As we’ve discussed before, managed services providers (MSPs) should include a social media strategy in any backup and disaster recovery (BDR) plan. We’ve reviewed the importance of using social media during each step of a storm: before the storm (preparation), during the storm, and after the storm (recovery). Now we’ll look at how specific social media platforms can assist during a disaster. Twitter, for instance, can provide an MSP, or any business for that matter, with a way to group customers together, while removing unrelated tweets, during the course of a storm. Here’s a simple and effective way to use Twitter as part of your BDR strategy.

Twitter is a great way to get your messages out during each stage of a storm, however those messages can get lost in the mix. Sure, users can click your Twitter handle to weed out other tweeters, but what if you’re part of the problem? Maybe you’re announcing a new offering and you want to use your Twitter feed to do so. You shouldn’t have to strike the announcement from Twitter, since not all your customers, unless they’re all local, will be affected by an upcoming storm. What’s your solution?

The hashtag is your answer. If you don’t remember what a hashtag is, or how to use it for that matter, take a look back at our tutorial. Creating a hashtag for a storm may seem like a challenge at first, so here are some guidelines to follow:

Your hashtag should be given to your customers before the storm. Creating a hashtag is not only a valuable tool to get your message out, but a way to group tweets from your customers. Allow them to communicate with each other through the hashtag. Don’t make listening more difficult than it has to be. Using hashtags to group your tweets and customers tweets together can assist in providing effective and efficient BDR planning.