: admins control connected accounts & scheduling, so you can limit who can publish while the situation is live. DunSocial can't write the statement or judge what's appropriate, though. That stays with the people responsible.

## Review afterwards

When things calm down, write a short note: what happened, what worked, what you'd change. Update your plan & share it.

DunSocial's post history helps with that review by showing what was published & when, which is useful for building a timeline.

## Related guides

- [How to handle a social media mistake or factual error](https://www.dunsocial.com/hub/social-media-compliance-and-brand-safety/how-to-handle-a-social-media-mistake-or-factual-error.md)
- [How to handle negative comments on social media](https://www.dunsocial.com/hub/social-media-community-and-reputation-management/how-to-handle-negative-comments-on-social-media.md)
- [What is social media brand safety?](https://www.dunsocial.com/hub/social-media-compliance-and-brand-safety/what-is-social-media-brand-safety.md)
- [What happens if a scheduled post fails?](https://www.dunsocial.com/hub/social-media-scheduler/what-happens-if-a-scheduled-post-fails.md)

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## Company

- Product: DunSocial, https://www.dunsocial.com
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