Why Social Media are Essential
to the Future of Health and
Science Communication
Health Sciences
Communications Association
Lee Aase
Manager, Syndication and Social Media
Mayo Clinic
June 19, 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
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The power of Facebook...
• Evelyn’s existence
• Videos from Grand Rapids
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Disclaimers
• These results not typical
• Use as directed
• Read and follow label directions
• Side effects may include vertigo, watery
eyes, crackberry thumb and iPhone
application addiction
• Social media tools are an essential part of a
balanced communications diet
• If insufficient media coverage persists,
consult your communications doctor
• Your mileage may vary
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Agenda
• Surveying the changing media
landscape: why you should care
• Health Care Penetration & Examples
• The MacGyver Mindset
• Mayo Clinic’s Experience
• Case Study
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Changing Media Landscape
• Massive newspaper layoffs/buyouts
• Star Tribune
• Pioneer Press
• Los Angeles times
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Star Tribune Values
and a Major Cause
• 1998 $1.2 Billion
• 2006: $530 Million
• Today: Bankruptcy
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The Most Important Word
in Web 2.0
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Chicago Tribune Values
• 2000: Tribune Co. buys Los Angeles
Times for $8 Billion
• 2007: Sam Zell buys Tribune Co.
(including Los Angeles Times) for
$8.2 Billion
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Comparables in the Neighborhood
• Wall Street Journal: $5 Billion
• Chicago Tribune: $8 Billion
• Star Tribune: $0.53 Billion
• Total for all three < Facebook (MSFT
paid $240 Million for 1.6% of stock)
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Facebook Demographics
• More than 200 million active users
• More than half visit daily
• More than 2/3 outside of college
• Over 35 is fastest growing demo
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Hospitals Using Social Media
(via @EdBennett)
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Growth of YouTube vs. Twitter
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The MacGyver Mindset
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Mayo Clinic’s Social Media
Experience
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Mayo Clinic’s Origin
http://tinyurl.com/32xbjx

Sources of Information Influencing
Preference for Mayo Clinic
Word of mouth 84
Stories in the media 57
MD recommendation 44
Advertising 27
2006 Study
Internet/Websites 26
Personal experience 24
Mailings to home 18
0 20 40 60 80 100
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Mayo Clinic Medical Edge
News Media Syndications
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Mayo Clinic Social Media Progression
• Reach people directly
• Started with Medical Edge
• Produce economically to fit medium
• Provide platforms for sharing
• Create outposts on popular sites
• Energize word of mouth
• Leverage social media with mass media
and vice versa
• Sharing Mayo Clinic
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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
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Total Cost for Mayo Clinic
Facebook, YouTube and Twitter
$0.00
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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
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Cost for a Standard Definition Flip
Video Camera
$150.00
HD available for an additional $80
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HD: Worth the Investment
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podcasts.mayoclinic.org
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newsblog.mayoclinic.org
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Next Step: Launched 1/22/2009
Sharing Mayo Clinic
• Gathering global Mayo community
• Patients telling their stories
• Employee bloggers recruited from
throughout organization
• Video profiles of patients/staff
• Hub to integrate Mayo social media
• Interactive companion to print edition
• sharing.mayoclinic.org
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sharing.mayoclinic.org
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Benefits of Comment Threads
• Patient stories most popular on .org
• Outlet for grateful patients who want
to tell their stories
• Prompts patients to think about
sharing stories
• Alerts us to great stories we may
want to feature in publications,
Medical Edge, media pitches
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Where Sharing Mayo Clinic Fits
• News Blog - Breaking research news;
“Hard” news - Like U.S News, Time
• Podcast Blog - Evergreen “news you
can use” - Like Prevention
• Sharing Mayo Clinic - Features;
behind the scenes at Mayo Clinic,
and stories from patients in their own
words - Like People
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Other Blogs...
• Health Policy Center Blog
• Physician Update Blog - For referring
MDs but not limited to them
• Diversity in Education Blog
• Advancing the Science - Medical
science blog - our medical version of
Scientific American
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Yearly Cost for a
Customized Blog
$75.00
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Demolishing Objections
• “But what about the cost in staff time
to maintain all of these social media
platforms? They’re not really that
cheap!”
• AT&T free phone service in 1969
• Pitney Bowes free fax machines
and supplies in 1989
• YouTube, Facebook and Twitter
free in 2009
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Sharing Some Stories...
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Affirming our Employees
Dear staff,
This 4 minute video actually made me tear
up…the patients mentioning our Judd
Sessions, classes and pamphlets…in relation
to their satisfaction with their care. How
wonderful to hear.
The patient/family testimonials reminded me
how we are making a difference through patient
education in the lives of our patients/families.
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Two Case Studies of Mainstream
Media Facilitated by Social Media
• Wall Street Journal Health Blog
• Pitched via Facebook
• Previewed on News Blog
• Embedded from YouTube
• CBS Radio Network
• Flip audio downloaded from news
blog made national network air
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Don’t (just) pitch the media.
Be the media.
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Enhancing Distribution of
Patient-Generated Content
• Alerted to interesting video of elderly
couple playing piano in Gonda atrium
• Embedded in Sharing Mayo Clinic,
posted to Facebook, Tweeted on 4/7/09
• Video had been seen 1,005 times in six
preceding months since upload
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The next day...
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Six days later...
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April 22
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Sunday, May 3
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May 4
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Cinco de Mayo
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May 6
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Thursday, May 7
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May 10
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May 11
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May 12
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A sampling of the comments...
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May 15
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Early Morning May 26
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May 26, 2009: Live in Studio
Good Morning America
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May 28, 2009
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Results to Date
• More than 3.6 million views on
YouTube
• Before posting to Sharing Mayo
Clinic: 1,000 views in six months
• After posting, Facebooking and
Tweeting: 5,000 views per hour
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Lessons
• Your mileage may vary, but...
• You’ll go a lot farther if you get a car.
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Summary
• Twitter, Facebook, YouTube: $0
• Sharing Mayo Clinic blog: $75
• Bringing joy to the world
through music: Priceless
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Immense Potential
• Marketing we couldn’t afford to buy
• 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
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“Your kids aren’t
smarter than you are.
They’re just not
afraid to look dumb.”
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Overview of Tools
• Blogs
• Podcasts
• RSS
• Social Networking Sites
• Wikis
• YouTube
• Twitter
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Intro to Blogs
• Just an easy-to-publish Web site that
allows comments
• Blogs in Plain English - Lee LeFever
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RSS = Really Simple Syndication
• Lets you easily track dozens of blogs
or other Web sites without surfing
• Truly opt-in “email”
• RSS “baked in” to IE 7, Safari
• Google Reader a free Web option
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Podcasts
• TiVo for Audio (and now video)
• Don’t need an iPod to use
• Series of segments to which you can
subscribe via RSS
• iTunes free for PC or Mac
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Social Networking Sites
• Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace
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Did I mention Evelyn?
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Wikis
• Collaborative editing tools
• Wikipedia the most famous
• 2.9 million articles in English
• Definitive stories quickly on
• 35W Bridge Collapse
• Virginia Tech shooting
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YouTube
• World’s second largest search
engine
• Google bought for $1.65 Billion
• “The world has voted, and we want
to watch videos on YouTube.” - Andy
Sernovitz, Blog Council
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A Taste of Tweetcamp
• Understanding the Phenomenon
• Exploring Applications
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Twitter vs. Facebook
• Facebook is primarily for
strengthening existing connections
(or re-establishing former ones.) For
your friends.
• Twitter enables you to connect with
people who have common interests.
For the friends you don’t know yet.
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Twitter vs. Blogs
• Twitter is a micro-blogging platform.
• Limited length reduces writer’s/artist’s
block
• Blogs provide opportunity for more
thoughtful reflection and development
• Tweeting = great way to take notes
on a live event
• Blog = platform for review/synthesis
• Twitter = great for spreading word
about posts
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5 Reasons Twitter Beats Email
• “Brevity is the soul of wit” - and of
Twitter
• No expectation to read and respond to
everything
• Conversations open and discoverable
• Direct messages can reach recipients
with priority
• Blocking or unfollowing punishes
abuses
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Twitter Hashtags
• Enable easy gathering, especially
around an event, such as:
• #hcsm
• #hesca
• #LeeAaseIsReallyWonderful
• Follow in search.twitter.com or log
into room on Tweetchat.com
• Create a hashtag simply by using it
in a tweet
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Twitter Etiquette
• Generally follow your followers
• Following not = endorsement
• Auto d to new followers = Not Cool
• “Protecting” updates also = Not Cool
• Replying (@) = Cool
• Re-Tweet (RT) to credit sources, help
followers find interesting tweeters
also = Cool
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Making Twitter More Productive
• Desktop Applications
• Tweetdeck
• Twhirl
• Phone Applications
• Twittelator
• Tweetie
• Twitterific
• Various Web sites like HootSuite
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Twitter Case Study #1: Listening
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Ensuing Conversation
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Twitter Case Study #2: “Tweetup”
in Baltimore
Me: Are you based in Baltimore?
Me: I’m going to be there Tuesday for this conference.
(asae.center.or/hcc) on a panel RU available late pm?
Me: I’m flying out Tues at 6:45 p.m. Any avail in the later
afternoon? I think my panel is done about 2:30
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Twitter Case Study #3:
Journalist Interactions
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Tips on Personal Steps to Explore
• Establish a permanent personal email
• Get profiles in Facebook, LinkedIn
• Get a Twitter account
• Get a Flip camera (or iPhone 3G S?)
• Create a personal YouTube account
• Start a personal Blog
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Starter Steps for Institutions
• Claim your organization’s Twitter
“handle”
• Create a Facebook “fan” page
• Create a YouTube channel
• For Extra Credit: If you have
organizational commitment, create a
multi-author blog
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