Presented to group of government relations professionals in hospital settings, encouraging greater use of social media to enhance success at local and federal levels.
Abhay Bhutada Leads Poonawalla Fincorp To Record Growth In FY24
Social Media as Critical Advocacy Tool - Health Care Focus
1.
2. Social Media:
A Critical Advocacy Tool
Maya Linson, MS
Digital Communications Manager
America’s Essential Hospitals (formerly NAPH)
3. Why Social Media?
Conversations happen with or w/out you
“It should be abundantly clear by now
that conversation, not facts, is what
drives digital media usage”
--- Rich Gordon, Northwestern University
Readership Institute
3
4. Why Social Media? (cont.)
Quick way to share information
Amplify your voice
Free
Built-in audience
Targeting
4
5. Just Another Tool
Snail Mail
E-mail
Telephone
If Mom will get something out of it, other
moms will, too. And dads. And policymakers…
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
5
6. What are some of the tools?
Facebook: strengthen existing relationships, re-
establish former relationships; “fan” organizations
955M registered users
Twitter: connect w/others who have common
interests in real time; establish new relationships
500M registered users
YouTube/Flickr: share media, reinforce messages
800M unique visitors monthly to YouTube
6
7. Members of Congress on Twitter as of 1/18/13
Source: https://blog.twitter.com/2013/100-senators-and-57th-inauguration 7
8. Members of Congress on Twitter Apr 07 – Mar 12
*Analysis only reflects the date of the first Twitter account established.
Source: Edelman, “Capitol Tweets,” 2012; National Journal Membership Research interviews and analysis.
8
9. What Social Media Can DO
Builds community
Encourages loyalty, compliance
Gives your organization a voice
Train health professionals (video, simulations)
Real-time emergency updates
Correct misinformation
Mobilize the public
Encourage discussion
Promote healthy behaviors
9
10. What NAPH Does
Listen, help shape important conversations
Connect with the press
Correct misinformation
Mobilize the public
Encourage discussion
10
11. What Our Members Do
Encourage loyalty
Consumer-focus: promote healthy behaviors,
customer service
Train health professionals (video, simulations)
Real-time emergency updates
Correct misinformation
11
12. What Our Members SHOULD Do More
Engage in discussion with key influencers
Correct misinformation
Mobilize the public
12
13. 13
What Members of Congress Do
Listen – check pulse on positions
Engage constituents (Online Town Halls)
Engage with press
15. 15
2011 Trends in Congress Tweets
Data from Simply Measured from Sept-Dec 2011.
Edelman - http://www.edelmandigital.com/2012/03/21/capitol-tweets-yeas-and-nays-of-the-congressional-twitterverse/
16. What You Can Do
Engage in discussion with key influencers
BECOME an influencer
Correct misinformation
Share successes
Mobilize the public
16
17. 17
Continuum of “I Don’t Care”
Source: Chris Boyer, @chrisboyer, www.slideshare.net/chrisboyer
18. 18
Key Take Aways
“Influencers” share content
Online discussion = broader reach
Promote your message at individual &
policy levels
20. Where to start? Twitter.
“Brevity is the soul of wit”
“Username” = someone’s handle (@mlinson)
“Tweet” = an update; 140 characters max
“Follower” = a user who has subscribed to another user’s
updates
“RT” or “Retweet” = resending a user’s update verbatim to
your followers
@Reply = placing an “@” in front of a username will send
a publicly viewable message to the specific user
#Hashtag = placing a # in front of a word categorizes updates
20
21. Basic Guidelines
Act with integrity
Be real and transparent
Give credit where credit is due (RT)
Engage – respond to people, thank people, start
conversations
Worried about work affiliation?
Simple bio disclaimer: “Tweets are my own.”
21
22. Now you’re on Twitter…
Find people with similar interests (And they will
find you!)
Share links to articles, blog posts, photos
Use established hashtags (#HCR, #RNchat,
#FollowFriday)
Answer/ask questions
Listen - search Twitter for key terms, look at
“trending topics”
22
23. Dip your toe in
Re-tweet (e.g., your hospital tweets)
Thank Members of Congress with their
username (@FLOTUS thanks for xyz!)
Use the “share” link for interesting reads
Follow back
23
24. Campaign Advice
Photos shared most
Prime your audience – use great content to
engage before asking people to act
Combine with offline engagement
Listening summary
24
25. Great Resources
SMUG – Social Media University Global: http://social-media-
university-global.org/
Mashable Social Good: http://mashable.com/social-good/
Great slidedeck to introduce you to all that social media has to
offer: http://www.slideshare.net/LeeAase/helping-auxilians-tell-
their-stories
Twitter Registration Cheat Sheet: http://www.dummies.com/how-
to/content/twitter-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html
25
User stats as of 2012 according to National Journal
When the 112th Congress convened in 2011, 44% of the Senate and 35% of the House were active on Twitter. In two years time, that’s grown to 100% of the Senate and 90% (398 representatives) of the House. Now there are 29 states with their entire delegation tweeting (both senators and all representatives); every state has at least 70% of their delegation tweeting. From: https://blog.twitter.com/2013/100-senators-and-57th-inauguration