Putting Social Media to Good Use in Government Communications

Putting Social Media to Good Use in Government Communications Lee Aase Manager, Syndication and Social Media Mayo Clinic #MAGC November 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

A Grandpa who appreciates the power of Facebook

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 • Batteries not included • Some assembly required • Your mileage may vary

Disclosures • No financial interest in any product or service mentioned in this presentation • Full-time salaried employee of Mayo Clinic

Today’s Goal:

Demonstrate that social media tools are... • Immensely powerful • Consistent with your organization’s values (or should be) • Free (or ridiculously inexpensive) • and...

Thesis #1: Air was the original social medium

Mayo Clinic and Word of Mouth • 91 percent of patients surveyed say they have said “good things” to an average of 40 people after 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

#2: Electronic tools merely facilitate broader, more efficient transmission by overcoming inertia and friction

#3: The mass media era was a temporary anomaly

Evolution of Community • Local: Pre-1930 • National: 1930-2005, made possible by mass media • Global: Post-2005, individuals members of multiple communities of interest without regard to geography • Succeeding levels build upon earlier stages without completely supplanting

#4: Social media are the third millennium’s defining communications trend

The Most Important Word in Web 2.0

Intro to Today’s FREE Tools Blogs RSS Podcasts Social Networks Skype YouTube Wikis Twitter Slideshare uStream

Intro to Blogs • Just an easy-to-publish Web site that allows comments • Blogs in Plain English - Lee LeFever • You read them all the time without even knowing it

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

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 • Create your own FREE podcast (listed in iTunes) through SMUG

Social Networking Sites

Wikis • Collaborative editing tools • Wikipedia the most famous • 2.9 million articles in English • Definitive stories quickly on − 35W Bridge Collapse − Virginia Tech shooting

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, SocialMedia.org

#7: Hand-wringing about merits and dangers of social media is as productive as debating gravity.

#9: Mass media will remain powerful levers that move -- and are moved by -- social media buzz.

#10: Social media strategies can’t compensate for an inferior offering or bad service

United Breaks Guitars Breaks United

#15: You can hear a lot just by listening

A Story from Twitter

Ensuing Conversation

#17: Social media are free in any ordinary sense of the word (or at least ridiculously inexpensive)

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

In England, based on current exchange rates: £0,00

In the European Union: €0,00

Cost for a Standard Definition Flip Video Camera $149.99 HD available for an additional $50

podcasts.mayoclinic.org

newsblog.mayoclinic.org

sharing.mayoclinic.org

Yearly Cost for a Customized Blog $75.00

Cost for Your Global TV Station and Publishing Platform $300.00

#18: As I approaches zero, ROI approaches infinity

#19: MacGyver is the model for social media success

The MacGyver Mindset

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

#20: Social media enable authentic communication if you don’t purposefully complicate things

Key Tool: Flip Video Camera* • Affordable • 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

Case Study: Simple Storytelling • 8:45 a.m. 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 YouTube channel • WSJ Health Blog used video

#24: Compelling content is much more valuable than advertising time or space

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

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 4.8 million views on YouTube • >1.4 million views on Sharing Mayo Clinic • From 200 views/month to 5,000 views/hour • Validation of Thesis #26

#26: Your mileage may vary, but you’ll go a lot further if you get a car.

If getting involved in social media doesn’t excite you...

#28: Paying for advertising while not taking advantage of FREE social media tools isn’t particularly astute

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. ”

The most harmful TV show in U.S History? • Married with Children? • Baywatch? • The Survivor series? • The A-Team?

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

#29: Your kids aren’t smarter than you are. They’re just not afraid to look dumb.

#33: Social media will decrease diffusion time for research and innovations (and crisis communications)

Thesis 9 and 33 Combined!

Mayo Clinic/USA Today #kidsflu Twitter chat 8-9 p.m. ET last night

An example from last night...

#34: Challenges of introducing social media in healthcare (or government) are not unique

Businesses Already Revolutionized • Music - iTunes vs. Tower Records • Classified Advertising - eBay, Craigslist • Bookstores • Movie rentals - Local, Blockbuster, Netflix • All mass media • Video cameras • See The Innovator’s Dilemma; TI Solution and TI Prescription - Clayton Christensen

#35: Social technologies will transform government

How can you accelerate the pace? • Free/low-cost practical experiments − Twitter − Blogs − YouTube • Suggest data practices statutory language to your favorite state legislators: − “Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent government units from interacting with citizens through general- purpose social networking sites.”

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 #MAGC, or via SMUG comments

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Putting Social Media to Good Use in Government Communications

by Lee Aase on Nov 19, 2009

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Putting Social Media to Good Use in Government Communications — Presentation Transcript