Growing your Practice through
Social Media Marketing
Susan BloomDirector of Marketing & Donor Recruitment
Fertility SOURCE CompaniesThe Donor SOURCEThe Surrogacy SOURCE
Disclosure Information
Neither I, nor any member of my immediate family, have financial relationships to disclose, relevant to the content of this presentation
I will not discuss off-label use of any drug or therapy
What is Social Media?“It’s media (content that is published) with a
social (anyone can add to it) component.”
It is a powerful strategy that will get you links, attention and massive amounts of traffic.
The practice of creating compelling content from a marketing angle.
Social media has grown exponentially
Impact likely to continue being felt more deeply and broadly as time goes on
ObjectiveAt a minimum, social relationship
management needs to enable you to:
Gain insight and information from across all social media touch-points and
Leverage that informationTake action with consumers by engaging online and
participating with them via communities and conversations
Traditional Marketing vs
Social Media Marketing
Marketers Doing Marketing – “Old School”
People Blocking Marketing
Re-Thinking MarketingOutbound Marketing Inbound MarketingTelemarketingTrade showsDirect mailEmail blastsPrint adsTV/Radio ads
SEO / SEMBloggingSocial MediaRSSFree tools/trialsViral videos
Interruption Permission
Benefits of Social Media MarketingNo other low-cost promotional method…
That will easily give you large numbers of visitors, some of whom may come back to your website again and again.
Studies show:People are more likely to take action based on
information in content In-bound
Than information contained in advertising. Outbound
Why is it Important?Can help to grow a website very quickly
under the right conditions
Helps with SEO
Promotes your Blog (or newsletter)
The conversation has already started…JOIN IT – OR BE LEFT IN THE DUST!
The Business Leaders
FacebookLinkedInTwitter
Strategy Items to Consider…
Who is responsibleWhich networks to useHow your competition is using itWho your target isTypes of content that will be sharedFrequency of posts
Don’t “learn as you go” Jumping in without a plan is a
Waste of Time!! SM marketing reflects on your brand
If your brand seems clueless in SM, it may just look clueless, period!
Have a strategy from the get-go
Who is Responsible?Appoint single person or team for oversight
Assign posting/comments to staffRotate for variation of posting/comment styles
Which Networks to UseSearch out relevant networks (FB communities; LI
groups) to join and comment onBecome the known “industry expert”
Choose wisely…Look for networks that will give you the most “bang for
your buck”Be aware of time necessary to make an impactChoose a few sites – don’t spread yourself so thin
your posts are too infrequent
How is your competition using it?
No need to do everything your competition is doing
Stand out – examine their strategy, and emulate it with a twistCreate your own campaignsFind your own style
Who is your target audience?Your target audience in social media isn’t “everyone”Who do you want to engage with?
Existing patients?Potential patients?Professionals in related industries?
Don’t forget your referral base!
Demographic specific target advertisingSearch for groups to comment on within Facebook and
Types of content that will be sharedOnce your target audience is determined, content
strategy can beginCan be a combination of:
promotionalInformationalConversational
Key is to remember --- social media is about being social.DON’T use it as another one-way medium to advertise!
Frequency of postsVaries depending on many factors
Are you creating lots of great informational content?Share content every day
Important to find the balancePost enough to be noticed
Not too much to be considered annoyingFind the right mix appropriate to the needs of your
followers
Statistics2004 = Facebook.com
4 college students launch Facebook from their Harvard dorm room. Originally only open to those who had a school e-mail.
By Dec ‘04 - Nearly 1 million active users
2006 opened up to business networking, then to the general public ; >12 million active users
Mar 2009 - >200 million active users in 27 Countries
Feb 2012: Facebook jumps to 845 million users
Feb 2012: 845 million users
*Statistics per Infographics and AnsonAlex.com
Jan 2013: Facebook remains the most powerful social media platform available with 1.1 Billion users
Over 50% of the population in North American uses Facebook
*Statistics per Infographics and AnsonAlex.com
More interesting Facebook Statistics
*Statistics per Infographics and AnsonAlex.com
To not take advantage of such powerful marketing tools would be like starting up a business and…
not unlocking the front door or activating your telephone service
Creating a Company Page
First things first…Determine who will be the administrator
Company page must be linked to single profileThis should be the person chosen to oversee your
social media campaign(s)
Administrator should create a personal profileStrictly professional - with a bit of “personal” mixed in
…nothing you wouldn’t put on your desk at work for all to see Invite and accept “professional” friends ONLY
Profile Details
Choose a professional photo and cover photo to reflect your Brand
Work Related Contact InfoPhone AddressWebsite(s)Email
Profile Details
Bio section should reflect your position at the company (with a marketing flair)
What do I post?Concentrate your status
updates on passively promoting your company
*Photo credits: East Coast FertilityFacebook
Post your own, or share status updates from your co-workers (or employees) relating to company events
What do I post?
Add LOTS of photos!
Infiltrate into the FB Social sphere…
Search for beneficial pages to “Like” (promote)
Actively Participate in Relevant CommunitiesLook for ACTIVE communities (fan pages)
“Likes” and “people talking about it”
6,028 / 214897 / 75
19,180 / 96
Once your professional profile is complete…
You’re Ready to Create a Company Page!
How Do I start?Go to an existing company page to see the “create page” icon
Choose what type of page to create
This is also where you can create a “cause” or “community” page
Admin Interface
Create a display ad
Decide if you will post as the
company, or yourself
Note: 30 “likes” needed to begin accessing insights
Assign & Manage additional Admin
Admin InterfacePrimary Admin can add multiple admins
assign specific roles
Company Profile ContentDesign your “About” page to passively promote your company
Link to your practice URLDon’t omit contact
information Include satellite officesAdd lots of photos
Staff photosEvent photosPatient baby pics
Link your blog through “networked blogs”
Customizing your Company Page
Consider hiring a professional designer:Look for one that specializes in Social Media applicationsBrand your website theme across all social sitesPlace tracking code into pagesCreate custom app pages & campaigns that link to websiteDesign FB ads
With custom FB app pages that cross link back to your company websiteWelcomeMeet the TeamMake an ApptPhilanthropicVideosEventsContestsTestimonials
*Photo credits: IVF NJ; Boston IVF
Supercharge your SEO
Call to Action Campaigns Use your philanthropic campaign to get “likes” and “fans”
Donate $1 to (insert charity) for every “like”
Promote!!!!! (friends; email contacts; patient DB; Referral Network, etc)
Example of a promotional contest
Summing it upIncorporate the tools you’re already using into your
profile Add the respective app, FB does the rest.
Share your Blog posts: Wordpress.com automatically pushes your post to FB
with Networked Blogs app (along with recent comments)
Use Twitter app to get updates from your FB contacts without following their updates in Twitter itself.
LinkedIn2002 - 2003 = LinkedIn.com
Started out in the living room of co-founder Reid Hoffman in the fall of 2002. Officially launched in 2003. By Dec ‘08 reached 88 Million users
Predominantly a Business oriented social network49% of it’s users are Top Level Professionals
Our target market!
Why Use LinkedIn Company Pages?
Practice ReachConsumer AwarenessSearch Engine OptimizationLead GenerationRecruitment
What makes LinkedIn different?Your extended network
LinkedIn’s core value proposition is simply this:The ability to answer the question…
“Who do I know who knows and can recommend somebody that…” …has a background in electronic medical records? …is an expert in egg freezing procedures? …is a good lawyer specializing in surrogacy law abroad?
How do we use LinkedIn?Business Development / Marketing / Sales
Secrets LinkedIn can tell you about your customers / target prospects
Rolodex substitute – Online / Self ManagedUse “Updates” to announce eventsMarket your business
Career Management / Personal BrandingBecome a recognized subject matter expert on LinkedInEnhance your profile with LinkedIn testimonials from
colleagues or patients
How do we use LinkedIn?Recruiting
Discover talent for future useLinkedIn has been established as one of the leaders in the
recruiting and sourcing of passive job candidates
Narrow down your candidate responsesEliminate resume’s from a stack of hundreds
Grow your Network – New members joining daily!
Keeping in touch - Keep track of your business contacts as they migrate
How do we use LinkedIn?
Organizing and joining GroupsGroups help drive traffic to your web site via your
linkedIn landing pageAids in SEO
Get high visibility in search results and profile views (in the form your group logo/name)
Place website links w/in postsFind your prospects via the LinkedIn “Group Search
Feature”
Where to Begin
First…
Create a personal profileto link to your company page
Get Connected!* Consider upgrading your membership to a paid membership
Summarize your Qualifications in the Background Section
Use keywords for SEO
Skills & Expertise - Be Thorough!
Your connections will be prompted to endorse you
Each one is search-able
(who do I know?)
Ask for Recommendations
Update your Status Regularly
Share your status updates: • Just your LI connections• All of LinkedIn • LinkedIn and Twitter page
Post Strategically!!
*Photo credits: Dr. Vicken Sahakian; Linked In post
*Photo credits: Dr. Jane Frederick; Linked In post
Join Relevant Groups
Seek out groups where your target market isUse the “group
search” feature
Actively PostBecome the
“known” expert
Which Groups?LI’s NEW “Group Statistics” feature…
Allow you to analyze Demographics and activity of Group
Form Your Own Group(s) Promote your
Group
Moderate Posts
Invite Participants
Promote your groupPost to your own
profile
Feed to Twitter profile
Post to group(s)
Send to individuals
Tips for forming LinkedIn GroupsYour group name is important!
Consider which keywords your target members will search for. Make sure your group name is clear and includes these keywords.
Create a group for your industry, not your company People are more likely to join a group when it's not simply for
fans of your company.
Design a group logo to fit the small standard logo size The group logos that are displayed will actually be quite small -
keep this in mind, and don't cram lots of hard-to-read-text into the small image.
Tips for Promoting LinkedIn GroupsPromote the group on your website, blog, email
newsletter, and social media networksPurchase a unique URL to go with your group, and redirect it
to a page on your site with more information about the group. Provides more content, engagement and visibility for your group. Aids in SEO efforts for your company website
Your Group automatically displays in the Group Directory and on members' profiles Take advantage of the functionality already in place on
LinkedIn to help your group get more visibility.
Tips for Promoting a LinkedIn GroupInvite coworkers, colleagues & patients to join and start
discussionsMake sure people know that you have a group and how to
join Don’t forget to invite your referral base
Leverage your existing network to get your group started After all, who wants to join a group with no members?
Invite key industry experts to join and engageSeek out the highly respected industry experts, invite them
to engage with the community
Tips for Promoting a LinkedIn GroupCross-market to related groups that you manage on
different networksCreate a similar group or Page on Facebook and invite
members of each network to join the group on the other network
Integrate LinkedIn into all of your marketing effortsEvery time you do a webinar or go to a conference, notify your
group and invite those you meet to join the group as wellAdd the group URL to your email signature
Creating a LinkedIn Business Page
Customize Your Page New Format similar to Facebook
Must link to Individual profileCan add sub-pages
Create an Aesthetically Appealing Main PageAdd your logo and main photoHome; Products; Insights – Standard / AlterableConsider adding: Recent News & Careers;Change out Products for “Services”
Company Home Page
Create Sub-Pages
Drive Engagement
Take-Away’s
Consistency is Key to SuccessPost frequently - Set up a schedule
Utilize Networked Blogs for consistency with Facebook
Give your readers a reason to come backRandom bursts off effort don’t produce sustainable
results. Planning is key, so use a content calendar
Bringing the message Home
Social Media is…
Blogs
Wikis
PodcastsRSS Mashups
Social Networks
Well…
sort of.
Social Media
Really
is…
a Conversation…
That is powered by…
Blogs
Wikis
PodcastsRSS Mashups
Social Networks
It is a conversation
between…
Customers…
Employees…
Investors…
…People!
And guess what?
The social media conversation is…
Not Organized
Not Controlled
And not on message.
The conversation
is…
Vibrant
Emergent
Fun
Compelling
and full of insight…
…if we choose
to join!
To join the conversation, we
need to be…
Present!
We begin by listening.
If we listen,
we will learn.
It may get messy …
…but it will allow us to
join the conversation!
Social Media is…
…a brand new way of understanding
markets,
not just another messaging channel!
Are
You
Listening?
Thank You
?’sDon’t forget to pick up my “Tips
to remember handouts!