Social media is growing rapidly due to consumers' desire to connect. It can benefit organizations by enhancing marketing and strengthening relationships with patients. To start a successful social media presence, an organization should follow the POST method: identify target audiences and objectives, develop a strategy, and choose appropriate technologies. Hiring a social media manager can help maintain consistent, engaging content within policy guidelines. While a manager requires a salary, the benefits of increased exposure and relationships can outweigh these costs through return on objectives and investment.

1. Kim Hill – Freeman Erica Lothspeich C Suite Brief: Social Media

2. Do We Need Social Media? – Yes! Why? Groundswell, formed by people’s desire to connect, new interactive technologies, & online economics, has shifted the balance of power from businesses to consumers and is growing at an extremely rapid rate (pg. 11)1 With consumers and relationships steering business, it is critical for our organization not only be represented in the ‘marketplace’ via social media, but to positively maintain existing relationships and form new ones 1Li, C., & Bernoff, J. (2008). Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.

3. What Can it Do? For patients: Stay up to date on the latest news from our organization Share experiences and form relationships with other patients Have another way to communicate with the organization For us: Enhance business strategy Additional marketing & public relations efforts2 Provide new ideas for growth and change What patients like/dislike via what is/isn’t being said Strengthen and form relationships Relationships can turn into revenues 2iHealthBeat. (2010, November 8). More Hospitals Creating Positions Specifically To Manage Social Media. Retrieved April 19, 2011, from iHealthBeat Web site: http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2010/11/8/more-hospitals-creating-positions-specifically-to-manage-social-media.aspx

4. How Do We Start? - POST Build strategy with POST: A 4-step method (pg.67-68)3 “P” » People Who is your target audience? What are they ready for? How will they connect based on what they’re already doing? ie: Are they more likely to write reviews or join social networks? Appeal to where, what, and who they are4 Consider conducting a survey asking our audience what they want from our social media “O” » Objectives What are your goals? Be very clear! Listening, Talking, Energizing, Supporting, or Embracing? 3Li, C., & Bernoff, J. (2008). Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing. 4Good Morning Marketers (Creator). thundertechvideo (Poster) (2010, March 15). Getting to Know Your Target Audience :: Good Morning Marketers :: thunder::tech [Video] Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17IzYc9Axhg

5. POST (cont’d) “S” » Strategy How do you want relationships with patients to change? Do we want users to help convey messages to others in our industry? Do we want users/patients to be more engaged with our hospital? Clear answers to these questions will be very important in determining how we will measure ROI/ROO Get buy-in from those within our organization “T” » Technology Decide which applications to build or use based on answers to questions in the POST process Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, etc. Li, C., & Bernoff, J. (2008). Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.

7. Must develop a well-thought out social media strategy and make sure that your content is consistent and valuable.

8. Social media platform needs to be updated on a consistent basis; no inactive pages.

9. Need content strategies that are going to engage your audience & keep them interested.

10. Saves the business owner time, time that can be spent focusing on other important aspects of the business. 5socialmediatoday. (2010, December 10). 5 Reasons You Need a Social Media Manager. Retrieved April 19, 2011, from : http://socialmediatoday.com/krysty-petrucci/250907/5-reasons-you-need-social-media-manager

11. Create a Social Media Policy Not a question of technology, a question of behavior! – Need social media policy!! “Any form of communication (even conversations in the elevator!) can violate important privacy rules…” – Paul Levy, CEO of Beth-Israel hospital in the Boston area6 Good idea for policies to be formed collaboratively with employees. “This is a great way to get employees on board for being more careful about their use of social media without having to be all legal and ham-fisted about it”7 6Why Hospitals should not fear social media [Video] Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= 5e8Aw8yePP4&feature=related 7 imediaconnection’sblog. (2010, November 22.) Do You Have a Facebook Policy? You Will. Retrieved from http://elearning.isu.edu/moodle/file.php/7718/Do_you_have_a_Facebook_policy_You_will.pdf

14. Summary Social media is growing at increasing rates & is gaining popularity due to the benefits that one can reap from it. Steps that can be taken to help build a successful social media campaign: Those outlined by the acronym “POST”. The hiring of a social media manager. Creation of a social media policy Costs are essentially free until you consider the salary of the social media manager. However, this cost is nothing in comparison to the benefits that an organization can achieve from a successful social media campaign. If you haven’t tapped into the world of social media, now is the time!