Introducing a series on social media training

According to a study from The Altimeter Group released last year, companies that provide employees with social media training and open access—rather than simply blocking social sites—experience fewer crises. The crises they do experience aren’t as severe as the companies that figure the best way to avoid problems is to bolt the doors and lock the windows (an approach that is both futile and stupid).

In fact, Altimeter’s conclusion doesn’t go far enough. According to the report, “A written policy is not sufficient on its own – companies must establish a baseline process to reinforce and update the policy, as well as train incoming… Read More »

Distraught patients are getting more sophisticated in their use of social media

In the lead-up to the first of a series of workshops on digital and social media for healthcare organizations I’m leading with Chris Boyer, I’m cranking out several healthcare focused posts. The workshop, Health Care Communicators Boot Camp, starts out in Philadelphia on March 26. Get details and register here.

The healthcare industry’s reticence to join the social media fray is increasingly problematic as the public takes to social media to address healthcare issues.

Hospitals mainly worried about compliance issues are missing opportunities to address patients and their families who have turned to social channels to seek resolution… Read More »

KONY 2012: Social media and crisis communication lessons learned

By any measure, the launch last Monday of the KONY 2012 video is a massive social media success. But there were negative repercussions, some of which could have long-lasting implications for Invisible Children, the institution behind the video.

In case you were in a coma last week, Invisible Children released its 30-minute video designed to make Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony famous. The leader of the guerilla group Lord’s Resistance Army has been active for decades. Among his tactics is abducting children to become sex slaves or child soldiers. Since 1986, some 66,000 children have been forced to become soldiers in the LRA. The… Read More »

There’s more to patient privacy and social media than HIPAA

In the lead-up to the first of a series of workshops on digital and social media for healthcare organizations I’m leading with Chris Boyer, I’ll be cranking out several healthcare focused posts over the next couple weeks. The workshop, Health Care Communicators Boot Camp, starts out in Philadelphia on March 26. Get details and register here.

Most hospitals and other healthcare organizations spout a single two-syllable word when asked whey they’re not engaging in social media. That word—an acronym—is HIPAA, short for the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA covers a lot of ground, but in this context, it prevents… Read More »

How to tell a shiny object from real food

Pinterest’s spectacular ascendancy into the upper strata of social services has prompted a rash of warnings to beware the shiny object.

The notion of the shiny object (and the syndrome that bears its name) has its origins in fishing. In addition to bait and flies, lures are one way to catch a fish. A lure—adorned with feathers and other acoutrements, shaped to look like the kind of fish your prey feeds on, or just a naked hunk of metal—spins through the water as it’s dragged behind a boat or reeled in from shore. Since it’s not far from the surface, it catches the light, attracting fish who think they’re seeing food flash by. A fish… Read More »

Training employees on social media improves engagement, boosts company reputation

Companies accrue far greater advantages from providing their employees with social media training and letting them engage with their communities than they do from blocking access. I’ve written here before about the results of The Altimeter Group’s study that found the organizations that avoided crises or kept their impact to a minimum were the few deemed “advanced,” the ones that conducted such training and didn’t block access.

I’ve talked over the last several years about several ways open employee access serves the organization’s interests, from recruiting and access to subject matter experts to idea-testing and brand evangelism.… Read More »

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