Marketing Mayo Clinic
through Social Media
Lee Aase
Manager, Syndication and Social Media
Mayo Clinic
e-Patient Connections 2009
#ePatCon
October 26, 2009

About Lee Aase (@LeeAase)
• B.S. Political Science
• 14 years in politics and government at
local, state, national levels
• Mayo Clinic since April 2000
− Media relations consultant
− Manager since 2004
− Media Relations/Research Comm
− Syndication and Social Media

Mayo Clinic’s First
Social Media Equation
S! x (N2 + O2 + CO2 + H20)
= WOM

Mayo Clinic and Word of Mouth
• 91 percent of patients surveyed say
they have said “good things” to an
average of 40 people following a Mayo
visit
• 85 percent say they recommended
Mayo to a friend
− Advised an average of 16 to come
− 5 actually came

Sources of Information Influencing
Preference for Mayo Clinic
Word of mouth 84
Stories in the media 57
MD recommendation 44
Advertising 27
Internet/Websites 26
Personal experience 24
Mailings to home 18
0 20 40 60 80 100

Mayo Clinic Medical Edge
News Media Syndications

First Foray in “New” Media
• Existing Medical Edge radio mp3s
• Launched Sept. ‘05; Downloads up
8,217 percent Oct. vs. Aug.

Step 2: More, Longer Podcasts

Total Cost for Mayo Clinic
Facebook, YouTube and Twitter
$0.00

Key Tool: Flip Video Camera*
• Affordable for all campuses (and you)
• Recording interviews (with tripod)
improves existing processes
• Authenticity without writer’s cramp
• Provides potential blog resources
− Audio of full interview
− Video excerpts
• Limited group of video editors to ease
adoption, ensure quality

Cost for a Standard Definition
Flip Video Camera
$150.00
HD available for an additional $80

podcasts.mayoclinic.org

newsblog.mayoclinic.org

sharing.mayoclinic.org

Yearly Cost for a
Customized Blog
$75.00

Three case studies in eight minutes

A Story from Facebook...

Tamiko says...
“I’ve had lots of people ask me about the
YouTube video and I’ve told at least 30
people they should go to Mayo. ”

EVP for Philadelphia Phillies

The Octogenarian Idol Story
• Alerted to interesting video of elderly
couple playing piano in Gonda atrium
• Video shot by another patient and
uploaded to YouTube by her daughter
• Video had been seen 1,005 times in six
preceding months since upload
• Embedded in Sharing Mayo Clinic,
posted to Facebook, Tweeted on 4/7/09

The next day...

Six days later...

April 22

Sunday, May 3

May 4

Cinco de Mayo

May 10

May 11

May 12

May 15

Early Morning May 26

May 26, 2009: Live in Studio
Good Morning America

Results to Date
• More than 4.7 million views on YouTube
• More than 1.4 million views on Sharing
Mayo Clinic
• Before posting to Sharing Mayo Clinic:
1,000 views in six months
• After posting, Facebooking and
Tweeting: 5,000 views per hour

Lessons
• Your mileage may vary, but...
• You’ll go a lot farther if you get a car.

Immense Potential
• Marketing we couldn’t buy at any price
− 500,000 annual unique patients,
50,000 employees as ambassadors
• More efficient care delivery
− Patient support groups
− Chronic disease management
− Workplace Collaboration
• Free versions let you prove concept,
gauge readiness

“Kids will take a chance.
If they don’t know,
they’ll have a go.”
-- Sir Ken Robinson, TED 2006

“Your kids aren’t
smarter than you are.
They’re just not
afraid to look dumb.”

If you have an iPhone, Let’s Bump!

If not, contact me by...
• Googling Lee Aase or SMUG U
• @LeeAase on Twitter
• aase.lee@mayo.edu
• Continue conversation at #ePatCon
(Twitter) or via SMUG comments