Hello friends, here are my links for the week. As you can see…they include doctors tweeting, social media, medical social media, ACC Basketball, and holiday fire safety. I hope you enjoy and let me know your thoughts about any of these articles!
Social Media and the Medical Profession November 30, 2010
The professional standards of doctors and medical students – which are based on the expectations of the community and medical peers – form the cornerstone of quality patient care. They are taught and assessed from the first year of medical school, and are continually re-emphasised throughout medical training and practice. CLICK HERE to read more.
The Legend Of Speedo Guy February 9, 2009 | ESPN.com
The profile of Cameron Crazies’ legend Speedo Guy. This is for all of you crazy college basketball fans out there, especially those who love and understand ACC Basketball! This is just in time before the heart of the ACC Men’s Basketball schedule begins. Video courtesy of ESPN, Inc.
Phoenix Fire Department Fireplace Safety for the Holidays City of Phoenix | Phoenix.gov & @TinaFightsFire There’s nothing quite as cozy as a warm, crackling fire in the fireplace. But if you don’t take some simple safety precautions, that fire could turn deadly. More than 6,000 people end up in emergency rooms for injuries associated with fireplaces and fireplace equipment… and most of the injuries occured with children under five years old. CLICK HERE to read more.
Should Doctors Tweet Between Patients? NOVEMBER 23, 2010 | Bryan Vartabedian, MD Social media is just another form of professional communication. We should see it no differently than the telephone or email which, as we all know, are frequently misused. To the uninformed, it’s assumed that social dialog is frivolous dialog. But my social feeds are at the core of of my communication. CLICK HERE to read more from Doctor V.
Hello friends, here are my links for the week. As you can see…they include social media, Facebook commenting, and hospital social media. I hope you enjoy and let me know your thoughts about any of these articles!
Why Social Media for Doctors Doesn’t Make Sense November 19, 2010 | Bryan Vartabedian, MD of 33Charts.com
When I discuss social media with physicians they often giggle and look confused. It’s as if none of it makes sense. And probably for good reason. Doctors have changed. CLICK HERE to read more. Should OSHA create work rules for physicians in training? October 2010 | Richard Leff, MD for KevinMD.com Blog
Recent rules issued by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) for resident work hours have further limited the consecutive and total number of hours that medical trainees may work. These measures, originally created because of safety concerns, are intended to decrease the number of fatigue-related errors made by physicians in training. CLICK HERE to read more.
Four ways to get more value from digital marketing MARCH 2010 | David C. Edelman
Companies that make the deep strategic, organizational, and operational shifts required to become effective digital marketers can become more agile, more productive, and accelerate revenue growth. CLICK HERE to read more.
Facebook Comments: Protected Speech or Personal Branding Nightmare? November 24, 2010 | Dan Schawbel of SocialMediaToday.com
We all know that people overshare. It’s easy to write a quick status update when someone bothers you at work or you’re frustrated. And in today’s world of social media and instant communication, it’s not surprising that quite a few people are taking heat for posting inappropriate content—especially when it comes to their careers. CLICK HERE to read more.
5 Reasons Facebook Will Be the 2012 Marketing Requisite November 24, 2010 by Patsy Stewart of SocialMediaToday.com
Facebook has generated a lot of BUZZ lately with its unveiling of a new location based “Places” with local deals. Successful companies are integrating Facebook into their marketing strategies. Fortune 500 companies are racing to see who can get the most “likes” and companies like WalMart are banking that you will share their deals with your friends. CLICK HERE to read more.
This is me on graduation in 1997 from Clemson. From left to right, my mom – Linda, my Nana – Judy, me, my sister – Jennifer, and my Pop – Joe. My Pop the business man…the only thing that is not seen in this picture is my Pop’s cell phone, which he had close to him all the time. I remember he had the first mobile phone in his car in the 1980’s and it was a rotary phone…he was an innovative business man. He was the first realtor in Anderson to have a mobile phone. He and I have lots in common. We love technology and gadgets.
Today…on this Thanksgiving, I went up and sat for about an hour with my Pop. This is my grandfather…my mother’s father. He is in a rehabilitation home after a few trips to the hospital. I am the oldest grandchild and my mother is the oldest of her siblings. In a way, I am like a son to him.
As a business man, it is good to find someone whom you can call a mentor. One that you can sit down, share honest thoughts, and receive honest feedback. But when the talk is over, that positive feedback makes you want to get up and keep on moving ahead. My Pop was a self-employed business man..for most of his adult life. He grew-up in Spartanburg, son to a police officer who died when my Pop was a teenager. It was my Pop and his mother (my Granny) trudging through life for years. He went into the Marines and afterwards met my Mimi, my grandmother. She died when I was only four years old. He became a medical sales guy…then stepped away to tackle the world of real estate. My grandfather sold real estate here in the Anderson, SC area most of his adult life. He has probably sold the same house numerous times. His photographic memory of each house combined with his relationship building skills made him successful leader in this Anderson community.
Now during the later years of his life, I think he is beginning to reflect and share his wisdom. He has seen recessions, he has seen the real estate market flourish. He has had to balance an entrepreneur’s life with the life of a family that encompassed four children and tons of grandchildren. My oldest memories of Pop is going on a house showing with him, sitting in the car, then watching him guide the people (his clients) through the contractual process. He loved what he did. I am sure he loved selling real estate because the of the financial benefit of a sale, but most of all he loved dealing with people. He loved building relationships. He loved hearing stories from his clients, connection with people from different backgrounds, sharing relationships which led to sharing business. Relationships led to strong economic development in his opinion.
Each time I get to sit with Pop, we share stories. He loves to hear my stories of a new client, a new person I met, new ideas, and my vision for my business of tomorrow. He also wants to hear the struggles, the fear, the disappointments, and the challenges. He wants to keep it real, because business is not always about the pluses…it is about weathering the storms and finding positives in the challenges. He has had to endure the downswings, so he sees the value in sharing both sides…but finding ways to understand and move forward to a brighter tomorrow.
My Pop loves to be called my mentor. He is…in so many ways. I seek his wisdom, his advice, his thoughts, his laughs, his positive thinking…but most of all his approval. I want to do it right in his eyes.
Mentors are necessary in this world of business. Mentors bring perspective, bring wisdom, en-still positive thinking, and prepare us to move thoughtfully for a brighter tomorrow. Mentors are awesome…but they are even better when they are your grandfather! One who has found success in his passion…not just selling real estate but building wonderful relationships.
On this Thanksgiving 2010, I am thankful for my mentor…my Pop.
So I was sitting in the board meeting for the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce and the closing remarks from board chairman Bill Manson has me thinking. He told us that the average American home has five televisions. Think about that for a second, five televisions. He goes on to reflect that we Americans live in the richest nation in the world. We have so much to be thankful for this holiday season. Now I am not using the television as a barometer to measure wealth in totality here in America…I am looking at it as a small fact that makes you sit back and think.
One year ago this month, I decided to break away from another company and start my own business. For the past year, Sarah and I have been able to achieve more in one year than we have in the last four years of marriage. We have rid ourselves of all our medical debt, we have really started focusing on saving, we have spent more time thinking about giving not only money but time to causes we believe, we have helped our sister-in-law get through college, and we are closer than ever to starting a family. My little business is only a small part of this freedom of choice, but it has been more about empowering our future. Taking an active role in where we want to be tomorrow. So, I am thankful.
This past year, my mother has finally found her mate…one she can spend the rest of her life with; and I do not have to worry any longer. My sister has found someone who makes her day happy, and it is our hope that this relationship will flourish. Sarah has began to find the new her, after loosing her best friend…her mother to breast cancer three years ago and suffering three miscarriages over the last two years. Grief is a tough road.
I am not sure where business will take me next year? I have a good plan in place and focus on growth and continue to find the right people to work with…ones who want to do some fun stuff. I am looking forward to continuing teaching at Clemson…this is one area that I find the most joy. There is nothing better than walking in a room of tomorrow’s leaders and knowing that one day they will be taking care of me, in some capacity…why not help them along the way. For this I am thankful.
What do I want the most next year…not the gadgets that everyone knows I love, not the new car, not some crazy trip for vacation…I want to start a family. If it is our place to be able to have our own child this year…I think I will write about it every day on this blog. If it is our place to adopt, I will open my house with joy. I am 36 years old, turning 37 next March. If we have a child next year, I will be 57 when they turn 20 and in college. I will be 67 when they have kids…if they do so by 30. I want the opportunity to see my legacy. I want to see my tomorrow. I want to be able to support my family and do it with the passion I have for everything I put my heart into. I want to be able to tell the story of my family just as much as telling stories for my clients. I want to start teaching my legacy just as much as I teach our legacy in Clemson’s classroom.
So I am humbled and thankful. This is not some cliche blog post where I am going to sell you a bunch of thankful stuff about turkey and world peace. I am thankful that I can get up in the morning, in the house I pay for everyday, working with the clients I love, next to the woman I adore, and share life with the family and friends that make breathing air so complete. We should be so thankful to be able to freely express our opinions, fight for our passion, share our values and ethics, and do it in a country…a place we can call home regardless how many televisions sit in our households. Thankfulness is contextual and this is my little thankful thought for the day.
Thanks Bill for helping me think and articulate why I am thankful this holiday season! We should be so thankful.
What is your story? What is your legacy? How are you sharing it with your tomorrow?
As the year begins to come to a close, what are the stories you have told over the last year. Now, I do not necessarily mean what book have you read out-loud to a group of people…but stories have you sought out to find and share? In the world of marketing, branding, and pr…we find ourselves wrapped up in mission statements, branding guidelines, and style guides. Stories break all conventions…they tear down the walls of the status-quo.
I recently connected with a talented photojournalist on Twitter. Her name is Debbi Morello (@debmorello) and she is one hell of a photojournalist. Take a few minutes to check out her website here: http://www.debbimorello.com/. To me, it is hard to find people that share the same visual interests in the visual storytelling medium, taking a documentary style approach to marketing and pr…to bring the human element into the visual medium, provide a voice for those who know the story best.
When I was a young journalist, I attended many workshops with the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA.org) and Poynter Institute. These groups helped break down all the conventions and instill in me the need to always listen for the story. Think about it for a second, how many times did you think you wanted to tell a story one way, and it ends up taking an evolution of it’s own. The subjects/people shape the story.
When I walk into situations, I always listen for the story…not just look for the story. Now I realize that I am visual storyteller, but our ears are the most powerful sense. I remember going out to Wenden, Arizona after hearing reports of a town being flooded after a big rain. You see…when it rains for an extended period of time in the desert, the dry ground does not soak up the water…it has to flow somewhere. It typically flows into the valleys of the desert where southwestern towns are centralized.
I remember pulling out my camera and and listening for people, people struggling to figure out this disaster. They shaped the story. There was no need for some fancy writing, just real people telling real stories.
We can apply these same concepts inside the walls of our organizations. We can use our social skills and our senses to listen for the stories that reinforce and strengthen our organization’s message. We can move away from marketing backgrounds and become more PR/journalistic. We are storytellers inside. We like to document life. Why do you think Facebook is so successful? It is because we want to share, share our story with our friends, family, and colleagues. We take pictures, video, write our thoughts, and upload for all to see. We are writing our life story. We like to share stories.
What if we took that same initiative within our organizations. Listen for the stories within the organization and share them. Imagine just taking one or two hours a week, and walk through the halls of your workplace. Listening to the conversations, the stories. Imagine writing them down and sharing them with the world. They might want to share with their friends…more stories…bigger community of like minded people. Stories are fun. So…what stories have you told this year?
What are the stories you are telling within your organization? Please share…I am interested!
Hello friends, here are my links for the week. As you can see…they include social media, mobile technology, physician marketing, and hospital social media. I hope you enjoy and let me know your thoughts about any of these article!
5 Mobile Technologies Retailers Should Be Using Now November 15, 2010 | Houston Neal of Software Device Mobile commerce is driving the next major shift in retail, and retailers that can learn to harness this technology stand to gain a competitive advantage. To learn about 5 mobile technologies retailers should be using, visit the Software Advice blog. CLICK HERE to read more.
The one sure-fire way to get more clicks and RTs for your blog posts November 16, 2010 | MackCollier.com
Write better headlines. That’s no big relevation, and there’s a lot that goes into writing better headlines. I’ll refer you to someone like @Copyblogger who has written a great series on writing better headlines. But there’s one area I wanted to focus on when it comes to headlines. I share a lot of links on Twitter because I am trying to find helpful information for my followers. CLICK HERE to read more. Calling Bullshit on Social Media November 18, 2010 | Tamsen McMahon
1) There are tools. There are people who use the tools. And then there are people who are tools. Know the difference.
2) Ass-kissing will get you anywhere, but where is that, exactly? Where do you actually want to gofrom there? Think long-term.
3) Speaking of long-term, “asshole” is not a long-term strategy. Neither is “edgy” or “off-putting.” What do you really want to achieve? And for how long? Build a strategy on that. CLICK HERE to read the rest of the 32 points!
NewberryCountyDoctors.com – Video Repository November 18, 2010 | Newberry County Memorial Hospital
Looking for a doctor and your in Newberry County, South Carolina…here is a cool portal providing videos of doctors talking about what they enjoy to do the most, practice medicine. Pretty cool idea to allow physicians to speak in-their-own-words by wrapping the searchable power of YouTube and a brand-able portal for Newberry County Memorial Hospital. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Woz: Apple Almost Launched A Phone In 2004, Android Will “Win The Race” November 18, 2010 | Robin Wauters
Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak was being his fascinating self again this morning, revealing in an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that the company he helped get off the ground actually developed a smartphone in partnership with a well-known Japanese electronics company as early as 2004, but shelved the project prior to its debut (via Engadget).
Hello friends, here are my links for the week. As you can see…they include social media, hospital leadership, Medicaid, and hospital social media. I hope you enjoy and let me know your thoughts about any of these article!
Allay fears and build loyalty by using social media during crises October 20, 2010 | HospitalImpact.org
Hospitals are not exempt from the economic woes our country is facing. More and more, we hear of hospitals facing layoffs to address budget deficits. This can undoubtedly cause concerns among patients and members of the community. They may worry about whether they will be able to get the care they need if your hospital appears to be downsizing. CLICK HERE to read more.
How to turn around a failing hospital by Richard Smith November 11, 2010 | BMJ Group
England is said to have 30 hospitals that are failing so badly that they may be taken over by the private sector. So there might be a lot of interest in a case study posted this week on the Health Foundation website that describes how a major academic hospital in Boston was saved from failure. CLICK HERE to read more.
Medicaid managed care programs; so do issues November 13, 2010 | USA Today – Phi Galewitz of Kaiser Health News
After Tonya Bauserman slipped in a grocery store and hurt her right knee last July, an emergency room doctor prescribed painkillers and told her to see an orthopedic surgeon. But Bauserman, 27, who’s insured by a Medicaid managed health care plan called HealthCare USA, says she had trouble finding an orthopedist in her plan who would see her. Finally, she drove 2½ hours to Columbia from her home in a northwestern suburb here to see a physician, who fitted her for a brace and recommended physical therapy. HealthCare USA later said it wouldn’t pay for the brace. CLICK HERE to read more.
Company accused of firing over Facebook post November 8, 2010 | Steven Greenhouse of NYTimes.com
In what labor officials and lawyers view as a ground-breaking case involving workers and social media, the National Labor Relations Board has accused a company of illegally firing an employee after she criticized her supervisor on her Facebook page. CLICK HERE to read more.
12 Fun Hacks for getting more out of YouTube
November 13, 2010 | Amy-Mae Elliott of Mashable.com
There’s no doubt that plain old YouTube can be tons of fun, but when you get bored of watching clips the traditional way, there are a ton of sites that can help enhance the experience. CLICK HERE to read more.
At first look…this is a business card for someone who works for Kawasaki. But…look a little harder, look under the name. Yep, it is the name of a motorcycle….the Vulcan 2000. A Kawasaki Vulcan 2ooo. Hmm…what? I am confused a bit, well not really.
So let me set some context. I was over with my family visiting my grandfather, celebrating his 80th Birthday! Happy Birthday POP! As we were chatting, my Uncle Carroll handed me this card, yes the one in the picture above. I looked at it and thought, cool! Mind you, my Uncle Carroll has been working for Michelin North American here in Anderson for as long as I can remember. He is devoted to his job and the company that has provided the means to put food on the table and a roof over his family’s heads. Devoted. Well…to be honest, most of my family has been working for Michelin here in Anderson for a long time. My father-in-law just retired from Michelin after 32 years of service…WOW.
So I take this card and realize, my Uncle has just bought himself a new motorcycle. Now, a few years ago…my Uncle Carroll and Aunt Mary Joe (my Mom’s sister) decided to buy Harley’s after both kids were out of the house either married or attending college. A little empty nest present…a way to enjoy life after kids in the house. They have been devoted to their Harley’s…THEN one day, my Uncle Carroll showed up with a Kawasaki. Step back jack…that is like crossing over from Ford to Chevorlet. Those are “fighten words” in the land of NASCAR. I have seen people flip the bird to a driver going around a turn if they were driving the “other car.” Yes the middle finger for driving another car, another brand…WOW.
Well…my Uncle Carroll is proud owner of a new Vulcan 2000. I have no idea what a Vulcan 2000 looks…hell, I would have no idea the difference between this motorcycle and a Harley. I am just not in that world. But, my Uncle is proud…proud enough to go home one day and create a business card. One with his passion on this little piece of marketing. Yes, he found a simple template from Avery, downloaded the template for a business card, f0und a simple Kawasaki logo, used Microsoft Word, and created his little piece of marketing. Yes! An to top it all off, he is printing them and passing them out to his friends…not that Michelin business card that pays for that Vulcan 2000. Riding his bike is his passion and he has found a simple way to share it with his friends. Passion…Passion for his brand.
If you look at the card…you will see his name, his address, his phone numbers, even his email address. Most importantly…the logo of his favorite motorcycle brand and the name of HIS motorcycle under his name. How would you like to have someone become your brand ambassador…love your product/service so much that they create a business card with your logo and share with their friends. Word of Mouth meet Technology! Passion for “his” brand” of motorcycles and specifically his choice of bikes from all the other models…Passion meet Brand Ambassador.
Now I can here all you corporate communication experts thinking, that is not how I want “our” logo to be mis-represented. This does not fit into any style guide and protected branded campaign. This might even be the wrong logo, and old logo, or the right logo but not the right medium for this type of distribution. This is when the control freaks of a brand should step back and be honored. Your brand is so powerful…with so much devotion, it is their badge of honor.
As I sit here and drink my morning coffee…I am browsing through the healthcare column of my Twitter account. I have a healthcare list that follows many healthcare organizations, hospitals, doctors, healthcare marketing professionals, nurses, and any one talking healthcare and social media. One thing I have been noticing is how awkward it seems to me to watch tweets from healthcare groups using doctors names in a tweet for promotion or awareness. Well, weird that I cannot click the name to learn more.
Side Note:
If you look above, there is no link to read about Dr. March Seabrook or even an article to learn more about the award. It is not my intention to pick on Dr. March Seabrook or the hospital that posted this link. That is why I am not making it obvious the name of the hospital. I am sure Dr. Seabrook is a fine chap…so he deserves a link of some kind. So, here is where you can read more about the award…CLICK HERE.
What seems so weird about using just the name, well it is that I have no frame of reference to this person, no link, no Twitter account…just a random doctor with a name…in a sea of Tweets. If he walked past me down the road, I would have no idea who this person is and if they were even a doctor. Twitter is a good way to inform the public at-large about a doctor, their services, and even activities they are taking part. BUT, Twitter is still a place that moves so fast and crosses so many geographical boundaries. So if I am in South Carolina and a healthcare organization talks about a great piece of research or service from a doctor with no link in the Tweet…he is like “Joe Schmo” to me.
Ideas to help
Most of the time, healthcare organizations included links in Tweets to a referenced article or an event that includes verbiage and sometimes a picture of the doctor. This is good…so atleast one click can provide me with a little more information about this doctor. So how can we make these doctors names more personal on this social media platform?
1) Well, first of all…I think they should consider having a social media account (Twitter account) so that the audience at-large can click the name, see a picture of the doctor, and find more information.
2) Every time you talk about a doctor, and they do not have a social media account…include a link to read more.
3) Include the doctor in a regularly scheduled chat hosted by the health care organization. Regularly scheduled chats are a great place to build a community and then engage the audience with that program and doctor.
4) The doctor should have his own bio page inside the health care organizations web presence. This should include his/her picture, background, information about their specialties, and how they can reach them in the future (email, phone, and/or social media accounts for professional use).
5) A blog is a great way for a doctor to communicate with patients and the public at-large. This can be time consuming for a doctor, but it is a great way to write short posts that relate to the practice and their interests.
Social Media platforms like Twitter have developed their own language especially in 140 characters, so it is important for us as professionals to frame the conversation in the context of the end reader/user/community.
Doctors using Social Media
There is a time management issue that is hard to tackle when implementing these ideas, but putting together a plan is the most important to make this experience successful. Doctors barely have time for their families given their long hours of working, so their are ways to make this successful. If the doctor is interested, put together a plan to create the accounts and how often they need to be touched. Many marketing groups ghost write and ghost tweet for professionals, I am not a big proponent of this solution. The only way to be genuine is through genuine, heart felt writing.
1) Set-up a time frame to create and establish the blog and other social media accounts. This should include finding an appropriate picture.
2) Set-up a plan to engage online. Talk in terms of how often a week to get online to write a post and possibly spend with the social media account.
3) Engage the doctors in hospital chats so that they can take part in the online experience. When I mean chats, use Twitter or any other chat platform to engage with the community. Use a hashtag for the chat so that audience understands it is a chat and that they can track the conversation.
4) Track followers, hits, and conversation created to show success.
We spend so much time trying to pitch. Whether you like it or not, we are pitching. Selling an idea, trying to get a job, trying to convince our significant others to buy a gadget…we are pitching.
I have so many students asking me and sending my questions, wondering why people are not hiring, people are not buying, just plain not accepting their pitch. But why? Economics and supply/demand tell us that this is one hell of a competitive market. We have to be on our “A” game. We better have all of our “i’s” dotted and “t’s” crossed…we better dress for success and make sure we can sell ourselves. We must make sure we position ourselves as “thought leaders” with a piece of differentiation that makes us rise to the top. But does this really make us relevant?
why pitch?
I have been thinking through this little “elevator pitch” concept. Get it down in 60 seconds so if we are trapped in an elevator with that one person…they might be interested and buy what we are selling. We are selling…selling…pushing…selling…pushing….CREATING NOISE! Why? Because we are conditioned.
During NetworkBash Excite at Clemson University, my friend Robbin Phillips took the time to talk about the relevance of Social Media in the job search today. She shared a piece of paper with some notes…her “Sixty Second Speech.” The first line:
“Let your passion shine. Share who you are and what you stand for with the world. Your hopes, your dreams, your life. Then like magic, you’re going to start drawing kindred spirits and like minds towards you.”
what are we seeking?
Hmm…why are we selling what we are not passionate about? Why are seeking jobs that are just jobs, not careers. Why are we not chasing the dreams, finding like minded people like our tomorrow is our last? Why are we pushing our stuff instead of learning more about the people we share a common interest. Why are we not trying to create our lasting legacy?
Each time we spend more time selling and less time learning about the people that might have a common interest…it is like cold calling at 7pm when the person answering is having dinner. It is like we did not take the time to do the research and put the “To Whom It May Concern” at the top of the letter.
So what is your story? Now think…who are the people we are trying to connect with daily? What is their story? How do you know you can help them until you know their story? I am just as much a victim to this un-human approach to connecting.
my little confession…
Over a year ago, I went to a conference in North Carolina. When I walked in, they gave me a great list of all the people that attended and their email address. These people were decision makers. So when I got back from the conference…I defaulted to my old way of thinking. Created a boiler-plate email, changed out the name and email address, and off to the races. I sent out about five emails…but I had a slight twinge in the back of my mind that just did not settle well. It was confirmed in about five minutes. A response that indicated that they did not attend at the last second. I was embarrassed. NEVER AGAIN!
It is about people…STUPID! I am talking to myself.
Next time…I will just call, say hello, introduce myself, and ask to take them out to coffee…then LISTEN.
Below is Robbin Phillips’s little paper called “My Sixty second speech.” Enjoy!
