Creative Commons via dcjohn on FlicKr

Wikipedia defines a “best practice” as a “method or technique that has consistently shown results superior to those achieved with other means and that is used as a benchmark.”

And recently, I  have found myself engaged in a number of review projects on the topic of social media and its intersection with crisis and emergency management and I am often left asking this question:

“What can be considered a ‘best practice’ in the #SMEM Community?”

There are certainly a number of presentations, training courses, and bloggers citing examples of social media use in the disaster community, but often these examples cite practices that have been used once or twice with mixed results.

Our community and social media itself is rapidly evolving and the research and/or studies of the outcomes have yet to catch up.  And beyond the lacking statistical research, however, is also the need for clear benchmarks.  What do we define as a “social media success”?  Some might say that the number of followers is a tangible outcome while others may press for community-based behavior change.

The real challenge is how can you measure the tangible results from the relationship-based dynamics that occur on social media.  It is my position that we have few “best practices” yet in the #SMEM community, but rather “good” and “developing practices” that are yet to be replicated enough times or in enough jurisdictions to reliably call them a standard.

So, what can be done today?  If you are using the word “best practice,” please reconsider whether you are truly citing something that meets the definition of a “best practice”.  To overuse the word can cheapen its ability to highlight those actions that can and should be replicated by jurisdictions in the realm of social media.

Here are some questions to consider when citing case studies as “good practices” in social media:

  • What was the achievement of the action that occurred on social media?
  • Was the outcome something that was more effectively achieved on social media than elsewhere?
  • Can the action taken in the case study be easily replicated by agencies in other jurisdictions?  What steps can be taken to replicate the outcome?
  • What was the investment of time & resources to accomplish both the action and the outcomes desired?

The words we use, in this developing field, are important.  We can, and should, contribute to researchers who are beginning to study the impacts of social media in the world of disaster management when opportunities allow.  But, we should also realize that despite our best efforts at local creativity and implementation, the development of standards and wide acceptance will take time and energy to gain traction.

Don’t be discouraged.  There will be “best practices” someday in our field.  We just need to be cautious that we are sharing examples that illustrate outcomes that matter.

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