Interesting Facts about popular Social Media Sites

Did you Know?

• There are 31 billion searches on google every month.
• 7% of internet users look for information online about end of life care (Pew).
• In 2010, internet users worldwide increased by 14%.
• There are 88.8 million domain names (AKA web addresses) registered
• The number of blogs have risen dramatically to 152 million.
• 130 million photographs are uploaded to Flickr every month
• Technology is advancing so quickly that by the time students graduate with a 4 year information technology degree half of what they learned will be outdated.
• Google searches now integrate social searching so that information that you receive in your searches are further filtered to include postings and related online content from your friends, contacts and groups.

Need more convincing to get busy online?  

•  Facebook has over 500 million users worldwide with 50% of them logging into Facebook every day.
• 150 million users access Facebook from their mobile devices
• The recent events in Egypt highlight the power of social media platforms to report information that may otherwise be banned or miscommunicated.
• People spend an average of 14 mins per day on facebook and have an average of 130 friends on their facebook profile.
• Users not only use Facebook to connect with friends, families and groups they also Ask Questions, Perform Searches and Develop Campaigns to name a few!
• The highest population signing on to and engaging on facebook are age 65 + which equates to approximately 18 million new users.
• Facebook is the 3rd most visited website on the internet. 

• There are 175 million Twitter Users
• 85% of twitter members tweet less than once a day
• 5% of twitter accounts create 75% of all tweets.
• 50% of twitter accounts were created using a mobile device
• 53% of users are women

• 70% of you tube users are registered in the USA
• 50% of users are under 20 years old
• Every week, enough material to release 60,000 movies is uploaded to You Tube
• More and more people have the capacity to create, upload and share short video's with webcams, smartphones and mini-cam's
• People love to watch engaging video's

Social Media is good for Business?

The marketing world is changing, advertising is changing and how people are engaged is really changing. The world of big billboards and flashy flyers is disappearing rapidly and replaced by inbound lead generation. Now, what does that mean? Well, when someone searches for hospice....they are looking for you, instead of you reaching out to them. 4% are ready to sign up, sign on or engage with you in some meaningful way. The rest are like sponges, looking for information and resources. When they land on your website, it must grab their attention, give them what they are looking for and somehow call them to action. This means that you must show them what you want them to do....call your main number, sign up for a newsletter, donate, volunteer and the list is endless. Your website and all your bloggers, tweeters, facebookers and engagers are portals of access for your organization and health system. It's that simple!

 Do you have a Social Media Plan?

You may not! And you might be thinking about it! The ship is docked and waiting for you. At some point, when the time is right, you might make that move into the big unknown. In fact, the sooner you do, the better. Get help if you do not know what to do. Google: "Social Media" there are thousands of articles to read. Need policy examples, here are some to start: http://socialmediagovernance.com/policies.php

How is the Healthcare Industry doing with Social Media?

One statement: "Lost in Space"

Most healthcare organizations do not have their finger on the pulse of what is current and active on the social media scene. They are too busy and focused on the delivery of healthcare and haven't reacted quickly enough to the gaping hole in engaging people online. Their IT people are engaged but there is a disconnect on how to present medical information in a social way. Who should we follow? Take a page from Dr. Oz. Now there's a social doc. He's busy telling people really interesting things about their health and engaging them in discussion. He shows them that he cares and wants them to be healthy. He has the "move it or lose it campaign" and has enlisted experts to answer questions on the sharecare network. Brilliant! I'm getting on that train....how about you?

The solution:

• Clinicians must engage online: Write Blogs, Answer Questions, Be reachable by email, Tweet
• Create Clinical Social Media Roles in your organization. Start by forming a committee and learning, exploring the social world.
• Decide what the Meaningful Use of Social Media is for your organization and proliferate great content and a cohesive mission.
• Develop an innovative social media plan and implement it yesterday!
• Each clinician is a resource in social media and their skills can be highlighted and showcased.
• Don't have time? Pay someone to do it for you.
• Use time and cost effective social media tools and platforms.
• Take another look at your marketing / development plan. Do you have a budget for social media?

A moment of pause:

The ramifications of social engagement are of concern. Much is at stake in the protection first and foremost of patient confidentiality. Healthcare organizations build a brand and must protect it. Many negative comments and actions happen online. The development of social media policies, strict monitoring and an action plan to manage negative feedback is really important.

The effects of social media on privacy and the division between personal and professional life is getting very blurred. We are seeing the impact and sometimes uncomfortable effect of personal meets professional in the social media forum. While I'm engaged by the content of your presentation about the state of hospice care right now, I'm also interested in hearing about your vacation and seeing pictures of your family. How many of you are comfortable with that?

Even with our reservations and our awkwardness with how to engage people, we need to catch that ship and get on that train.

The Ship has left the Port, The train is Leaving the Station, Elvis has left the Building.

Feeling the pressure to act? That's how immediate the need is to engage with social media online.

What did the Mommy Tomato say to the Baby Tomato.....Ketchup!

Hope you won't have to!

4 tips to engage readers on Social Media about End of Life Care

We know it's a difficult subject, and finding ways to engage readers, attract new readers and provide useful information is essential. We have an ever shortening attention span and on a daily basis are bombarded with information from many sources. Here are a few tips to help you focus your social media efforts to be as effective as possible:

What is the goal of your social media engagement?

Be mindful about what your articles and posts will compel your readers to do, such as: engage you further by contacting you, comment on your articles and posts, access your services, sign up for more information, call you, apply for a job, volunteer, donate etc. Knowing what you would like your readers to do, providing an avenue of access to you through email, telephone number, posting on your blog or social media site, sharing information etc. and preparing yourself and your staff for hearing from people as a direct result of your social media engagement is as important as the engagement itself.

Light-hearted heavy discussion!

Some people take the subject matter waaaayyy toooo seriously and are more passionate about it then the average Joe! Having said that, your expertise in the field is of great value if you can present it in an engaging vibrant way that is informative without too much negative emotion. When I teach about the dying process to massage therapy students I tell strange and engaging stories about the patients I've had the pleasure of serving mixed in with the educational material that they need to know.

Try smetniohg dfreirnet

I bet most of you were able to figure out the heading of this tip. And if you couldn't, it still grabbed your attention which is exactly what you hope to do when you communicate on the internet. Or maybe you find supernurse entertaining. She looks even better with her cape flapping in the wind. Whatever the method you use, knowing what will get readers attention is the key. People read websites in a predictable way, so placing your articles strategically on your site will result in more clicks on your links. Visual readers are engaged by pictures and colors while detail oriented readers love to see lists and tables that summarize the content. However you must put your listening ears on first, so you can get your finger on the pulse of what the people in your community are looking for. Then find interesting ways to present the material.

Is there anyone out there?

The last thing you want to do is to present information without engage  your readers. Providing the opportunity to give feedback, creating a discussion forum, making professional online services available or even asking your readers to guide the discussion is very useful. People love to give their opinion and your goal is to provide resources and services around the subjects that they are looking for. If you don't.....you've missed the boat!

While your journey into the online world may be frought with questions, look to the people who are successful at it, and follow their lead. Identifying your mission for your organization in the social media forum and be an active participating tangible human in the process. On a personal level, we are doing well with our facebook, you tube, linked, myspace and blog pages, tracking and following our friends and families. Some of us tell the world far too much information, while others create a stellar online personality. It's up to you! You at least need to be on the train and enjoying the scenery!