Social in SeattleThe Role of Social Media in Engaging Patients, Employees and the Media

April 13-15, 2011

Today’s agenda• Why social media? – Health care– Children’s Hospital Boston

• Getting started in social media• Children’s social media efforts– Blogging– Facebook– Twitter– YouTube

• Some nuts and bolts• Final thoughts and Q and A

Why is health care using social media?

• Our jobs have changed• The tools have changed• Our audiences, their needs

and expectations have changed

• Incredible opportunities to inform and engage, all while building your organization’s brand

Why is Children’s doing it?

• Open up two-way communication• Position us as a leader in pedi health info• Build online brand and reputation, which

contributes to brick and mortar reputation• Augment and enhance website activities• Respond in real-time to service issues,

complaints and opportunities• Spread awareness of our services; drive

volume

The social media SEA• Strategize:

– How do social media efforts help accomplish the organization’s goals?

• Execute/Engage: – Share great stories, voices, images,

videos – Amplify your message using

available internal and external resources

– Identify and connect with others; quid pro quo

• Assess: – How did it go?– Replicate successes, learn from

failures

Blogging• Children’s blogs:– Thrive: Pediatric health,

wellness and parenting– Vector: Science and innovation

• Benefits:– Platform to share timely,

relevant news and info– Real-time feedback on content– Control messaging– SEO benefits– Brand building

Blogging• Decide what your

blog is—and isn’t• Different medium, same

rules• Take chances,

encourage opinions, court controversy, inject personality

• Let others do the talking

Blogs push your expertise

Children’s on Facebook• 550,000 likes: Largest hospital

Facebook page in the world• 19 total pages• Posts viewed approx. 100 million times• Benefits:– Everyone’s there; it’s part of everyday life– Very easy to share and interact– Great, cost-effective way to push out

content

Facebook how-to’s• How we use Facebook:– Share our stories– Place for people to share their stories – Service recovery tool – Morale builder for staff and families– Political engager – Source of referrals

• Create something that will engage your audience• Give people the chance to talk about themselves

Facebook breaks down walls and opens doors

Children’s on Twitter• 15 Twitter handles, all

separately maintained• 11,500 total followers• Benefits:– Real-time communication– Push out our content– Personal touch; easy to

build relationships– Cheap and easy to maintain

Twitter how-to’s• Followers/Following– Connect with reputable, like-minded organizations– Quality and quantity

• Keep it relevant– Push the conversation with interesting, current info – Less likely to get lost in the din– Extremely limited window of opportunity

• Share and share alike – Promotes good will, brings good content to your

followers and can lead to more re-Tweets

Twitter is connection and conversation

Children’s on YouTube• Patient stories, clinical info

and calls to action• Takes advantage of #2

search engine in the world• Nearly 1,000 videos • 350 subscribers • 250,000 views• 17,500 views/month• Video shows your org like

nothing else

YouTube brings your organization to life

• New 1st trimester test for Down syndrome

• Thrive post by doc who treats Down and has a sister with it

• Controversy and positive reaction• 10,000 views• Shared widely on other blogs• Hundreds of comments• Thousands of social reactions

When it all comes together

Nuts and bolts• HIPAA and Legal• Huddles help maximize

collaboration, coordination and communication

• Know the tools; use them every day

• Watch the data and searched terms

• Give your social media efforts the time, resources and attention they require

Huddles help you get your ducks in a row.

• Dedicated – 1 Social Media Specialist

• Significant responsibilities– 3 directors– 2 writer/editors– 1 media team member– 1 videographer

• Not insignificant responsibilities– Many staff throughout department

• Plus one very talented pediatrician, mother and writer

Staffing

Last thoughts• Share the good stuff; make a plan for dealing

with the bad stuff• You can’t buy buy-in; building trust throughout

the organization will pay off• Don’t be afraid to fail• Health care’s compelling, important, always

relevant—communicate that• And don’t forget…

There’s still a place for print

ContactMatt Cyr – Director, Patient and Family Communications• matthew.cyr@childrens.harvard.edu• Twitter: – @mattcyr – @childrensboston– @thrivechildrens

Complete listing of Children’s social media at: childrenshospital.org/socialmedia