5 best practices

8/20/2019 5 Best Practices

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OCTOBER 2012 2

Engage people. Inspire belief. Incite action.inciteimpact.com

CONTRIBUTORSSarah Harris, Founder, Incite

Matt Scelza, Director, Incite LARandall Warlick, Incite LA


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inciteimpact.com / 2

5 BEST PRACTICES FOR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS’ SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

OVERVIEW

Social media accounts are now what email accounts were in 1997: simultaneouslyubiquitous and cool, providing free channels of communication to virtually everyone withaccess to the internet. With budgets shrinking, the public sector has turned to social mediain the hopes of achieving important communication goals with less money. Incite studiedpublic health departments (PHDs) across the nation to understand the time and resourcesthey invest in social media platforms and compiled •ve social media strategy best practicesfor public health departments to consider and adopt.

RESEARCH ANDFRAMEWORK

We chose to focus our researchon how PHDs are using Facebook,Twitter and YouTube becausethese three services are the threemost readily identi•ed social mediaplatforms among the general public.

According to Quantcast, YouTube,Facebook and Twitter are all rankedin the top •ve most visited websites(Google.com is number one). Thereare literally dozens of other tools andprograms that could be classi•edas social media, including severalthat may have great value for PHDs,but for now, the Twitter, Facebook,YouTube triumvirate rule the socialmedia landscape.

Initial research uncovered that 60%

of PHDs are active on at least onesocial media site, with 87% of activePHDs on Twitter, 56% on Facebookand 43% on YouTube 1.

Understanding more PHDs areusing social media tools 2, Incite asked

1 BMC Public Health 2012 http://1.usa.gov/RPzmnW2 http://bit.ly/ItvLvO


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two questions: What are PHDs doing with their

social media accounts, and why are they doing it?To answer these questions, we chose to observe

a variety of PHDs: local departments at the cityand county level, a state department and nationalorganizations. In all, Incite studied 15 PHDs overa period of four months. We interviewed severalemployees of the successful PHDs and featuretheir valuable input and insights throughoutthis white paper. We highlight examples of

PHDs that are effectively using speci!c bestpractices so readers can emulate their approachand also offer examples of strategies that failto engage audiences and should be avoided.

This white paper provides answers to these twoinitial questions while addressing two additionalquestions that presented themselves duringour study: what are the departmental conditionsnecessary to institute a successful campaign,and what are the best practices that social mediastrategies should include to maximize theirchances for success?

We intend this white paper to be a practicalguide that addresses the questions PHDs (andother entities in the public health space) facewhen choosing to engage in social media. In manyrespects, the best practice for some PHDs wouldbe to not engage, at least until they are properlystaffed and equipped to handle the most essential

element of social media: conversation. It is criticalthat PHDs know their target audiences andreview social media platforms prior to investingpeople and time in a social media strategy. Doesmaximizing Facebook make sense due to its abilityto maintain a timeline of pictures, videos andcontent? Is Twitter the right choice because of its

ability to communicate directly with constituents?

Perhaps YouTube offers the best option for a PHDinterested in sharing detailed information via video.

Whatever the choice made by PHDs, we hopethis white paper answers critical questions andsuggests key elements that will ensure success.

CONDITIONS

Across the PHDs observed and the interviewsconducted, we identi!ed four conditions that create

the framework for social media success:1. TIME

2. TECHNOLOGY

3. THINKING

4. AUTHORITY

TIME

Staff time is the most obvious constraint. Attheir most essential, social media campaigns are

just that: campaigns. They need to be staffed andbudgeted for like any other program, rather than

just updated by someone with a few extra minutesat the end of their day. Although social mediatools are free to use, the human capital requiredto effectively engage an audience and participatein the conversation is quite large and must beconsidered.

TECHNOLOGY

Employee access to technology is anotheressential condition. Different PHDs have differentpolicies and limitations, and there remainlegitimate concerns about employees spendingvaluable work time checking their personal socialmedia pages. However, PHDs need to allow key


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AUTHORITY

Assuming all of the above conditions aremet, a PHD still must identify and authorize theproper staff member(s) to participate in socialmedia efforts. Currently, the staff members withthe authority, position and knowledge to speakon behalf of the PHD are typically the mostsenior professionals, who often lack personalease and comfort with social media. Becauseof this imbalance between authority and social

media ability, social media functions are oftenperformed by college interns because they arethe only employees who understand how touse the various platforms. While interns can bevaluable members of the team, they likely arenot knowledgeable enough about public healthissues to engage constituents in a meaningfulway and usually end up posting basic links andinformation that is approved by someone ofauthority. Additionally, interns often don’t have along-term commitment to a PHD or to the successof consistent, competent messaging and consumerengagement via social media channels.

The Philadelphia Department of Public Healthaddressed this issue in part by dividing theirsocial media presence and the accompanyingauthority along program lines. As James Garrow,Operations and Logistics Manager, explains,“TakeControlPhilly is housed within a program

within another division, and they get primaryresponsibility over maintaining their page.” Themain page for Philadelphia’s PHD is not connectedto TakeControlPhilly and has separate individualsmaintaining it.

employees to engage with their constituents on at

least one social media platform. A blanket policybanning all social media usage unnecessarilyeliminates some of the most effective tools evercreated for public health communications.

THINKING

The technology and budget constraints thatoften exist speak to a larger condition that mustbe addressed: acceptance of social media fromDirectors and Deputy Directors. Given that socialmedia is still in its infancy 3, many leaders may be

reluctant to embrace a social media approach topublic communications. Successful departmentsadopt thinking similar to that of technologycompanies, where “fail quickly” and “iterateoften” are mantras. In social media, controlshifts from the content creator to the user. Whilepotentially frightening for a PHD used to one-waycommunication, this shift unlocks the power ofnetworks and communities to spread information.

A thousand users and their networks will reachin!nitely further than a single PHD. PHDs thatunderstand and relish this opportunity will thriveand grow their importance as a trusted, valuableresource to the end consumer.

3 Facebook was created in 2004, YouTube in 2005, and

Twitter was founded in 2006.

“A BLANKET POLICY BANNING

ALL SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE

UNNECESSARILY ELIMINATES

SOME OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE

TOOLS EVER CREATED FOR PUBLIC

HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS.”


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BEST PRACTICE #1PROMOTE CONVERSATION

The most important practice is to start aconversation. Conversations are what differentiatesocial media from all other forms of communication.Everything else, whether it be television ads, radiocommercials or print materials, •ows from theconversations that PHDs should start and promoteon social media.

The best practices that follow are really waysto ensure that the conversation keeps goingand is productive. Along with the other four bestpractices, conversations will directly lead to thedesired behavior change at the root of a socialmedia campaign. We like the phrasing of BevMacy and Teri Thompson, authors of The Powerof Real-Time Social Media Marketing , who de!nesocial media as a “Cult of Conversation” that

follows the 3 C’s: conversation, connection, andthen community. 4

For PHDs used to delivering the “of!cial” viewon a health topic, engaging in conversation maybe an unnatural shift in strategy and thinking. Inreality, PHDs are uniquely positioned to engagein important and meaningful conversations. Asthe trusted and credible resource for information,a PHD can be the “really smart friend” that offersgood advice and ideas.

4 The Power of Real-Time Social Media Marketing, BevMacy and Teri Thompson

As the Social Media Manager and User

Generated Content Lead for online electronicretailer TigerDirect.com, Matthew Smith managesrelationships with the brand’s 34,500 Twitterfollowers, 80,400 YouTube subscribers and1,071,000 Facebook “friends” daily. He explains,“In the end, it’s all about our customers’ experiencewhen entering our social sphere. It must beinteresting, fun and informative. But in the end,it must be an open dialogue, and we’re alwayslistening and responding. Remember, you’renot just holding an ongoing conversation; you’realways making a !rst impression.”

One of the easiest ways to foster conversationis to use Twitter. Twitter allows users to re-tweetmessages from other users and to tweet “at” them,which are both great for starting or engaging inconversations. The use of direct messages onTwitter can personalize a PHD in a way that isdif!cult to replicate in any other medium.

NOTEWORTHY MODEL: Centers forDisease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The CDC does a great job of promotingconversation, most notably via their YouTubechannel. They regularly utilize contests thatencourage their audience to create and uploadtheir own videos. The CDC starts the conversationby asking a question and then promotes the

conversation by asking their audience more aboutthe topic. By deepening the conversation on atopic or issue, their audience becomes highlyengaged in the CDC and the issue at hand.

AS THE TRUSTED AND CREDIBLE

RESOURCE FOR INFORMATION, A

PHD CAN BE THE “REALLY SMART

FRIEND” THAT OFFERS GOOD

ADVICE AND IDEAS.


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1. Know who your customer is (and who your

customer is not)2. Identify how you can help your customers,

and put their needs before your own

3. Discover how your customer wants to becommunicated with – this is the best way toget inside the conversation already goingon in their head

Part of the reason different audiences gravitateto different social media sites is the variance incapabilities among sites. In general, Twitter is greatfor quick communication, YouTube is a premiervideo site, and Facebook is best for pictures,personal posts and community conversation 5.Different target audiences may respond moreor less strongly to different approaches, sounderstanding the capabilities of each site letsPHDs choose sites that will allow them to developthe ideal approach for their campaign.

This approach also transfers to the corporatesector. TigerDirect.com’s Matthew Smith explains,“Each social platform provides unique opportunitiesto connect with customers…and we differentiatethe use of each, as well as the content producedfor (each) respective community, while ensuringthey all complement one other. We view Facebookas the platform that best keeps us in touch with the“pulse” of our customer base. It allows our teamto gain vital customer feedback on industry news,products and services. Twitter is a bit different, asit lends itself more to an open dialogue. It’s a greatplace to listen to the masses and connect withthose on and off our communities. YouTube, on

5 As Pinterest grows, it may become a platform worthusing for one or more of these functions. As of this writing(September 2012), it is too early to assess how best to usePinterest. It remains an area for experimentation and weencourage PHDs to embrace the new platform.

WHAT TO AVOID: Using Facebook, Twitter

and YouTube as one-way communication devices

Too many PHDs we observed treat theseplatforms as another medium for deliveringthe same messages in the same way. If a PHDtreats Twitter or Facebook as just another placeto post a link to its e-newsletter, then all ofthe power of social media has been wasted.

BEST PRACTICE #2DEFINE YOUR TARGET

AUDIENCE & IDENTIFY

WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA

SITES THEY USE

Question: Which social media sites shouldPHDs use?

The wrong answer: All of them, because they

are all free.The correct answer: The ones that your target

audience uses most frequently and passionately.

First and foremost, this means PHDs need tode!ne their target audience and then conductresearch to learn which sites their audience uses.For example, a PHD can establish a strong socialpresence on Twitter by posting relevant andengaging content multiple times each day, but if

their target audience is spending most of their timeon Facebook, a Twitter presence is irrelevant.

Social media expert and founder of MediaLeaders,Josh Ochs, suggests three customer-focusedsteps to identifying which social media channels touse in his soon-to-be released book Light, Brightand Polite :


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the other hand, is a place to broadcast extremely

rich content. We use it to dive deep into products,creating how-to videos and reviews. It’s an idealplatform to push information.”

NOTEWORTHY MODEL: New York CityDepartment of Health and Mental Hygiene

(NYCDOH)

NYCDOH is active on all three social media sites,but pursues different strategies across platforms 6.On Facebook, NYCDOH maintains multiple pagesthat discuss speci!c health topics like smokingcessation and healthy eating, targeting differentaudiences. Meanwhile, on Twitter, NYCDOH hasone account that discusses general health issues.NYCDOH clearly decided to keep Twitter as ageneric account that can be used to reach thewidest possible audience while the more focusedFacebook pages engage their narrower audiences

with richer and deeper content.

6 The list of NYC social media sites can be accessedhere: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/public/public.shtml#smedia

WHAT TO AVOID: Re-posting

the same contentMany PHDs simply re-use content from one site

to another. The most common mistake observedwas copying a tweet as a Facebook post. The twosites are not the same, and each site has its owndistinct language and interaction pattern amongusers. What might be useful and appreciatedon Twitter is ignored or dismissed on Facebook.

A great indicator of engagement is the “people

talking about this” feature on Facebook. If a tweetis simply re-posted on Facebook, it is very unlikelyto spark any discussion.

BEST PRACTICE #3DEFINE YOUR DIGITAL GOALS

The best ways to de!ne success in social mediacampaigns are still being discovered and created.Some campaigns use the number of followers

or fans they develop.We recommendmeasuring succses by measuring howmany people mention your campaign ina post or tweet, or actively participatein your campaigns by signing an onlinepledge or participating in a contest. FewPHDs have had the resources to track theirsocial media activity all the way through tooutcome measures, although this would be

a particularly worthy goal.Ultimately, PHDs will have to de!ne

success for themselves, primarily takinginto account their !nancial and staffresources. Speci!c and measurable goals,

however de!ned, will lead to a department-wideunderstanding of what a successful social media


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campaign looks like.

Since goals are the broadest desired outcomesof a campaign, PHDs need to set objectives thatare speci•c in nature and will help them gaugeprogress toward achieving the broader goal. Forexample, if the goal is to use social media to getpeople to stop smoking, an objective could be toget 50 people per month to sign an online anti-smoking pledge via Facebook by the end of thecalendar year. Another objective could be to get

300 people to re-tweet the smoking cessation tipof the day every month for the next year.

Although PHDs do not have to share everydetail of their goals or objectives with theaudience, it is advisable that PHDs at leastprovide brief information about the content theywill be presenting. This maintains a level oftransparency and authenticity. Both are essentialfor organizations, especially in the digital realm. 7

NOTEWORTHY MODEL: PhiladelphiaDepartment of Public Health

This PHD maintains several Facebook and Twitteraccounts, and each provides a brief descriptionof the objectivesfor that account.For example,TakeControlPhillyexplicitly says: “Follow us for the latest facts onSTDs, free health services & condoms” whileFoodFitPhilly says that you can use the Facebookpage to “get updates, recipes, exercise tips, and

7 Using Social Media Platforms to Amplify Public HealthMessaging, http://smexchange.ogilvypr.com/wp-content/up-loads/2010/11/OW_SM_WhitePaper.pdf developed and cre-ated under the 2010 Social Marketing Fellowship at OgilvyWashington and the Center for Social Impact Communica-tion at Georgetown University.

share your stories.” These pages clearly share

their objectives with their audience, and thattransparency attracts and reassures users that thePHD has a clear vision for their account.

WHAT TO AVOID: Skipping the “About” sectionof Twitter and Facebook to introduce your PHD

The language you use in this section establishesthe tone for your account. One department’s “About”section in their Twitter account only contains alink to their website. There is no effort made todescribe what the department does or to de•nethe goals of their Twitter account. Any departmentseeking to become a part of the lives of thousandsshould take advantage of every communication

opportunity available to them, especially one thatallows them to describe their goals and objectives.

BEST PRACTICE #4MAINTAIN A

CONSISTENT VOICE

A consistent voice represents a consistencyin brand persona. Think of the Mac verses PC

commercials from several years ago. Apple wasembodied as young and hip while PC’s wereboring and corporate. What is your department’spersona? Why would your constituents changetheir behavior based on the recommendationsof a brand that appears to be untrustworthy,unenthusiastic or inconsistent?

“DON’T SKIP THE ‘ABOUT’ SECTION

OF TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. USE

IT TO INTRODUCE YOUR PHD.”


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No one “voice” is perfect for all departments or

for all social media platforms. The goal for eachdepartment should be to •nd a voice and thenmaintain that voice in every social media endeavor.

Josh Ochs suggests, “the bene•t to (aconsistent, customer-focused) approach, is youwon’t be selling to your customer, but insteadyou’ll be helping them. This helps you stop beinga salesman and start being a friend. Customershave so much going on, that if you try selling

something to them using your words (or industry jargon) you’ll be sure to get a very low responseon social media. However, when you discuss theconversation already happening in their head,you’re sure to get an answer and you’re more likelyto turn a follower into a response (and maybe thatresponse into a customer).”

Having “a consistent voice” does not exclusivelyrefer to just consistency in tone (e.g. casual orformal, mature or friendly, etc.). In addition, aconsistent voice is one that always speaks to thesame audience and focuses on the same healthtopics or behaviors. For example, one department’sFacebook page may state that its goal is to providehealthy eating tips. If the department suddenlystarts sharing anti-smoking tips, the voice willbe just as inconsistent as a voice that vacillatesbetween formal and casual.

NOTEWORTHY MODEL: Robert WoodJohnson Foundation (RWJF)

RWJF maintains a mature, professional voiceacross three social media sites. Some departmentscan accomplish this with one very effective socialmedia specialist. A more sustainable model isto develop a style guide that instructs anyone

updating the sites how to produce consistent

content. A strong style guide should help anyoneutilizing the department’s social media sites craft apost that is consistent with previous posts.

WHAT TO AVOID: Adopting a “faceless” voice

In the effort to be relevant to all audiences,many PHDs adopt a voice that seems “faceless.”We all recognize the hallmarks of this kind ofde-personalized language: passive sentences,broad statements or humorless with no point ofview. Consider this Twitter example: “Rememberto check your skin quarterly for unusual moles.

They could be a sign of skin cancer.” Very fewpeople will note that information, let alone act onit. In comparison, here is a more active version ofthat tweet that might promote conversation: “Beenenjoying the sun a bit too much? Join us for a freeskin cancer check this Saturday. #StayBeautiful” Ina social media world where people often glance for


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three seconds or less at their information stream, a

faceless voice might as well not exist.

BEST PRACTICE #5BE AUTHENTIC

In order to drive engagement and promotebehavior change, PHDs need to adopt authenticmarketing practices. Audiences will not engagewith a department if it appears the department is

not interested in them or is uncommitted to thecause of promoting healthy behaviors.

The easiest way to appear authentic is toregularly update your social media sites. Asite that is not regularly maintained suggeststhe department is not invested in the siteor the message it is promoting. If this is thecase, why should the audience be invested?

“If you never return to your pro!les, you... will

be forgotten (best case) or seen as unconnected,clueless or lazy (worst case).” 8

It should be noted that there is danger in postingtoo regularly just for the sake of posting. A site thatposts one perfunctory post per day can be seenas being just as inauthentic as an abandonedsite. Social media should be a tool used to driveengagement; it should not be another meaninglesstask that is performed once a day and then ignored.

Social media expert Josh Ochs continues, “greatmessaging can be the key to a successful socialmedia campaign. The key is to set up the rightprocess and be consistent in striving for quality. Thebest way to get a response from your customer iswith engaging and well thought-through copy. Youactually have MORE to lose by "ying by the seat of

8 http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220678

your pants than you do by not being ‘here and now.’”

We encourage PHDs to recognize that consistentuse does not mean following a de!ned postingschedule. Rather, it means that social mediashould be used to consistently generate ideas fordiscussion and share relevant information whilealso reacting to evolving audience discussions.

NOTEWORTHY MODEL: AmericanPublic Health Association

This association posts content to its Facebookand Twitter accounts nearly every day and oftenmultiple times a day on Twitter speci!cally. Thedepartment also regularly re-tweets messagesfrom other accounts and responds to tweets onTwitter. This is the clearest demonstration toconstituents that the department, in addition toposting content regularly, is actively following andengaging in online discussions.

WHAT TO AVOID: Inconsistent posting

In many departments, tweets or Facebook postsare several days apart, and it is common to seeaccounts go unused for weeks at a time. Just asyou cannot build a relationship with an individualwith whom you rarely communicate, PHDs cannotconnect with constituents through sporadicupdates.

CONCLUSIONSocial media platforms are simple to use but

dif!cult to use well. As we have observed, manyPHDs are struggling to drive engagement withtheir social media marketing efforts.


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As an employee of a PHD, what can you

do to improve your department’s social mediamarketing efforts? First, make sure thosearound you understand what is possible withsocial media by showing them the “NoteworthyModels” described here. Educate them aboutthe pitfalls by showing them the “What to Avoid”examples. Ideally, the Director will lead the entiredepartment to understand what social media cando, as well as what social media should not do.

Identifying a “social media champion” in thedepartment is the •rst step toward bringingeveryone on board. Of course, social media shouldnot be the side project of one employee; it shouldbe a departmental effort.

More than anything, be creative. Look at therelative lack of measurement metrics and absenceof long history in social media marketing as anopportunity to try new things and learn.

May you fail quickly and succeed often.

ABOUT INCITE

Incite is a Social Impact Marketing Firm

that specializes in connecting people with

resources and sparking movements that

drive sustainable change.

With of•ces in New York, Los Angeles,Indianapolis, Austin and St. Louis, Incite’sexpertise breeds dynamic, motivating cause andsocial marketing campaigns.

Our clients are dedicated to helping peoplemake a difference – in their own lives and in the

lives of others. And we are social entrepreneurs

who share a deep personal commitment to helpingour clients make real, sustainable impact in theircommunities.

We engage through strategic, relevant marketingthat has widespread in!uence — one personand one community at a time. Incite is the directconnection between intent and meaningful action.

Get to know us at inciteimpact.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

FOUNDER SARAH HARRIS leads theIncite team and is instrumental in forgingpartnerships and developing meaningful marketingcampaigns that use media vehicles to addresscommunity needs.

Her innovative work with corporations,government entities and nonpro•t organizations

serves as the foundation of and catalyst for manyof the social change marketing messages Incitepartners direct toward their target audiences.

MATT SCELZA joined the Incite team in 2010after 15 years of service and business developmentin the nonpro•t world. Matt has led more than 40cause marketing campaigns in his career, includingwork with Verizon, Homeboy Industries, the U.S.

Army, the Los Angeles County Department of

Public Health, and MAZON. His dedication tofundraising and organizational leadership hasgenerated over $25 million for various charities.

At California Literacy, Matt created the nation’s•rst Health Literacy Initiative with support fromKaiser Permanente, P•zer, Inc., and The CaliforniaEndowment. He also worked with Washington


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Mutual (now Wachovia) to launch a statewide

public awareness campaign called Cities ThatRead, ultimately engaging more than 150 Californiacities. While he was Marketing and DevelopmentDirector at Bet Tzedek, one of the nation’s premierlegal services organizations, Matt led the AnnualDinner Gala and The Justice Ball® for •ve years.

Born in New York, Matt is a dual graduate ofStanford University (BA ’94 and MA ’95) and along-time Angeleno.

RANDALL WARLICK worked as an intern withthe Incite Los Angeles team in 2012 while hewas enrolled in the Master’s in Human Behaviorprogram at the University of Southern California.His experiences with the team served as theinspiration and basis for his Master’s treatise, whichexplored the psychological principles underscoringsocial cause marketing efforts in the •eld of publichealth. Randall received a BA in social ecologyfrom the University of California Irvine in 2009.

Thanks to Dr. Jay Bernhardt, James Garrow,Josh Ochs, Matthew Smith, Harlan Rotblatt, JorgeMontoya and Nedra Kline Weinrich for their timeand insights.

Engage people.

Inspire belief.Incite action.inciteimpact.com


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OUR TEAM

Incite CorporateSarah HarrisFounder [email protected]

Jeremy SmithNational New Business Development Director [email protected]

Nick CavarraNational New Business Development Director [email protected]

Kaitlin FerriesNational Project Manager

[email protected]

New York Ava Volandes-TavantzisDirector - Incite New York

[email protected]

Los AngelesMatt ScelzaDirector - Incite [email protected]

IndianapolisNichole FreijeDirector - Incite [email protected]

Sember HahnProject Manager - Incite [email protected]

AustinCynthia McGrail Director - Incite [email protected]

St. Louis

Libby NolanDirector - Incite St. [email protected]

Katie Ward Project Manager - Incite St. [email protected]

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