As 2012 comes to a close, it’s natural to reflect on events of the past year. Social media, an increasingly important part of a unified digital strategy, has seen many changes over the past 12 months.

A recent article on HubSpot’s Inbound Internet Marketing Blog looks at the “The 16 Most Important Social Media Updates of 2012.” A few of these were discussed earlier this year in our GreyMatters newsletter. While some of these changes amounted to little more than “tweaks,” they have still affected marketing use of social media in many cases.

According to HubSpot, the major changes include:

1. Global Brand Pages for Facebook. This feature allows a company or brand to have one primary Facebook page for its brand, from which users can be directed to different versions of the page based on individual locations. This is particularly relevant for companies/brands with a presence in more than one country.
2. Mobile-Only Facebook Ads. This feature has been a boon for companies who either know their audience is primarily mobile or mobile at certain defined times. Now they no longer have to pay for both desktop and mobile ads to reach their mobile customers.
3. More Facebook Targeting Options. Facebook now allows more criteria for targeting an audience, including age, gender, gender the user is interested in, relationship status, education, college graduate (college name, major), in college (college name, major, years), in high school, and workplace, in addition to the targeting criteria already available.
4. Opening Open Graph Facebook applications. Open Graph apps allow a user to share his/her various experiences on social media by giving permission one time to an app. For example, a Facebook user who plays a Zynga game will have that experience posted on his timeline. Other Facebook users who see this may decide to play a Zynga game themselves, via this “pseudo” word-of-mouth game recommendation.
5. Twitter Tailored Trends. This feature notifies Twitter users of available Tweets based on the user’s interests, followers and location. Marketers can take advantage of tailored trends by using them to find out about trends specific to their industry and acting on this information via their own Twitter feeds.
6. Twitter Cover Photos. Cover photos, similar to those used on Facebook profile pages, are now available for Twitter profile pages.
7. Twitter Targeting by Interest or Username. This feature allows for more specific paid targeting by marketers.
8. New LinkedIn Company Pages. This new feature on LinkedIn allows for more customization on a company’s profile page, which allows for more targeting of visitors to the page.
9. Targeted LinkedIn Updates. By giving marketers the ability to further target and segment their messages to LinkedIn members, LinkedIn has seen a 66% increase in engagement. Using criteria such as company size, industry, job function, seniority, geography, and including/excluding company employees, marketers can further refine their marketing efforts on LinkedIn.
10. LinkedIn and Twitter Breakup. Twitter and LinkedIn ended their partnership in June, 2012. While you can still post to Twitter from LinkedIn, you can no longer post to LinkedIn from Twitter.
11. Promoted Foursquare Updates. A Foursquare user is no longer required to have already checked in to a business to receive information from that business. With the “Explore” tab, marketers can appear in any Foursquare user’s feed, even if the user hasn’t engaged with that business before to promote specials, share photos and provide other information about their business.
12. Foursquare Rating System. This new rating system was rolled out recently to help recommend places to its users. It uses a combination of various factors such as popularity, likes and dislikes, tips, loyalty, local expertise and check-ins from around the world.
13. Google+ Hangouts on Air. Originally, Google+ Hangouts were simply an option for small conference calls between business teams. Hangouts on Air allow for broadcasting the Hangout to much larger audiences.
14. Google+ Integrated into Google Searches. Now, Google searches incorporate information from Google+ user accounts in the search results. Thus, an organization without a Google+ presence will not fare well in such Google searches.
15. Google Places Becomes Google+ Local. Users of Google+ will now receive more information about a business when they search in Google+ Local, such as contact information, photos, and reviews.
16. Pinterest Business Accounts for Brands. This feature allows for business pages on Pinterest, rather than just an individual account. Pinterest has exploded in the past year as a platform for businesses, and the new features allow for a quick, easy setup. Additional features especially for business users are also available.

What do you think was the most important change to social media in the past twelve months? One of these or something different?

And of course, as we look back over 2012, we also look forward to 2013. All of us at Greystone.Net wish each of you a happy and safe holiday season and a joyous and prosperous New Year!

Tomorrow I head to Philadelphia to participate in an annual event on healthcare call centers (the 24th Annual Healthcare Call Center Conference). It is a conference I love participating in because it gives me a chance to catch up with long-term colleagues and to find out what is new in the industry.

It’s also a chance to spend time with a subject matter that is a little different than the Web / healthcare world I live within most days. But this year, I am teaching an educational session on advancing and emerging technologies for the healthcare call center. And in this instance, my two worlds — Web and call center — are colliding (in a good way.)

I’ll be sharing with the audience the latest in how (among other things) social media, video technologies and mobile technologies are — and will continue — impacting the healthcare call center. Big changes are coming to the healthcare call center, and it’s an exciting time for the industry and the call center manager.

I hope to see you in Philadelphia and catch-up. If you are at the conference, come by my networking table Thursday at 10am or my presentation at 3pm. But if you don’t make it and you want a copy of my slides, just let me know. I’m happy to share. I think the next few years are going to be a really interesting time for healthcare call centers everywhere. They are coming of age. Finally. I’m happy to be a very small part of the evolving call center future and to share my thoughts on the Next Generation Call Center.

I’m also looking forward to being back in Philly for a few days, and to reminisce about the fun times at Penn and living in the city back in the 90s. Where does the time go?  Hope to see you all in Philly soon.

I find myself shm (shaking my head) at hospital executives – even some marketing professionals – who time and again dismiss the value of a Facebook strategy. Sure, I know all the “cons” and all the challenges of developing a robust Facebook approach, but there is one absolute truth about Facebook:  it has viral value.  In fact, a recent Pew Internet & American Life Study stated that:

“Facebook users from our sample on average can reach 156,569 other Facebook users through their friends of friends. And the median user can reach 31,170 people through friends of friends.”

So let’s say your hospital has 100 fans and the median user can reach over 30,000 others — that means your message on Facebook can reach over 3,000,000 (that’s 3 with an “m”). And what if you have 1,000 fans?  3m jumps up to 30m.

Math has never been my strong suit, but those are big numbers.

Can your TV advertising pull that number? Can your billboards? Can your direct mail? And if so, how much do you have to spend to get there?

Take a hard look at your position on Facebook. Make certain you aren’t dismissing it out of hand — and for goodness sake, do you really think you should continue to be short-sighted and block your employees’ access to Facebook?

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

It’s been a little more than a week since the end of the 15th Annual Healthcare Internet Conference, and what a whirlwind. But a good whirlwind. It was a fun time with lots of great educational sessions and many chances to see old friends again and make new ones, which is the best part of each year’s conference, in my opinion.

Here are a few highlights of this year’s event from my perspective:

• We opened the meeting on Monday with a video retrospective of the first 15 years of the Conference. If you missed it or just want to see it again, here’s your chance.

 

• I thoroughly enjoyed the opening keynote presentation from Peter Taylor of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. His organizational approach to managing social media was fresh and innovative, and I loved the “Break Up” video he shared with the attendees to set the stage.

 

• On Tuesday, we were pleased to announce the establishment of the Healthcare Internet Hall of Fame. We had been talking about a Hall of Fame for several years — as a way to ensure that the healthcare Internet industry preserves its history and honors its innovation — and this seemed like the appropriate time to launch it. Annually, inductees will be honored in three categories:  Innovative Individuals, Innovative Provider Organizations and Innovative Products/Services. This year, the inaugural class of well-deserving inductees was announced and included:  John Eudes, Sharp HealthCare, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Epic, Estrada CMS and WebMD. You can learn a little more about each inductee at www.hihof.com. And, if you like the concept and would want to serve as a member of the Board of Judges, please submit an application. And more importantly, if you would like to nominate a candidate for induction into the Hall of Fame, please submit an entry no later than June 1, 2012.

 

• We were also excited to announce — beginning next year — the John A. Eudes Vision and Excellence Award, in memory of one of Greystone’s co-founders who passed away earlier this year, way too young.  The award will honor individuals who embody John’s ideals for excellence … believing in and acting upon the idea that excellence can only be obtained if one cares more than others think is wise, risks more than others think is safe, dreams more than others think is practical and expects more than others think is possible. The first honoree will be announced in November 2012 at the 16th Annual Healthcare Internet Conference.

There were many other special moments throughout the three days, and part of me (maybe the semi-ridiculous part) can’t wait until next November when we do it all over again. Next year, we’ll be convening at the Cosmopolitan Hotel  in Las Vegas. A fabulous, modern and very hip new venue. I’m looking forward to seeing you there.

I hope you’ll comment on this blog as a way to share your favorite moments of the Conference. I’d love to hear what you liked, what you didn’t and what you’d like to see differently next year. Until we talk again, everyone have a safe, peaceful, restful and thankful Thanksgiving holiday.

I happily congratulate the accomplished group of Best in Class finalists and winners who accepted their awards at the Ninth Annual Best in Class Awards ceremony on Monday, November 7 at our 2011 Client Conference!

At a fun and festive luncheon, we announced the winners in 11 categories and presented All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, Florida with the Best Overall Web Site award.

The creativity and high level of innovation was impressive – both in their solutions to challenges and with their strategic approach to driving conversations and business.

Be sure to check out these BIC Web sites, initiatives and programs – they are the finest in hospital and healthcare Web site design, content, functionality and such strategic thinking. Or download a copy of the winners’ brochure. Thank you to all for such dynamic and engaging entries.

Gold Award Winner:  All Children’s Hospital

 

Innovator’s Award

Gold Award Winner:  University of Arkansas Medical Sciences

Silver Award Winner: Children’s National Medical Center (Parent’s Letter Project)

Bronze Award Winner: All Children’s Hospital

 

Best Redesigned Web Site

Gold Award Winner:  St. Jude Medical Center

Silver Award Winner:  Arkansas Children’s Hospital

Bronze Award Winner:  Nationwide Children’s Hospital

 

Best Redesigned Web Site – AMC

Gold Award Winner:  University of Mississippi Health Care

Silver Award Winner:  Partners Healthcare

Bronze Award Winner:  Cooper University Hospital

 

Best Use of Social Media Strategy

Gold Award Winner:  Meridian Health

Silver Award Winner;  Sharp HealthCare

Bronze Award Winner:  Hendricks Regional Health

 

Best Execution of Social Media Tactics

Gold Award Winner:  All Children’s Hospital

Silver Award Winner:  Riverside Medical Center

Bronze Award Winner: Broward Health

 

Best Method of Driving Traffic to the Web Site

Gold Award Winner:  St. Louis Children’s Hospital

Silver Award Winner:  Emory Healthcare

Bronze Award Winner:  Children’s National Medical Center

 

Best Use of Multimedia

Gold Award Winner:  All Children’s Hospital

Silver Award Winner:  Lexington Medical Center

Bronze Award Winner:  Partners Healthcare

 

Best Use of Mobile Strategy

Gold Award Winner:  St. Jude Medical Center

Silver Award Winner:  Baptist Health

Bronze Award Winner:  Sharp HealthCare

 

Best Integration of Print-Web-Mobile

Gold Award Winner:  Children’s Hospital & Medical Center

Silver Award Winner:  Medical University of South Carolina

Bronze Award Winner: Methodist Health System (Omaha, NE)

 

Best use of Health Content to Drive ROI

Gold Award Winner:  Baptist Health

Silver Award Winner:  Hardin Memorial Hospital

Bronze Award Winner:  Detroit Medical Center

 

Best Use of Health Content for Patient Support

Gold Award Winner:  Methodist Health System (Omaha, NE)

Silver Award Winner:   All Children’s Hospital

Bronze Award Winner:  Methodist Health System (Dallas, TX)