Social MediaOverview and IntroductionPresented by:Jon LebkowskyWhere Social Media and Health Care Meet- Harnessing New Media ToolsThursday, June 18, 2009  THA Headquarters

What are we talking about?Bulletin boards/forums/newsgroups/online communities“The virtual community”Online social networksBlogs/social software/wikis“Web 2.0”The audience is the showNote: It’s important to start with listening.

Wikipedia DefinitionSocial media is content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies. At its most basic sense, social media is a shift in how people discover, read and share news, information and content. It's a fusion of sociology and technology, transforming monologues (one to many) into dialogues (many to many) and is the democratization of information, transforming people from content readers into publishers. Social media has become extremely popular because it allows people to connect in the online world to form relationships for personal and business. Businesses also refer to social media as user-generated content (UGC) or consumer-generated media (CGM). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_mediaNote that this page has generated some controversy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Social_media

Are hospitals using social media? Are you?

Ed Bennet maintains a list of hospitals that are using social networking tools. http://ebennett.org/hsnl/

Social Life of Health Information61% of American adults look online for health information.57% turn to the Internet when they need information and assistance in dealing with health or medical issues. (86% ask a doctor.)A majority access user-generated health information via blogs, newsgroups, reviews and ratings.Social networking sites are used sparingly for health inquiries and updatesSocial Life of Health Information, Pew Internet and American Life, June 11, 2009. By Susannah Fox and Sydney Jones.

61% of American adults look online for health information.

57% turn to the Internet when they need information and assistance in dealing with health or medical issues. (86% ask a doctor.)

A majority access user-generated health information via blogs, newsgroups, reviews and ratings.

Social networking sites are used sparingly for health inquiries and updates

Social Life of Health InformationOnline health inquiries have an impact on decisions or actions and there are clearly more positive experiences than negative ones.60% say the information found online affected a decision about how to treat an illness or condition.56% say it changed their overall approach to maintaining their health or the health of someone they help take care of.Social Life of Health Information, Pew Internet and American Life, June 11, 2009. By Susannah Fox and Sydney Jones.

Online health inquiries have an impact on decisions or actions and there are clearly more positive experiences than negative ones.

60% say the information found online affected a decision about how to treat an illness or condition.

56% say it changed their overall approach to maintaining their health or the health of someone they help take care of.

Social Life of Health Information53% say it led them to ask a doctor new questions, or to get a second opinion from another doctor. 49% say it changed the way they think about diet, exercise, or stress management.38% say it affected a decision about whether to see a doctor.38% say it changed the way they cope with a chronic condition or manage pain.Social Life of Health Information, Pew Internet and American Life, June 11, 2009. By Susannah Fox and Sydney Jones.

53% say it led them to ask a doctor new questions, or to get a second opinion from another doctor.

49% say it changed the way they think about diet, exercise, or stress management.

38% say it affected a decision about whether to see a doctor.

38% say it changed the way they cope with a chronic condition or manage pain.

Social Life of Health InformationChange is coming, whether through the spread of wireless devices or generational shifts.Wireless connections are associated with deeper engagement in social media and an accelerated pace of information exchange.Adults between the ages of 18 to 49 are more likely than older adults to participate in social technologies related to health. Experts remain vital to the health-search and decision-making process.Social Life of Health Information, Pew Internet and American Life, June 11, 2009. By Susannah Fox and Sydney Jones.

Wireless connections are associated with deeper engagement in social media and an accelerated pace of information exchange.

Adults between the ages of 18 to 49 are more likely than older adults to participate in social technologies related to health.

Experts remain vital to the health-search and decision-making process.

What is the Return on Investment?

Social Media is more than marketing, and the true ROI is harder to measure.

ChallengesThe value of social connections and transactions is generally intangible and hard to capture in a quantitative assessment.You're trying to evaluate conversations, interactions, and relationships.Conversations and relationships get long term, often indirect results which are harder to measure.

Qualitative assessmentsReputationConversations Customer relationships

ReputationWhat are people saying about us?Who's talking?How are we responding?How does this change over time?

ConversationsWhat and where are the relevant conversations about hospitals/medicine/healthcare?Are we part of the conversation? Are we leading?Are we building relationships? Are we relating to the right audience?Are we proactively finding new conversations that are relevant, and participating?Are listening as well as talking?

Quantitative AssessmentUse traditional analytics if…you're creating campaigns that drive traffic to your web site,you have clarity about what constitutes a conversion at your site, andyou can define a clear, measurable path to conversion.

ApplicationsBlogsYouTubeFacebookTwitterThese are the applications that Ed Bennett is tracking at “Found in Cache”: http://ebennett.org/hsnl/

Strategy FirstDefine and refine your goals and objectivesListen, analyze, know the conversational spaceKnow your audience: personasSelect and learn applications (e.g. blogs, interactive video sites, social networks.)

BlogSelect or build simple, easy to use technologyIdentify who is blogging, consider voice(s)Define core contentSet goals related to overall social media strategyHow often should you blog?

YouTubeShow what you do, establish your reputationEducate the community, demystify healthcareConnect with patients, donors, healthcare professionals, other hospitals

FacebookArticulate your messagesBuild attention, adherence, possibly communityAggregate media from other sources

TwitterCreate personal presenceFind and build conversational relationshipsChannel for news and information casually presentedPost links to longer form content (blog, Youtube, Facebook)

Q&AJon LebkowskySocial Web Strategieshttp://socialwebstrategies.comjonl@socialwebstrategies.com