One of the major benefits of social media isn't the ability to tag a hurricane in a photograph. But if you guessed that, you're close.
According to new data from the American Red Cross, social networks are playing an increasingly larger role for informing the general public about disasters and disaster response–so much so, that a large majority of people would like organizations to monitor social media even more when coordinating their relief efforts.
"During the record-breaking 2011 spring storm season, people across America alerted the Red Cross to their needs via Facebook," said the Red Cross' Wendy Harman, director of social strategy for the organization, in a statement. "We also used Twitter to connect to thousands of people seeking comfort, and safety information to help get them through the darkest hours of storms."
The Red Cross surveyed around 2,050 individuals in a nearly equal mix of phone and online surveys, finding that people consider the Internet to be the third most popular method for gathering emergency information beyond television and radio announcements. And people also want their own requests for information and assistance processed in a timely manner: 39 percent of online respondents and 35 percent of telephone respondents would expect help within an hour's time if they asked for it via a social media platform.
"Traditional media such as television and radio are still important ways to reach people with emergency information but the social web offers a chance for emergency responders to understand in real time what their communities care about and need – and to become part of the fabric of the community," said Trevor Riggen, the Red Cross' senior director of disaster services, in a statement.
According to the organization, people mention the Red Cross around 3,000 times on average per day within the various social media properties the organization tracks: The number obviously begins to skyrocket during times of calamity. But it's not just requests for assistance that get fired the Red Cross' digital way. Oftentimes, supporters are trying to find more information about how they can financially assist those in need.
"As the numbers of people using these new technologies in disaster situations continue to increase, response agencies, including the Red Cross have a tremendous opportunity to engage the public where they are spending time," Harman said.
For more about how people use social media in emergencies, check out the infographic below:
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