Social Media: A Critical Advocacy Tool

Maya Linson, MSDigital Communications Manager

America’s Essential Hospitals (formerly NAPH)

Why Social Media?

Conversations happen with or w/out you

“It should be abundantly clear by now that conversation, not facts, is what drives digital media usage”

--- Rich Gordon, Northwestern University Readership Institute

3

Why Social Media? (cont.)

Quick way to share informationAmplify your voiceFreeBuilt-in audienceTargeting

4

Just Another Tool

Snail MailE-mailTelephone

If Mom will get something out of it, other moms will, too. And dads. And policymakers…

Twitter Facebook YouTube

5

What are some of the tools?Facebook: strengthen existing relationships, re-

establish former relationships; “fan” organizations 955M registered users

Twitter: connect w/others who have common interests in real time; establish new relationships 500M registered users

YouTube/Flickr: share media, reinforce messages 800M unique visitors monthly to YouTube

6

Members of Congress on Twitter as of 1/18/13

Source: https://blog.twitter.com/2013/100-senators-and-57th-inauguration 7

Members of Congress on Twitter Apr 07 – Mar 12

*Analysis only reflects the date of the first Twitter account established.Source: Edelman, “Capitol Tweets,” 2012; National Journal Membership Research interviews and analysis.

8

What Social Media Can DO

Builds community Encourages loyalty, compliance Gives your organization a voice Train health professionals (video, simulations) Real-time emergency updates Correct misinformation Mobilize the public Encourage discussion Promote healthy behaviors

9

What NAPH Does

Listen, help shape important conversationsConnect with the pressCorrect misinformationMobilize the publicEncourage discussion

10

What Our Members Do

Encourage loyaltyConsumer-focus: promote healthy behaviors,

customer serviceTrain health professionals (video, simulations)Real-time emergency updatesCorrect misinformation

11

What Our Members SHOULD Do More

Engage in discussion with key influencersCorrect misinformationMobilize the public

12

13

What Members of Congress Do

Listen – check pulse on positions Engage constituents (Online Town Halls) Engage with press

14

15

2011 Trends in Congress Tweets

Data from Simply Measured from Sept-Dec 2011. Edelman - http://www.edelmandigital.com/2012/03/21/capitol-tweets-yeas-and-nays-of-the-congressional-twitterverse/

What You Can Do

Engage in discussion with key influencersBECOME an influencerCorrect misinformationShare successesMobilize the public

16

17

Continuum of “I Don’t Care”

Source: Chris Boyer, @chrisboyer, www.slideshare.net/chrisboyer

18

Key Take Aways

“Influencers” share content

Online discussion = broader reach

Promote your message at individual & policy levels

Using Social Media

TwitterFacebook

Where to start? Twitter.“Brevity is the soul of wit”

“Username” = someone’s handle (@mlinson) “Tweet” = an update; 140 characters max “Follower” = a user who has subscribed to another user’s updates “RT” or “Retweet” = resending a user’s update verbatim to your

followers @Reply = placing an “@” in front of a username will send

a publicly viewable message to the specific user #Hashtag = placing a # in front of a word categorizes updates

20

Basic GuidelinesAct with integrityBe real and transparentGive credit where credit is due (RT)Engage – respond to people, thank people, start

conversations

Worried about work affiliation? Simple bio disclaimer: “Tweets are my own.”

21

Now you’re on Twitter…

Find people with similar interests (And they will find you!)

Share links to articles, blog posts, photosUse established hashtags (#HCR, #RNchat,

#FollowFriday)Answer/ask questionsListen - search Twitter for key terms, look at

“trending topics”

22

Dip your toe in Re-tweet (e.g., your hospital tweets) Thank Members of Congress with their

username (@FLOTUS thanks for xyz!) Use the “share” link for interesting reads Follow back

23

Campaign Advice Photos shared most Prime your audience – use great content to

engage before asking people to act Combine with offline engagement Listening summary

24

Great Resources SMUG – Social Media University Global: http://social-media-

university-global.org/

Mashable Social Good: http://mashable.com/social-good/

Great slidedeck to introduce you to all that social media has to offer: http://www.slideshare.net/LeeAase/helping-auxilians-tell-their-stories

Twitter Registration Cheat Sheet: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/twitter-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html

25

Let’s Tweet.

Live session – take out your PDA or laptop!

Annual Conference hashtag - #MDSF13

26

Thank you!

Questions or help anytime:@mlinson

mlinson@essentialhospitals.org

27