1. Healthcare Social Media
by Kelly Mellott and Stacey Simon
March 29, 2014

2. • Point Park University ‘07
• UPMC’s first full-time social media manager
• 5+ years media relations experience
• 4+ years social media experience
• Proud “parent” 
About Stacey
2

3. • Press releases
• Pitching
• Press conferences
• Online newsroom
• …Twitter!
Media Relations Background
3

4. UPMC Facebook Page
4
• Launched Facebook Page Jan. 2010
• Posted mainly news stories at first
• Expanded gradually
• The wall = “What, they can talk back to us!?”

5. • First step = listen!
• Expressed safety measures taken
• Corrected false rumors
• Earned credibility as the source of information
Tweeting During a Crisis
5

6. 6

7. • Dec. 2009: Social media committee presents “business case”
• Jan. 2010: Launched UPMC Facebook Page
• Feb. 2011: Started @UPMCnews Twitter account
• March 2011: Presented 2nd “business case” for expanded resources
• March 2012: One full-time social media position created
• May 2012: Added more strategic/engaging content to the mix
• Fall 2012: Added additional profiles for UPMC’s sub brands
(UPMC East, CancerCenter, Magee, Sports Medicine)
• November 2012: One-person “team” grows to two!
• January 2013: Social media strategy is formalized
• Summer 2013: Corporate presence expands to LinkedIn, Instagram, Vine,
Pinterest and Google+
• December 2013: Third social media employee is added!
• February 2014: Consumer-facing blog launches
UPMC’s Social Media Past
7

8. UPMC’s Social Media Team Setup
8
Sr. Engagement Manager
Kate Powell
Email and Social
Social Media Manager
Stacey Simon
Strategy and policy
Specialist I
Ligaya Scaff
Team support
Specialist II
Julia Kramkova
Content strategy
Digital Designer
Dual UPMC.com
and Social Media
Videographers
Marketing, Web,
Public Relations
Design and video
support:
Corporate Social Media Team: System partners:

9. • BA Journalism, Magazine
Concentration
• Focused in traditional print mediums
• Blogging and “Citizen Journalism”
were new topics
• By senior year, our Honors Program
students were making multimedia
content with recorded sound, video
and images
• Venus Zine
– Editorial Internship 2 years
• Front of Book Writer to larger
pieces
• Web Writing
• Assistant Fashion Editor
• Myspace, Facebook, YouTube –
Venus Zine TV
– No Editorial Positions = Marketing!
• Section Editor, Staff Writer
Journalism Background
9

10. • Editor, Prime Publishing
– Web Content Production from Launch
– Blogging
– SEO
– Developed social channels and content calendars
• Freelance Web Content
– Content Production Companies
– Real Estate, Finance, Local News Publications, Wine Blog
Web Editorial Experience
10

11. Healthcare Experience
11

12. • National Ovarian Cancer
Coalition
– All things
communications, public
relations and Advertising
– PSA Development
– Social Media Channels
• YouTube, LinkedIn,
Twitter, Facebook,
Pinterest
• National and
Chapter initiatives
• First digital
awareness
campaign #WhyTeal
Healthcare Experience
12
• UPMC
• Focus on content
development and strategy
• Four Main channels:
• UPMC
• CancerCenter
• Magee-Womens
Hospital
• UPMC East
• Develop content for new
platforms
• YouTube Channel
• LinkedIn
• Google +
• Pinterest
• Precision Therapeutics
Inc.
• Personalized medicine
and pharmacogenomics
• First ever digital
marketing strategy
• Revamping all social and
digital efforts
• New audience focus:
• Ovarian Cancer
Patients
• Gynecologic
Oncologists

13. • Pillars of Journalism
– Accuracy
– Engaging Story
– Timeliness
– Establish Expertise
– Understand your audience
• “Write about what you know…”
• Social Media adds the “conversation”
Journalistic Approach
13

14. Would it go on a Magazine Cover?
14

15. • “Brand Journalism”
– Using specially-designed content to attract customer attention– or in this case,
patients
• “Content marketing is the art of communicating with your customers and
prospects without selling. It is non-interruption marketing. Instead of
pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that
makes your buyer more intelligent.”
- The Content Marketing Institute
- Take-away ratio
“Content Marketing”
15

16. Example
16

17. • Editorial Calendars
– Daily themes
– Monthly themes
• Topics that are “top of mind” to the public
– Regular features
• Establish a rhythm to keep fan base coming back
The Process
17

18. Adding a voice to the noise
18

19. The “Angelina Effect”
19

20. Cancer Conversation
20

21. Cancer Conversation
21

22. Content Calendars
22

23. 1. We aim to work 1 month in advance
– Outline the month with brand priorities, themes and holidays
2. Add in regular features
3. Work with Clinical Marketing to support priorities and create engaging
angle, find expert sources
4. Tailor to the medium
5. Create rich content
6. Fact check, fact check, fact check
7. Adjust and be flexible!
The Process
23

24. • Overall goal – “Life Changing Medicine”
– Educate
– Engage
– Enlighten
– Entertain
Proactive Content
24

25. Educate: General Health info, about UPMC, health observances
25

26. Educate: General Health info, about UPMC, health observances
26

27. Engage: Trivia, Audience Qs, Fact or Fiction, Q&As, Employees
27

28. Engage: Trivia, Audience Qs, Fact or Fiction, Q&As, Employees
28

29. Fact or Fiction?
29

30. Enlighten: behind-the-scenes, media, patient stories
30

31. Entertain: quotes, holidays, local, rich content
31

32. Creating Rich Content
32

33. Infographics
33

34. Telling the patient story
34

35. Patient Story Amplification Project
35

36. Patient Story Amplification Project
36

37. Story Amplification Project
37

38. • Show the audience you are listening – join the conversation
– What is your audience talking about?
Reactive Posts
38

39. • Stronger following
– Began using Facebook Advertising for
promoted posts (Like ads coming soon)
and doubled Facebook fan base since
March 2013
– Larger social media staff needed to
support larger fan base
• Acquired Social Media Management System
(SMMS) – Spredfast
• Launched consumer-facing blog
• Expanded monthly reporting
Growth in the past year
39

40. Summary Stats – Corporate Channels
40

41. An image detailing surprising ingredients found on
popular sodas was the month’s highest-reaching
organic post on UPMC’s Facebook. The photo
was shared 50 times by fans, resulting in additional
commentary and engagement from non-fans.
What we learned:
• Dynamic, sharable content performs well
• UPMC’s audience is interested in general
nutrition information
Moving forward:
We will investigate additional opportunities for
information-heavy, sharable photos to continue to
educate our audience and increase the visibility of
our posts
What’s in your Soda?
Channel: UPMC Facebook
Timing: 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 4
41

42. 1. Legal Limitations
• Taking advantage of user-generated content may be
a cumbersome process
• What are contests without prizes?
• Federal patient privacy laws affect how we engage
Challenges
42

43. 2. Tough Crowd
• “Evil empire”
• Sensitive subject matter
• Modest fan base
Challenges
43

44. Facebook Likes
44
Mayo Clinic on Facebook
(500,000+ Likes)
UPMC on Facebook
(15,000+ Likes)

45. Facebook Use Among Hospitals
45
Hospital * Fans
1 Cleveland Clinic (4) 874,514
2 Mayo Clinic (3) 505,850
3 Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore (1) 143,872
4 Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University(15) 58,906
5 New York-Presbyterian (7) 40,863
6 Brigham and Women’s Hospital (9) 18,964
7 Massachusetts General Hospital (2) 17,576
8 UPMC (10) 15,027
9 USCF Medical Center (7) 14,422
10 University Hospitals Case Medical Center (18) 11,451
11 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center(13) 9,166
12 Northwestern Memorial Hospital (6) 8,943
13 Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (17) 7,775
14 Duke Univ. Medical Center (12) 7,027
15 Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (5) 7,173
16 Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (11) 6,947
17 IU Health Academic Health Center (16) 6,120
18 NYU Langone Medical Center (14) 4,714
U.S. News “Honor Roll” Hospitals (By # Facebook Fans)
* U.S. News “Honor Roll” Ranking in parentheses
• 1,292 U.S. hospitals
currently use
Facebook.
Source:
http://network.socialmedia.mayoclinic
.org/hcsml-grid/

46. 3. Old-school mentality
• Many leaders still are not receptive of
social media
• Edgy ideas normally don’t make it
through the approval process
• Accustomed to sales-y, one-way
marketing (Ads don’t talk back!)
Challenges
46

47. What lies ahead?
47

48. • Making an effort with Google+ -
first Google Hangout in April!
• Tackling legal roadblocks
• Expanding creative resources with
the goal of creating more content –
both timely and cross-channel
What lies ahead?
48

49. Questions?
49
Stacey Simon
Social Media Manager, UPMC
Twitter: @StaceyLSimon
LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/StaceySimon
Email: SimonSL@UPMC.edu
Kelly Mellott
Digital Marketing Strategist, Precision Therapeutics
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/KellyMellott
Email: Kmellott@PTILabs.com

50. Tips and guidelines to consider:
• Sensitivity and Empathy – pretend you are the patient or a family member,
walk in their shoes and never make promises. There are no certainties in
healthcare!
• Privacy and Legal parameters – HIPAA, patient information, employee and
patient safety
• Medical Accuracy – only trusted sources, make sure it can be proven
• Big Pond – With 65,000 employees and an even larger patient pool, the
social media team are the small fish 
• Politics – remember this is still a business; facilities, experts and partners
• Audience – limited attention-span and knowledge
Creating Content
50

51. Patient Relations Connect you to patients and families
Public Relations Current events; media
Clinical Marketing Clinical service lines, experts/employees
Administration Issues affecting operations, anything extreme (+/-)
Design/Video Rich content production
Contacts and Resources
51

52. Challenge #1: Testicular Cancer Awareness Month
52
Service Line: UPMC CancerCenter
Challenges: UPMC CancerCenter wants to promote network sites and its new
campaign, “Centered on Cancer, Focused on You.” April is Testicular Cancer
Awareness Month but it is an extremely sensitive and private cancer.

53. Solution #1: Testicular Cancer Awareness Month
53

54. Challenge #2: The Walking Dead; Everyone loves Zombies!
54
Service Line: open
Challenges: Zombies have hit mainstream media and we want in on the
action. However, zombies are not exactly sensitive, not medically accurate.

55. Solution #2: The Walking Dead; Everyone loves Zombies!
55

56. Challenge #3: Pittsburgh Penguins
56
Service Line: UPMC Sports Medicine
Challenges: Everyone knows that Pittsburghers love their sports teams. UPMC is
the official sports medicine provider of the Pittsburgh Penguins. We want to
promote the partnership during Pens season, but the Pens and the NHL are very
sensitive about alluding to any type of injury and we cannot use images or names
of any individual team members.

57. Solution #3: Pittsburgh Penguins
57

58. Challenge #4: National Picnic Day
58
Service Line: open
Challenges: National Picnic Day is coming up and we’re using this as
content inspiration because we know our audience connects with awareness
days and holidays. We want to do something fun but it needs a health angle.

59. • http://bit.ly/1fp145Q
Solution #4: National Picnic Day
59

60. Challenge #5: Holiday spirit
60
Service Line: Trauma Services
Challenges: It’s the holiday season but we need to promote our trauma service
line. We want to keep the spirit light, sensitive to religious differences and the
focus on medicine.

61. Solution #5: Holiday spirit
61

62. Questions?
62
Stacey Simon
Social Media Manager, UPMC
Twitter: @StaceyLSimon
LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/StaceySimon
Email: SimonSL@UPMC.edu
Kelly Mellott
Digital Marketing Strategist, Precision Therapeutics
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/KellyMellott
Email: Kmellott@PTILabs.com