Healthy Conference Toronto 2013 - Using Social Media to be Useful

Using Social Media to be UsefulPresented by

Nicole Ghanie-Opondo, Argyle Communicationsand Corey Desormeaux, Ottawa Fire Services

October 25, 2013

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Who the heck are we?

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Today’s learning goals:• The public health unit’s journey into social

media• Why be useful?• How to be useful?• YOU being useful.

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Health messages are vital and health organizations are a credible source.

BUT…

People have lives, interests and concerns of their own that may or may not include our health goals.

Listening and acting on social learning can create powerful and more penetrative messages.

Public Health and Social Media in Ontario• Leaders: TPH, OPH, Parenting in Peel• Honourable mentions: MLHU, CKPHU,

Hamilton, Kingston• Dominant platforms: FB, Twitter, YouTube

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7Classic + Continuous re-invention = loyalty

Common public sector social media faux pas:• Joining every social network• Tortoise-esque speed• Repurposing but not repackaging messages

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Faux pas #1: Joining every social network• Are your audiences there?• How are they using the network?• Is there a content strategy?

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Faux pas #2: Tortoise-esque speed• Bureaucracy• Discomfort with authenticity• Naval-gazing

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Faux pas #3 – Repurposing but not repackaging health messages

5 Tips for Writing health content for social

1. Be personable2. Ask questions3. Don’t use text speak4. Be alluring5. Keep it dynamic

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Why be useful?• To penetrate the noise• To nurture loyalty• To engage, learn and re-engage

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How to be useful1. Helping, not telling2. Acting on social learning3. Being relevant in real-time

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More helping, less telling.

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Act on social learning

• Social listening• Analytics research• Audience behaviour,

preference, interests

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Be relevant in real-time• Mobile app• Tells you when and how

much sunscreen you need to wear

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Activity2 rules:1. Don’t be boring.2. Be exceptionally useful to your audience.

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Visual Story-telling: Useful imagery

5 Things that make a video shareable:1. It’s entertaining2. It’s super-cute3. It’s shocking4. It’s short5. It’s promoted

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Safer sex for seniors PSA.

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Thank you! Nicole Corey @todayisbananas @xCoreyDx

www.publichealthandsocialmedia.wordpress.com

publichealthandsocialmedia@gmail.com