My presentation this morning to the Wisconsin Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society.

1. Why Social Media are Essential
to the Future of Health Care,
and How You Can Get Started
Lee Aase
Manager, Syndication and Social Media
Mayo Clinic
#WHPRMS
October 9, 2009

2. What’s with Medical Marketing
Society Acronyms?
• WHPRMS
• MHSCN
• SHSMD
• FSHPRM
• Have you guys ever heard of vowels?

3. The One Percent Solution

4. No genius necessary...

5. Help you shoot down arguments
that social media tools...
• ...aren’t worth your time and money
• ...are too risky for your organization
• ...are beyond your capability to
implement, either because of cost or
complexity
• ...are optional

6. Help you make the case that
social media tools are...
• Immensely powerful
• Consistent with your organization’s
values (or should be)
• Free (or ridiculously inexpensive)
• and...

9. 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

10. When we last met...
• I presented on Mayo media relations
• My blog was called “Lines from Lee”
• We had done our first podcast experiment
• I hadn’t joined Facebook, Twitter hadn’t
been invented, and we did a Skype voice
demo because of the outrageous charges
for outgoing land-line calls
• I had six kids...

11. A lot has changed...

15. Answering Your
Questions
• Why should I care?
• What are social media?
• What is Mayo doing?
• How can I get started?

16. Reasons to Care about Social
Media: Risks are Unavoidable
• Anyone (especially determined
detractors) can
− Start a blog
− Launch a YouTube channel
• A significant portion of your
employees are in Facebook now (e.g.
>5,000 at Mayo Clinic)
• ROI = Risk of Ignoring (Hat tip: USCG)

17. Star Tribune Values and The
Changing Media Landscape
• 1998 $1.2 Billion
• 2006: $530 Million
• Emerged from
bankruptcy last
week

18. 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
• Your mileage may vary

19. The Most Important Word (and
Book Recommendation) in Web

21. The MacGyver Mindset

22. Cutting Edge Circa 1989

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

24. Intro to Blogs
• Just an easy-to-publish Web site that
allows comments
• Blogs in Plain English - Lee LeFever

25. 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

26. 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

27. Social Networking Sites

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

30. 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

32. Other Important Platforms
• Slideshare.net: YouTube for PowerPoint
and Keynote
• uStream.tv: Your own global television
channel
• Mix and Match

34. A Taste of Tweetcamp
• Understanding the Phenomenon
• Exploring Applications

35. Twitter vs. Facebook
• Facebook is primarily for strengthening
existing connections (or re-establishing
former ones.) For your friends.
• Twitter enables you to connect with
people who have common interests.
For the friends you don’t know yet.

36. Twitter vs. Blogs
• Twitter is a micro-blogging platform.
• Limited length reduces writer’s/artist’s
block
• Blogs provide opportunity for more
thoughtful reflection and development
− Tweeting = great way to take notes on
a live event
− Blog = platform for review/synthesis
− Twitter = great for spreading word
about posts

37. 5 Reasons Twitter Beats Email
• Polonius’ proverb pertains
• No expectation to read and respond to
every message
• Conversations open and discoverable
• Direct messages can reach recipients
with priority
• Blocking or unfollowing punishes
abuses

38. Twitter Hashtags
• Enable easy gathering, especially
around an event, such as:
− #hcsm
− #WHPRMS
• Follow in search.twitter.com or log
into room on Tweetchat.com
• Create a hashtag simply by using it in
a tweet

39. Making Twitter More Productive
• Desktop Applications
− Tweetdeck
− Seesmic
• Phone Applications
− Twittelator
− Tweetie
− Twitterific
• Various Web sites, e.g. HootSuite,
CoTweet, Tweetchat

40. Twitter Case Study #1: Listening

42. Ensuing Conversation

44. Twitter Case Study #2:
“Tweetup” in Baltimore
Me: Are you based in Baltimore?
Me: I’m going to be there Tuesday for this conference.
(asae.center.or/hcc) on a panel RU available late pm?
Me: I’m flying out Tues at 6:45 p.m. Any avail in the later
afternoon? I think my panel is done about 2:30

45. Twitter Case Study #3:
Journalist Interactions

47. Hospitals Using Social Media
(via @EdBennett)

48. Growth of YouTube vs. Twitter

50. Mayo Clinic’s Social Media
Experience

51. Mayo Clinic’s Origin
http://tinyurl.com/32xbjx

52. 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
52

53. Mayo Clinic and Word of Mouth
• 91 percent of patients surveyed say
they have said “good things” to an
average of 40 people following a Mayo
visit
• 85 percent say they recommended
Mayo to a friend
− Advised an average of 16 to come
− 5 actually came

54. Mayo Clinic Medical Edge
News Media Syndications

55. First Foray in New Media
• Existing Medical Edge radio mp3s
• Launched Sept. ‘05; Downloads up
8,217 percent Oct. vs. Aug.

56. Step 2: More, Longer Podcasts

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

62. Key Tool: Flip Video Camera*
• Affordable for all campuses (and you)
• 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

63. Cost for a Standard Definition
Flip Video Camera
$150.00
HD available for an additional $80

64. HD: Worth the Investment

65. podcasts.mayoclinic.org

66. newsblog.mayoclinic.org

67. Sharing Mayo Clinic
• Gathering global Mayo community
− Patients telling their stories
− Employee bloggers recruited from
throughout organization
− Video profiles of patients/staff
• Hub to integrate Mayo social media
• Interactive companion to print edition
• sharing.mayoclinic.org

68. sharing.mayoclinic.org

70. Complying with HIPAA
• Comments moderated to prevent privacy
breaches
− Patients can divulge own info in
comments
− When comments aren’t from patient, de-
identify
• Get HIPAA releases for special
comments or video we shoot and upload

71. Where Sharing Mayo Clinic Fits
• News Blog - Breaking research news;
“Hard” news - Like U.S News, Time
• Podcast Blog - Evergreen “news you
can use” - Like Prevention
• Sharing Mayo Clinic - Features; behind
the scenes at Mayo Clinic, and stories
from patients in their own words - Like
People

72. Other Blogs...
• Health Policy Center Blog
• Physician Update Blog - For referring
MDs but not limited to them
• Diversity in Education Blog
• Advancing the Science - Medical
science blog - our medical version of
Scientific American

73. Yearly Cost for a
Customized Blog
$75.00

74. Old-Style Online Newsroom vs.
MacGyver Online Newsroom
• Web 1.0 Online Newsroom
− Typically purchased from a Vendor
− Costly - up to $10,000 + monthly fee
− Password-Protected Access
• “MacGyver” Online Newsroom
− DIY
− $45/year or $0.12/day
− Open to customers/patients/links

75. Two Case Studies of Mainstream
Media Facilitated by Social Media
• Wall Street Journal Health Blog
− Pitched via Facebook
− Previewed on News Blog
− Embedded from YouTube
• CBS Radio Network
− Flip audio downloaded from news blog
made national network air

79. Answers to Objections
• “But what about the cost in staff time to
maintain all of these social media
platforms? They’re not really that
cheap!”
− AT&T free phone service in 1969
− Pitney Bowes free fax machines and
supplies in 1989
− YouTube, Facebook and Twitter free in
2009

80. “8th Habit” Opportunity
I can go to any group, and I do it all the time, all over the world, and I
ask a simple question: “How many honestly believe that the vast
majority of the workforce in your organizations possess more talent,
more intelligence, more capability, more creativity, more resourcefulness
than their present jobs require or even allow them to use?” Literally,
almost everyone raises their hands…. Think of the loss of what we could
call “voice,” of people’s intelligence, capability, creativity. And yet I
can ask the next question: … “How many feel pressured to produce
more for less?” and you know what, the same amount of hands go up.
Now just put those two questions together: Here there’s this enormous
capability and talent and intelligence, and also this great pressure to
produce more for less, and they’re not able to even use it.
-- Stephen Covey

81. Stephen Covey’s “8th Habit”
Going beyond effectiveness to greatness
“Find your voice and inspire
others to find theirs”

82. Giving Voice to Some Stories...

84. Affirming our Employees
Dear staff,
This 4 minute video actually made me tear
up…the patients mentioning our Judd
Sessions, classes and pamphlets…in relation
to their satisfaction with their care. How
wonderful to hear.
The patient/family testimonials reminded me
how we are making a difference through patient
education in the lives of our patients/families.

85. Darrin Nelson’s Story

86. Darrin D. Nelson (@darrindnelson)
Rochester, NY

89. Jillayn Hey’s “Remarkable” Story
“One statement has stuck out above
all of the medical jargon written by
the surgeons and various nurses who
cared for me, and that is this:
‘patient's stay was unremarkable.’
Well, although things went fairly
smoothly after a difficult surgery, I
would like to say that there was
nothing unremarkable about my
experience with Mayo.”

90. Therapeutic Storytelling...
“I recently read an (Utne Reader) article ... (which said) that
through telling our personal stories of illness and disease, we
assist in creating a new story of wellness that facilitates
healing and in turn directs a person towards recovery. This is
just one aspect that Sharing Mayo Clinic provides. It is not
only an opportunity for many patients and perhaps future
patients to tell their unique stories to work their way towards
health but it also provides a voice for its employees to share
parts of their daily work which I know must include joy and
sorrow as some of us become well and some of us
unfortunately do not. In my opinion, this is just another area
that Mayo is ahead of the curve in caring for its patients and
obviously their employees as well.”

93. Don’t (just) pitch the
media.
Be the media.

94. The Next Big Thing:
Radio Syndication

95. Healthline becomes Medical
Edge Weekend
• Host is Mayo Clinic M.D. with 20 years
local radio experience
• Previous syndication not feasible
− 1999: Unlikely profitable
− 2008: $20K/month unavailable
• Opportunity for creative application of
social media tools

96. The MacGyver Syndication Plan
• Production continues at KROC-AM
• Segments delivered to affiliates as
mp3 files for next week’s broadcast
• Topic for live production posted to
blog, promoted via Twitter
• Listen live through audio stream from
flagship station
• Podcasts posted 9 days later

97. Official Launch Last Week
• Already a “win”: formerly local
program now on >10 stations,
including international
• Gradual growth is practical because
costs are nearly $0.00
• Unbridling a physician’s passion
• Significant new social media content

99. Follow Medical Edge Weekend
Progress
• radio.mayoclinic.org
• #mayoradio
• @mayoclinic

100. Enhancing Distribution of
Patient-Generated Content
• Alerted to interesting video of elderly
couple playing piano in Gonda atrium
• Embedded in Sharing Mayo Clinic,
posted to Facebook, Tweeted on 4/7/09
• Video had been seen 1,005 times in six
preceding months since upload

101. The next day...

102. Six days later...

103. April 22

104. Sunday, May 3

107. May 4

108. Cinco de Mayo

109. May 10

111. May 11

112. May 12

113. A sampling of the comments...

114. May 15

115. Early Morning May 26

116. May 26, 2009: Live in Studio
Good Morning America

118. May 28, 2009

119. Results to Date
• More than 4.6 million views on YouTube
• More than 1.4 million views on Sharing
Mayo Clinic
• Before posting to Sharing Mayo Clinic:
1,000 views in six months
• After posting, Facebooking and
Tweeting: 5,000 views per hour

120. Lessons
• Your mileage may vary, but...
• You’ll go a lot farther if you get a car.

121. Summary
• Twitter, Facebook, YouTube: $0
• Sharing Mayo Clinic blog: $75
• Bringing joy to the world through
music: Priceless

122. Immense Potential
• Marketing we couldn’t buy at any price
− 500,000 annual unique patients,
50,000 employees as ambassadors
• More efficient care delivery
− Patient support groups
− Chronic disease management
− Workplace Collaboration
• Free versions let you prove concept,
gauge readiness

124. Tips on Personal Steps to
Explore
• Establish a permanent personal email
• Get profiles in Facebook, LinkedIn
• Get a Twitter account
• Get a Flip camera (or iPhone 3G S?)
• Create a personal YouTube account
• Start a personal Blog

125. Visit Mayo Clinic Social Media
Sites
• Follow, subscribe or “Fan”
− http://twitter.com/mayoclinic
− http://www.youtube.com/user/mayoclinic
− http://sharing.mayoclinic.org/
− http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayo-Clinic/
7673082516
• Consider sharing your Mayo Clinic story

126. Starter Steps for Organizations
• Claim your Twitter “handle”
• Create a Facebook “fan” page
• Create a YouTube channel
• For Extra Credit: If you have
organizational commitment, create a
multi-author blog

127. The Social Media
Pyramid

129. Maslow’s Hierarchy

130. A Well-Balanced Social Media
Diet

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

134. “Your kids aren’t
smarter than you are.
They’re just not
afraid to look dumb.”