Abstract:

Social media that is appeared through new communication technologies attracts corporations’ attention because it is such a platform that individuals are connecting more each passing day. In the increasing competition environment, being in target groups’ social media network that they readily participate and sending efficient lowcost messages and developing communication activities within this respect, are considered to be advantageous options for corporations. Corporations directly benefit from social media in important aspects such as: establishing two-way communication with customers, creating customer database, supporting sale-support activities etc. Crisis management is one of the most remarkable topics that organizations should pay attention in virtual platform studies. Crisis management is a deliberate and planned study conducted to protect corporation’s image and communication with its target group against the effects of all events that emerge when least expected, affect corporation’s routine activities adversely and have negative consequences. Today, it is necessary to consider crisis management as a part of social media. From social media perspective, crisis management is categorized under two general titles: benefiting from social networks in order to solve an existing crisis and managing thoroughly the crisis emerged in social media. In the first part of this study the social media’s importance for corporations, its function and area of usage will be studied; also, social media and crisis management relation and the way how it actualizes will be a reviewed. In the second part, a sample case study will be analyzed regarding the social media and crisis management relation. In this analysis a crisis which emerged in a social media platform will be analyzed, the way how crisis management was coordinated will be explained and some suggestions will be offered.

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