Social Media in Healthcare - PRSA Healthcare Conference 2008

Ed Schipuleschipul@schipul.com www.schipul.com // www.brandtobedetermined.com

Social Media in Healthcare:How PR can ethically penetrate Internet-based communities

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eschipul/2292142078/

Where is your message going?

(Medical Community)

(Patients)

(Concerned Parties)

(Caregivers)

What we’ll talk about...

• Joining in the online conversation

• Tools of the Healthcare 2.0 trade

• Opportunities for online interaction

Moving past technology and into communication

Traditional (old) Media

Social (new) Media

Feel overwhelmed?

(me too)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rmx/312837476/

Find your happy place

Social Media is a conversation...

... and people you know are already participating!

But how do they do it?

User Generated Content rocks!

Welcome to the Blogosphere

• Interactive

• Conversational

• Cost-effective

• Powerful connectors

Social Media Tools

Easy as:

Healthcare online - how to know what’s hotwww.thehealthcareguy.com

Shaking up the healthcare industry through techwww.docinthemachine.com

Podcasts - How an iPod makes you smartSocial Media Tools

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ollyhart/123420044/

• Low-tech recorded online ‘radio shows’

• Amazing knowledge sharing

• Listen on your computer at your desk

‘Tune in to good health’ with Dr. Galatiwww.yourhealthfirst.com

Government health researchers podcastingwww.healthcare411.ahrq.gov

RSS - Monitor the CommotionSocial Media Tools

How does it all work?

Addictive and essential Google Reader: www.google.com/reader

Online B2B video - no popcorn required

• Share your message

• Show off your expertise and instruct others (be generous!)

• Be genuine

Social Media Tools

http://icyou.com/icyou - Video community for the healthcare world

Medical University hosts their own YouTube channelwww.youtube.com/user/muschealth

Images are powerful - be visual communicatorswww.flickr.com // www.picasaweb.google.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pkeleher/88534241/

Collage Art for Cancer - a virtual, visual thank youhttp://flickr.com/photos/drmiggy/sets/72157604214446756/

Social Networks - Be part of the CommotionSocial Media Tools

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spotrick/1661694268

Facebook - Not just for college kids

• Group pages give support

• Share your knowledge with: - Facebook apps- ‘Share’ feature- News feed

• Facebook ads - super hot!

www.facebook.com

News in a new way from a Cancer center

www.twitter.com

CareFlash - Community when it matters mostwww.careflash.com

Patientslikeme - Where patients come to connectwww.patientslikeme.com

Social Bookmarking - Sharing the love

• Organized and accessible spot for all of your favorite links

• Discover smart people

• Another exposure method

• Easy automatic Blog posts!

Social Media Tools

http://del.icio.us Popular bookmarking

community

http://www.ma.gnolia.com Found is the new search

www.healthranker.com Ranking and sharing the

Healthcare news that matters

It’s all connected - be consistent, keep it simple

Reputation Managementin a Web 2.0 World

What are they saying about you?

www.google.com/alerts Email updates for your company name and

keywords

www,technorati.com/watchlist Powerful Social Media search

engine watches for your terms and updates you

http://alerts.yahoo.com Yahoo! alerts you of any

occurrences of defined terms and names

Track the Blogosphere buzz

Google Trends search: www.google.com/trends

Technorati search: www.technorati.com

How do you compare to your competition?

www.blogpulse.com Great visuals to track you

and your competition’s online activity and Buzz

Love thy feed reader!www.google.com/reader

Find something less-than-great about your organization online?

Deal with it! NOW!

Timeliness and sincerity mean everything

• Draft response strategy beforehand

• Back it up with visible action!

• A crisis is NOT the time to start a Blog

Social Media Review

• Join the conversation

• Great for Communication Pros

• Keep an eye on your Online Reputation

Communication 2.0

Thanks for participating today!

Ed Schipul

CEO, Schipul - The Web Marketing Companywww.schipul.com // www.tendenci.com (281) 497.6567

Blog: www.brandtobedetermined.com Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/eschipul Twitter: www.twitter.com/eschipul

Find my slides on Slideshare: www.slideshare.net/eschipul