Social Media in Practice: The MTW Experience
Emma Aldrich
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
01622 224647
What we use:
• Blog: mtwlibrary.blogspot.co.uk• Twitter: #mtwnhslibrary• Netvibes: www.netvibes.com/mtwlibrary• Wiki: Pilot project for Leadership
Faculty
Blog
• Started in 2005• Slow start – only made 70 entries in the first
three years• Use it for:
– Advertising new resources– Information about trials– Book Club, Film Club– Changes to scheduled opening hours/ events
Blog
• Change the style every few years
Blog
• Lots of links to and from our website plus links to other key resources
Blog
• 10260 page views so far……
Blog
• Google analytics help us to see its value and help us to understand what our users want
• We cheat…….– Use twitterfeed to reproduce all blog posts and
send them to our twitter account automatically.
• Currently have 16 followers• Improving now our Trust has a Twitter and
Facebook presence, but blocked on the Trust Network!
Netvibes
• Started the site in 2010.• Slow growing
– Get uptake from specific departments with named leads
– Tailor each tab to the needs of the department– Promote at top levels as much as possible, via
Local Faculty Groups– Strip it back – don’t get carried away!– Can use tools like Yahoo Pipes to blend feeds
Netvibes
Netvibes
Netvibes
Wiki
• Recognition of skills in using social media• Start a wiki for the Leadership Faculty Group
– Pilot phase– Review next week– Uncertain of interest/ uptake– Will offer to other departments/ faculties if a
success
Reflection…..
• Sometimes feel we are more interested in the technology/ potential than in what it can actually deliver with it
• Know when to give up (GP VTS Google Group)• Still believe that even if only a handful use the
pages and sites we have set up, we may reach otherwise unavailable groups