What we do have control over is how we handle the situation. I think rule one of crisis management (even on a really, really small scale) is to acknowledge the issue. Finding the best way to communicate to your users is the first step.

What began as a platform to give live updates (like what you were eating for lunch) has evolved into a tool businesses use for much more productive reasons. Twitter is a great way to let your app’s users know when something has gone wrong. Plus, what better way is there to get your message out to so many people in such a short amount of time? Sure, you could send out an e-mail blast to your users, but you’ll probably have to pay for it, and by then who knows how long the issue will actually persist. By the time your users open the e-mail the problem could have already been resolved and you caused panic for no reason.

Twitter is great for these specific reasons- your followers can not only let you know of issues they might be having, but they can also quickly see you’re doing something about those issues. When you’re experiencing hosting complications, posting one sentence that takes 20 seconds to think up, type and send takes care of the first and most important action step.

You will never see me posting about what I ate yesterday for breakfast, or following someone else who does. Regardless, I think it’s incredible how quickly information can travel; we have an option today that helps us take action in so many situations- even the ones we can’t control.