The $4-a-week Newsroom and
Other MacGyver Tips
Lee Aase
Manager, Syndication and Social Media
Mayo Clinic
Ragan Communications Webinar
#mayoragan
August 4, 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
2

A Grandpa who appreciates the
power of Facebook...
3

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
4

5

Mayo Clinic’s Origin
http://tinyurl.com/32xbjx

Sources of Information Influencing
Preference for Mayo Clinic - 2006
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
7

Three Kinds of Genius
8

9

Henry Plummer, M.D.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tradition-
heritage/dr-henry-plummer.html
10

Or a character played by another
Minnesotan...
11

Mayo Clinic Medical Edge
News Media Syndicated Resources
12

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
14

15

16

17

18

Total Cost for Mayo Clinic
Facebook, YouTube and Twitter
$0.00
19

Step 3: podcasts.mayoclinic.org
20

newsblog.mayoclinic.org
21

sharing.mayoclinic.org
22

Total Yearly Cost for Three
Customized Blogs
$165.00
23

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
24

Cost for a Standard Definition Flip
Video Camera
$150.00
HD available for an additional $80
25

Traditional vs. “MacGyver”
Online Newsroom
• Web 1.0 Online Newsroom
• Typically purchased from a Vendor
• Costly - up to $10,000 + monthly
• Individual Password Access
• MacGyver Online Newsroom
• DIY
• $45/year or $0.12/day
• Open to customers/patients/links
26

27

Case Studies
28

Case Study: JAMA Diabetes Paper
• 8:45 a.m. a colleague mentions article
coming off embargo at 3 p.m.
• Interviewed M.D. via Flip at 10:20
• Edited video, had password-protected
post on blog by 11:55 for pitching
• Uploaded files to senduit.com, posted as
private to YouTube channel
• Pitched via Facebook
• WSJ Health Blog used video
29

30

31

Result: CBS Radio Network Story
32

33

34

35

Media Coverage About Social Media
36

37

38

39

40

41

Don’t (just) pitch the
media.
Be the media.
42

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
43

The next day...
44

Six days later...
45

April 22
46

Sunday, May 3
47

48

49

May 4
50

Cinco de Mayo
51

May 10
52

53

May 11
54

May 12
55

A sampling of the comments...
56

May 15
57

Early Morning May 26
58

May 26, 2009: Live in Studio
Good Morning America
59

May 28, 2009
60

Results to Date
• More than 4.2 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
• At peak, after posting, Facebooking
and Tweeting: 5,000 views per hour
61

Lessons
• Your mileage may vary, but...
• You’ll go a lot farther if you get a car.
62

Summary
• Twitter, Facebook, YouTube: $0
• Sharing Mayo Clinic blog: $75
• Bringing joy to the world
through music: Priceless
63

Summary Observations and
Recommendations
• You don’t need to be a genius to
think like MacGyver
• Use free social media tools to
do current work more effectively
• Start by getting personal hands-
on experience to develop
understanding, skills and
confidence
64

For Continuing Education ...
65

Help choose our new
school seal...
66

67

68

69

Contacting Me
• Google Lee Aase or SMUG U to find
Social Media University, Global
• Twitter: @LeeAase and @mayoclinic
• aase.lee@mayo.edu
70