Always Be Prepared5 documents for social media readiness

Valerie BarroDirector of Digital Marketing

Grey Matter Marketingwww.greymattermarketing.com

valerie@greymattermarketing.com

Social Media & Health Care

• 81% percent of U.S. adults use the internet, and 59% say they have looked online for health information in the past year.

• 35% percent say they have gone online specifically to try to figure out what medical condition they or someone else might have

• 57% say a social media connection with a hospital was likely to have a strong impact on their decision to seek treatment at that hospital

2

“A hospital without an engaging social media presence soon may be viewed with the same suspicion as a business that has no website” – the Healthcare Association of New York

Only 16% of hospitals actively use social media

Social Media & Health Care• Brand Monitoring• Crisis Management• Customer Service• Referrals &

Recommendations• Fostering Communities• Brand Awareness• Customer Input

3

Not long ago, terms such as liking, following, tagging, and stumbling all had very different meanings.

But in the era of social media, they provide the clues that could lead to higher quality care, more loyal customers, efficiency, and even revenue growth.” -- The Health Research Institute ”Social media ‘likes’ healthcare: from marketing to social business" Health Research Institute. April 2012. Available at:

<http://pwchealth.com/cgi-local/hregister.cgi/reg/health-care-social-media-report.pdf>. Accessed August 8, 2013.

Divol, R., Edelman, D. and Sarrazin, H., ”Demystifying social media." McKinsey Quarterly. April 2012. Available at: <http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/marketing_sales/demystifying_social_media>. Accessed August 8, 2013.

Internal Readiness• Risk management starts

with having procedures in place that are accessible and easy to understand

• Start with five key documents to:

– Allow your organization to enter the world of social media while

– Reducing liability and

– Maintaining a consistent company message

Internal Readine

ss

Social Media Policy

Social Media

Guidelines

Conversation Guide

Response Protocol

Community Guidelines

4

1. Social Media PolicyInteracting with social media at work

• A legal document that covers how employees can use social media at work and on your behalf

– Usage during working hours

– Applicable state and federal law (e.g. HIPAA)

– Confidentiality & competitive intelligence

– Conduct between employees

5

Many businesses block employee access to social media in the office.

It’s difficult for your employees to be advocates when they can’t even access the platforms.

Employee training can translate into involvement and enthusiasm.

2. Social Media GuidelinesInteracting with social media as a whole

• Provides employees best practices for interacting on social media as an employee but not on behalf of your organization

– Disclosures (make it clear you are speaking on your behalf and not on the behalf of the company)

– Use of company name and logo

– Mention of customers, partners or suppliers

– Simple common sense guidance (“be respectful of others’ opinions”)

6

In late 2012, the National Labor Relations Board issued a series of rulings that effectively said that companies cannot legally issue blanket social media policies that prohibit employees from speaking about work or work conditions on social networks.

3. Conversation GuideA style guide for social media

• When employees are interacting on social media on behalf of your organization, this ensures consistent branding and voice across accounts– Tone of voice

– Types of images

– Naming protocols

– Hashtag use7

How you structure your naming protocol etc. matters less than consistent use across platforms and accounts.

Remember, social media is an extension of your brand.

Content discovery. Is it positive or

negative?

Assess

Who is commenting

? What is their

intention?

Evaluate

If necessary, respond or

triage to the appropriate professional

.

Respond

4. Response Protocol

8

What to do in case of emergency How to respond to positive & negative feedback

Response considerations:• Transparency (disclose who you are)• Sourcing (cite your source)• Timeliness (how soon to respond)• Tone (see conversation guide)• Influence (who as commented)• HIPAA

Response Protocol & HIPAA

• Patients who join and share do so voluntarily

• Consider directing inquiries to a private phone line or use the direct messaging function

• Always use your standard consent forms when re-posting patient information

9

“As health organizations collect more detailed information on its patients, proper safeguards will be needed to ensure privacy and security” -- The Health Research Institute

5. Community Guidelines

How you expect others to behave

• Keep it on topic: we request your keep your comments within the purposes of our Fan page

• Keep it clean: please don’t post comments that are unlawful, abusive, defamatory, offensive or contain profanities

• Keep away from: in your comments please avoid specific mention of …

10

Remember: your customers understand the regulatory environment you work in.

Don’t use legal jargon to explain your internal regulatory policies.

Tell customers exactly what they can expect (e.g. a 24 hour delay for posts).

Always Be Prepared

Five documents for social media readiness

1. Social media policy

2. Social media guidelines

3. Conversation guide

4. Response protocol

5. Community guidelines

11

THANK YOU!

Any Questions?

Valerie Barrowww.greymattermarketing.comvalerie@greymattermarketing.com

12