A few weeks ago, a Southwest Airlines flight from Nashville to Baltimore made an emergency landing in Charleston West Virginia.  As the plane landed safely, Southwest's public relations team went to work.  They scanned social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace for comments about the emergency landing and Southwest's handling of it.  What they found online shaped their media response to the event.  The generally positive comments led the Southwest employees to post laudatory comments concerning Southwest pilots' skill in averting a crisis in the air.  Similarly, other Southwest employees were praised for their professionalism and grace under pressure.  Had the online comments been negative, Southwest admits it may have reacted differently by posting differently on the social media sites.

In this age where social media can impact business just as much as personal issues, a public relations team must act quickly and decisively to rapid online developments.  Southwest knew where to look online for public reaction to the emergency landing.  It also knew how to respond appropriately and quickly.  Can you or your company say the same thing?