mommyjenlin

I've posted a couple of blogs recently about the rise of the social media function and how BtoB companies can best leverage social media. A common theme has been the need for marketing to provide guidance, guidelines and infrastructure without stifling the power of this new channel to reach customers, prospects and influencers. To help with your journey, I've included below a list of social media guidelines that several companies have published: Adobe Acrobat Users: http://www.acrobatusers.com/blog_guidelines Cisco: http://blogs.cisco.com/news/comments/ciscos_internet_postings_policy/ Dell: http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/policy/en/policy?c=us&1=en&s+corp&~section=019 Mayo Clinic: http://sharing.mayoclinic.org/guidelines/for-mayo-clinic-employees/ BT: http://richarddennison.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/bt-social-media-guidelines-mar09.pdf eBay: http://ebayinkblog.com/2009/03/06/new-social-media-guidelines-for-reporting-company-information/ HP: http://w...

Its back-to-school time again, so everyone in their brother is touting those specials for school and sports physicals in various ads or direct mail pieces. Same day, next day, comprehensive, call for an appointment or just walk in. Multi-specialty group practices, hospital ambulatory centers, solo practitioners and retail clinics are all offering the same essential service. What caught my attention were three ads in the local paper from three different channels for these services in the market. It raised the question is anyone paying attention to their advertising message and how it compares to what can be viewed as competitors? The multi-specialty ad - same day but you had to call for an appointment and gave no price but mentioned pediatricians implying a doctor will see you. The hospital ad - call first for a next day appointment, take advantage of our discounts, offer ends soon and gave a price. The retail clinic ad - same day, just stop by and gave a lower price. Thankfully, thr...

In my last blog, Rise of the Social Media Function , I focused on how companies need to best organize their marketing team(s) to leverage social media to connect with prospects, customers and their markets. I'd like to add another dimension to this discussion: social media within your own corporate community. I've invited Caroline Dangson, IDC's Social Media Research Analyst, to provide her insight and perspective on this important area. "Thanks Michael. Hardly a day goes by without a company announcing layoffs. The U.S. jobless rate in February marked a 25-year high of 8.1%. Organizations are scrambling to hold on to business under incredibly limited resources. The workloads of 651,000 jobs lost last month are now being picked up by the workers who remain. This means an incredible shifting of roles and responsibilities within American businesses. And with that, a shift that is disrupting information flow within the enterprise. Information is money, and the loss of ...

This is a test. Quick, what is the fastest way for you to build your brand in the community? Well, besides providing outstanding patient service and support, high quality care and so forth. Try proactive media relations! Each morning, someone in the marketing department should be scanning the newspapers, news wires such as the PR Newswire and the Business News Wire and other media outlets to see the hot healthcare topic of the day. Once identified, look to your medical staff or your internal employees to see if you have any content experts. Find the angle about why this is important. Develop some materials such as a news release or statement, get some times the physician or hospital spokesperson is available and pitch them to the media. Put the materials on your web site. Use the news wires for a regional release. It's all about speed, reaction and first to the media. It's summer and that means a slow news period! Two articles in the WSJ today worth commenting on. Outpatient...

Many opportunities exist for B-to-B marketing organizations in the social media space. . . .and they're not all limited to what you can do with Twitter, Linked-In and YouTube. Just a few of these opportunities include: Establish a direct, relevant connection with your customers as a source of voice of the customer for new product development (e.g., through an on-line community) Improve customer satisfaction (e.g., enable customers to share experiences on-line by creating a self-running community where customers can interact with and learn from their peers) Increase the speed for troubleshooting and R&D by reducing the distance between customers and engineering Join the on-line technical conversations about your products that your customers are already having, by either leveraging your own community or listening to and participating in other companies' communities Best-in-class organizations are adding a new social media role to their organization to capture these opportunit...

With the Senate yesterday introducing a HC reform bill, its clear that the battle lines are being drawn between a government insurance option vs big insurers. Expect the Obama PR team to hammer big insurers and enhance the public already aving a strong dislike of healthcare payors. What does that mean healthcare providers ? Watch the battle closely, you will have to choose. What to do. LEVERAGE, LEVERAGE, LEVERAGE... Marketing departments should be working with senior leadership and in their communities to get a pulse from all constituent groups, not just favorites on the topic of healthcare reform. As issues develop create media statements for local press on why you do or do not support. Consider offering your facility as a town hall meeting place. Find out where your docs are at. Help them understand the issues and develop PR/Media kits for them to use. Consider web site updates and links to various organizations. Become the local expert source for commentary and opinion. Get leaders...

House Democrats have just introduced a 1,000+ page healthcare reform bill. Buckle up, Life is going to change as we know it. Healthcare marketing departments now is the time to start proving your worth and doing some serious marketing. Otherwise, don't need you in the new environment.