Mayo Clinic Social Media Update:
Growth and New Applications
Blogwell MSP
Lee Aase
Manager, Syndication and Social Media
Mayo Clinic
August 13, 2009

Agenda
• Rapid recap of BlogWell Chicago
(see it at http://bit.ly/SKMwo)
• Sharing Mayo Clinic update
• Twitter Transformation
• Unique cost-saving “old media”
project facilitated by social media
launching this month
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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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Genius not required ...
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The MacGyver Mindset
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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
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Mayo Clinic Medical Edge
News Media Syndications
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podcasts.mayoclinic.org
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newsblog.mayoclinic.org
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sharing.mayoclinic.org
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Twitter Transformation for
@mayoclinic
• Started with Hippocratic approach
• Tweeting via RSS feed
• Started following, engaging Feb ’09
• @mayoclinic followers have
increased >400% in 6 months
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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 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
• More than 4.3 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
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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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The Next Big Thing:
Radio Syndication
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Healthline becomes Medical Edge
Weekend
• Host is Mayo Clinic M.D. with 20
years local radio experience
• Previous syndication not feasible
• 1999: Unlikely profitable
• 2008: $20K/month unavailable
• Opportunity for creative application
of social media tools
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The MacGyver Syndication Plan
• Production continues at KROC-AM
• Segments delivered to affiliates as
mp3 files for next week’s broadcast
• Topic for live production posted to
blog, promoted via Twitter
• Listen live through audio stream
from flagship station
• Podcasts posted 9 days later
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Official Launch August 22
• Already a “win”: formerly local
program now internationally available
• Gradual growth is practical because
costs are nearly $0.00
• Unbridling a physician’s passion
• Significant new social media content
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Follow Medical Edge Weekend
Progress
• radio.mayoclinic.org
• #mayoradio
• @mayoclinic
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Contacting Me
• @LeeAase
• aase.lee@mayo.edu
• Google Lee Aase or SMUG U
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