Well today is the day... I have moved my blog to WordPress... check me out at http://reedtsmith.com. I will be forwarding this domain shortly. Thanks for following!

Reed

So many hospitals are still trying to deal with the world of social media, that most I would argue are not seeing what is happening in the online space as a whole.

I was reading a report from Flurry and this is the chart that brought this question to mind:

"Flurry found that the average user now spends 9% more time using mobile apps than the Internet.  This was not the case just 12 months ago."

So what does this mean for hospitals?

1. Have a mobile presence
2. Produce content in bit size segments
3. Understand how games fit into your strategy - 47% of mobile consumption
4. Maximize your social media efforts - 32% of mobile consumption

Is your organization in the mobile space? What advice do you have for others?

- Reed

In previous posts I have talked about tips on what to post and how to maximize your hospital presence on Foursquare.

Now I want to focus on the other major location based service - Gowalla.

1. Claim all your local spots (h/t - Bobby Rettew for figuring this out) - 
   1. Start by signing up for a hospital specific Gowalla account. This will come in handy later. Do not claim spots on your personal account. 
   2. Email local@gowalla.com with all the URLs of spots you want to claim. In you email note the "offical" Gowalla hosptial branded account you would like them tied to. (Gowalla was great to work with. I had all spots claimed within 24hrs of my first email to them.)
2. Update all your information - Once you have all your claimed spots sign into Gowalla with your "official" account and navigate to any of your managed spots. 
   1. Click on the gear next to the spot's name and choose edit.
   2. Be sure to fill in all relevant information including the spots Foursquare venue ID, Twitter account, Yelp url, etc...
3. Add a check-in message - One specific part of each spot's information should be a custom check-in message. One on the edit screen of any spot you will see an option to add a check-in message. This is a great way for the brand to connect.
4. Ask other networks to connect - be sure to let everyone know on other networks like Facebook and your blog that they can find you on Gowalla and to be sure and "check-in" next time they are in your hospital.
5. Buy a stamp - If you are really ambitious purchase a custom stamp for your location. Use the same email (local@gowalla.com) to request additional information. This will allow your hosptial to stand out on the mobile app for a small investment.

Bonus: be sure to regularly monitor both Foursquare and Gowalla to pick up on trends within your hospital.

Anyone else been down this path and have additional tips to share?

- Reed

[UPDATED: Today is the Day! Click here to submit your idea]

It is already that time again! 2011 marked the first year South by Southwest Interactive incorporated an organized health track. A great time was had by all as seen by the number of panels submitted, talks given, attendees, tweets, blog posts, parties, networking, etc...

In preparation of 2012 it is time to start thinking about what you have to share... The PanelPicker process will open Monday, June 20th and close on Friday, July 15th.

According to SXSW:

"Submitting your proposal for a solo presentation or panel to the PanelPicker is the best way to ensure your expertise is included as part of the 2012 SXSW Interactive Festival (scheduled March 9-13 in Austin). As always, the more creative / innovative / exciting / original your idea is, the better the chance it will be accepted as part of next year's event."

Also, stay tuned to the SXSW Interactive website at http://www.sxsw.com/interactive for PanelPicker updates.

I talked with, Interactive Director, Hugh Forrest and he commented:

"Encourage your friends / associates, etc to send in medical-related proposals to the PanelPicker. We got a ton of medical-related proposals last year. Hoping we can get a ton and a half this year. So, the more you can push this process via your traditional and social media channels, the better."

I am vey encouraged about the direction of the health track and so grateful to Dana Lewis, Tom Stitt, and Shwen Gwee for helping start the un-conference in 2010 that laid the ground work for this opportunity for all of us.

You planning to submit a talk/panel? Regardless please help get the word out!

- Reed

Foursquare has become a great resource for connecting with those who "check-in" on our campuses. Here is a quick and easy road map to make sure you are getting the basics nailed down for your brand.

1. Claim all your locations - With most hospitals/healthcare systems there are many locations, acute care facilities, rehab locations, institutes, clinics, etc. Claiming all these is a bit troublesome in most cases. The easiest way to do this is to visit this Foursquare support item for directions.
2. Create a brand page - A brand page allows others to follow you and stay up to date with specials and tips you may have for those who visit a location you manage. To create a brand page visit the Foursquare for business. This will walk you thought the steps needed.
3. Be sure to leave tips - Once you have claimed all your locations and setup your brand page make sure you leave tips at all your locations. For some ideas check out this previous post. Once this is done when your Foursquare followers check into a location you manage they will see your tips! 
4. Ask the other networks to connect - Finally make sure you are asking all your connections from other networks to connect with you on Foursquare.

Let me know whatelse you have seen work.

- Reed

We all know it is about content, but how good is yours? Want do see what good content looks like?

Try this...

1. Go to your RSS reader, or iTunes, or whatever you listen/read/watch on a regular basis. 
2. Delete all the feads (or just start a new RSS service if you don't want to delete or have a large amount of feeds) in your account.
3. Now try to rebuild it... how many can you add back solely by memory...

Conclusion = They have good content...

- Reed

So much time is spent on Facebook, and for good reason. I hate to recommend any platforms without seeing a strategy first but Facebook almost always makes the list... This happens when you have a critical mass of users logging on in any given day. With so much emphasis given to Facebook I thought of three things every hospital needs to capitalize on to connect with an external audience:

1. Events - This page/function is very underused by hospitals. Every hospital has seminars, classes, screenings, tours, etc... Make sure all these events are entered into Facebook at the very least. This gives fans of your page a place to interact and it shows your level of expertise and commitment to the health of your community. Tip: If you work with a call center be sure to enter their registration information into the event description (with a code) so you can see the ROI of Facebook in your events vs traditional media.
2. Community Partners - Do not go at it alone. Make friends. So many organizations are on Facebook now that you can capitalize off content created by others. Find and "like" others in your community like the chamber, heart association, cancer society, non-profits, and of course news outlets. Tip: Re-post content and stories from their pages with credit to them. Also "tag" them in posts on your page. This will promote the hospital to their audience and also make you more of a partner in a larger community.
3. Facebook Ads - Once you have a base knowledge and understanding of Facebook give Facebook Ads a shot. This will allow you (for very low cost) target those in your market for specific offerings. Tip: Use Facebook Ads to promote your free classes and seminars to those who fit the demographic. Test multiple ads using the "interest" field in the ad builder to target in even closer on those with interest like wellness or health.

Now I am sure there are many other points to capitalize on but for an external audience I would recommend you start with these three. What would be number four? Let me know you thoughts...

- Reed

I was listening to the latest Catalyst Podcast today and heard an interview with Tim Willard and Jason Locy about their latest book VENEER. I would encourage you to check it out. Here is an excerpt from the book's website:

VENEER: LIVING DEEPLY IN A SURFACE SOCIETY

Our lives are full of scars, quirks and insecurities we have learned to hide in favor of a more glamorous veneer we hope the world finds more acceptable. This is the modern tragedy. We have forgotten that like the stress-lines and fractures of antique wood, these imperfections in our lives make us beautiful.

Abundant living is more than a wall-post existence. Rich relationships are more than trends, status updates and group invitations. But neither are possible until we allow ourselves to be fully known, imperfections and all. Only then will we come to experience the life we are meant to live.

As authors Tim and Jason explain, the Creator’s idea of humanity is quite different from the world’s. It is also far more rewarding. This life begins when we dare to strip away our veneers and enter a life of freedom, honesty and rare beauty.

This interview got me to thinking is this what we are doing in social media? Simply adding a veneer to a brand? Social media as a medium is suppose to accelerate transparency, honesty, etc... but is it doing just the opposite?

I would love to hear your thoughts?

- Reed

Much has been written about Twitter. Much has been written about hospitals. Many of us have even talked a lot about the two together. I will be collecting data over the coming weeks/months for a white paper I am working on. The results of this survey and others will of course be available here on my blog for anyone to download and view. If you have some connection to social media in hospitals I would greatly appreciate you taking just a minute to complete this six question survey.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY

- Reed

I asked this question the first time almost two years ago. You can read my previous post about the results here.

I would like to ask it again and see how two years have changed people's view point... or if it has.

So if you could take just a minute and answer I would be very appreciative!

Thanks, Reed