When Every Second Counts, Preparation Pays Off
After spending 15 years as a community banker and now running a digital agency focused on community banks since 2007, I’ve been building bank websites for 30 years (wow, how time flies). Over my three decades of banking and agency life, I’ve learned something that every institution eventually faces: a moment where things don’t go as planned.
Maybe your website goes down, a social media post is misinterpreted, or a rumor starts circulating that catches fire faster than you can refresh your feed. Or perhaps it’s something newer and trickier, like a suspicious social media post that looks legitimate but isn’t, or even a deepfake video generated by artificial intelligence that spreads misinformation about your institution or leadership team. Whatever the cause, one thing’s for sure: how you respond in those moments matters far more than the moment itself.
Crises in the digital world are no longer rare events. Between evolving technology, social media’s reach, and customer expectations for real-time communication, community banks have to be prepared for more than just the occasional outage. We need to be ready to protect not only our customers’ accounts but also their trust.
That’s where a solid emergency communication plan comes in. And no, it’s not just about having a few email templates ready. It’s about building a system of clarity, confidence, and consistency that helps your bank stay calm and connected when the unexpected happens.
Start with a Strong Team
A well-prepared crisis communication plan starts with the people behind it. In every bank, there should be a clearly defined response team, folks who know their roles before the first call or comment comes in. This typically includes marketing or communications, IT, compliance, and senior management.
Don’t forget the human element. During stressful moments, clear leadership and a calm voice go a long way. Your team should know who’s responsible for what, who drafts messages, who reviews for compliance, and who has final approval. Having that clarity eliminates confusion when time is tight.
Anticipate What Could Go Wrong
Not all crises are created equal. Some are purely technical, like a website outage or login failure, while others are reputational, such as a negative social media post gaining traction or misinformation spreading online. The key is to anticipate scenarios and outline how you’ll handle them before they happen.
Here are a few that should be on every bank’s radar:
- Website or online banking downtime
- Data breach or cybersecurity concern
- Social media account compromise or inappropriate post
- Customer complaint that gains viral attention
- Negative local news coverage
- Executive or staff-related issue that impacts reputation
- Harmful or misleading content generated through artificial intelligence, such as a deepfake video, falsified statement, or AI-generated post that spreads misinformation about the bank or its leadership
Each of these situations deserves its own quick-action plan, including who’s notified first, what’s communicated externally, and how progress is shared internally.
Choose the Right Channels — and Use Them Wisely
When a crisis hits, knowing where and how to communicate is half the battle. Not every situation requires a press release, but silence rarely serves you well either.
Your website should have a simple way to share updates, even if it’s a temporary status message or banner. Social media offers speed but requires care; every word will be scrutinized, so clarity and empathy are essential. Email allows for more detail and reassurance, while SMS can deliver urgent alerts instantly (just don’t overuse it).
And remember, internal communication is just as critical as external. Your employees are your ambassadors. Keeping them informed ensures consistency and prevents mixed messages.
Another key component of a crisis communication plan is having a single, reliable place where the public and your customers can turn for the facts. During a crisis, especially one involving false information or AI-generated content, it can be difficult for people to distinguish truth from fiction. By maintaining a centralized, official point of contact (like a dedicated webpage, update portal, or verified social media account), you provide a trusted source for accurate information. Make sure your customers know where that source is before a crisis occurs, and keep it consistent across all channels so that when misinformation starts to spread, there’s no confusion about where to find the truth.
Plan for Speed, But Don’t Sacrifice Accuracy
In the age of instant information, customers expect answers immediately. But it’s better to be right than to be first. Your plan should prioritize fast response times and factual accuracy. A simple acknowledgment like, “We’re aware of the issue and are working quickly to address it,” can buy time while showing accountability.
Once verified details are available, follow up with a clear, empathetic message that explains what happened, how it’s being resolved, and what steps are being taken to prevent it from happening again. That combination of speed and sincerity goes a long way in maintaining trust.
Have Templates Ready — But Customize With Care
You don’t want to be writing your first customer message in the middle of a crisis. That’s where pre-approved templates come in handy. Create drafts for different types of incidents: outages, data security alerts, social media missteps, and so on.
However, never send them out word-for-word without tailoring. Add real context, adjust for tone, and make it personal to your institution. People can tell when a message feels canned, and in tense moments, authenticity matters more than polish.
Monitor, Listen, and Learn in Real Time
Social listening tools are your early warning system. Monitor mentions of your bank, executives, and community initiatives. If misinformation spreads, respond calmly and factually before it spirals.
After the event, review what happened. What worked? What could’ve been smoother? Every incident, big or small, offers lessons to strengthen your plan for next time.
Train for the Storm Before It Hits
Just like banks run disaster recovery drills for data and operations, you should test your communication plan. Simulate different scenarios: a hacked Facebook page, a prolonged outage, or an online rumor. See how your team responds, identify gaps, and refine your plan.
These exercises help your people stay cool under pressure. When a real crisis hits, they’ll already know what to do — and that’s half the battle.
After the Crisis: Follow Through with Transparency
Once the dust settles, your work isn’t done. Transparency in follow-up is key to rebuilding confidence. Acknowledge what happened, thank your customers for their patience, and share what’s being done to prevent similar issues in the future.
This is also a great time for leadership visibility. A short video or personal note from your CEO can make a lasting impact and remind customers that there are real people behind the brand who genuinely care.
Crisis-Ready is the New Normal
At the end of the day, crisis communication isn’t just about damage control; it’s about demonstrating your bank’s character. When something goes wrong (and it will), your response shows who you are and what you stand for.
So be prepared, stay calm, and lead with empathy. Because when your customers see that you’re steady in uncertain moments, they’ll trust you even more when the skies clear. And if you need someone to help strategize or just another set of eyes on your plan, get in touch. I’d love to help make sure you’re strategy is on-point (but with the secret hope that you’ll never need it)!
This post is part of our two-part series on digital preparedness for community banks. If you haven’t already, check out the first article, “When the Cloud Rains: What to Do When Your Bank’s Website Goes Down,” for more insights on managing website outages and maintaining customer trust.