How to Deal with Social Media Impersonators
June 17th by Kathi Browne // No Comments
Social media impersonators are more common than you may think. Popular names attract followers faster than unknown names and few people think to verify if someone is really who they say they are. Mayo Clinic’s Medical Director, Farris Timimi, never expected to find two Twitter profiles when he searched for his own account. But that’s exactly what he found when he searched for himself on Twitter. He had to report the impersonator and wait for the problem o be fixed. That’s why you should claim your own identity before someone else does, and you should search regularly for impostors and act quickly if you find one. (If you set up alerts for names, you will be alerted faster with less effort.)
Most social sites have policies against impersonating others, so there are procedures for reporting imposters:
Twitter Account Reporting
Report your problem immediately here, but only if you have the authority to do so. Here are some guidelines about who can act. After you report the account, you may be asked to provide proof that you are the real McCoy.
Google+ Account Reporting
Go to the impersonating profile and find the “Report / Block” option by clicking on the down arrow next to the communication icons. Indicate the account is impersonating someone and then answer the additional questions that come up.
LinkedIn Account Reporting
You must be a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd connection to report a profile here. From the member’s profile page, click the down arrow next to Send a Message or Send InMail . Select Flag as inappropriate, then select a reason for flagging the profile and click send.
Facebook Account Reporting
If someone created an account pretending to be someone else, Go to the timeline and click 
and then select Report/Block. Next, select Submit a Report and choose This person is impersonating someone. Follow the additional prompts. If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can report someone this way.
Category : Across Platforms &Facebook &Google/Google+ &Linkedin &Twitter
Social Presence Matters to Healthcare Consumers
February 5th by Kathi Browne // No Comments
Hospitals and practices are slowly recognizing that social presence is not only important, but necessary, to cater to healthcare consumers who are shopping. While the older generation of past tended to trust physician referrals and recommendations without question, younger generations are turning to the Internet to research a provider’s reputation and impression (Smith & Jones Healthcare Consumers: The New Reality White Paper). This trend is not likely to change course, so healthcare providers need to proactively build a trail of breadcrumbs that lead to THEM. Here are some first steps.
1. Ask happy patients to tell their friends.
Point people to a place where they can express their appreciation for others to find. Make it easy for them. This is an example of a sign that includes QR codes that launch the HealthGrades survey page for each physician. Facebook is another place where people may prefer posting, but directing patients to Facebook is only smart if that is where they are most comfortable. (NOTE: Young parents and the elderly tend to use Facebook for medical referrals more than young adults or working professionals). Facebook doesn’t get the attention of search engines like major review sites like Google Local and HealthGrades do.
2. Offer those small conveniences that make a difference.
Making an online appointment may not seem that important, but to a person who works a late shift and sleeps when your office are open, this is a welcomed convenience. The same holds true for downloadable forms and the ability to print one off without having to show up early just to fill it out before an appointment.
3. Create quality content that is worthy of sharing.
You don’t have to own a production company to put out something patients can appreciate. Identify a topic that might be useful to address and then record one of your staff addressing it. Keep it short, upbeat, and simple to understand. For example, a two-minute video on heart attack symptoms for women (and another for men) might be a wonderful video to release around Valentines Day to share with elderly loved ones… especially if you include a checklist to refer back to.
4. Engage with the public regularly and don’t neglect your social pages.
Too many healthcare entities set up Facebook or Google+ pages and then expect the pages to run themselves. The point of a social presence is to have two-way communication. Be generous with thank-yous when someone expresses appreciation, congratulate friends and community members when they are recognized, and don’t be afraid to address a negative comment with sincerity then it is deserved. Medical facilities are only as good as the people who work inside, so celebrate and recognize each one as you would a member of your family. Share those celebrations with your local community.
Category : Across Platforms &Blog &Blogging &Facebook &Healthcare &Twitter &YouTube
7 Social Predictions for 2013
January 14th by Kathi Browne // No Comments
I love the start of a new year because it is a time to throw my social predictions into the hat for later reflection. This year, I’m going against the grain of most predictions. I’m also looking a bit further into the future with predictions #6 and #7. Agree or disagree?
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“Return on Investment” will be measured in much looser terms.
Digital marketing isn’t the mystery it was a couple of years ago. There is no doubt that companies, brands, and even hospitals have to be social in order to compete in today’s market. As 2013 rolls out, CEOs will begin to accept that some benefits of social presence aren’t immediately realized and that attempting to measure ROI wastes time and money. Marketing professionals will finally be able to get down to business. Don’t get me wrong. Marketing companies will develop measurement tools that do just about everything in an attempt to hold onto the market, but CEOs will be tired of pretending they see the emperor’s coat.
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Social be incorporated into many departments and roles.
We will see a big surge in job descriptions calling for knowledge of social platforms. Why? Many more companies will choose to manage social presence in-house in an effort to cut costs and integrate social into multiple areas of a company. Social strategy will no longer be a Lone Ranger housed in the marketing department. Incorporating social into all facets of a company will be a growing trend as we start breaking down the silos and realizing all that is at ou fingertips.
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Text-only interaction will seem naked and slowly fade away.
Just take a few seconds to fly through your Google+ stream, Facebook page or Pinterest page. What catches your eyes and interest? A picture is worth a thousand words, so companies will start to focus on communicating concepts through photos and video. The accompanying text will become secondary, focusing on search engine optimization as much as content.
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Mobile sites and phone apps will no longer be an afterthought.
Smartphones are the wave of the PRESENT. Last year, smartphone use in China grew 150% (Pew/Nielsen research). The US is on the same trend, reporting that in mid 2011 there were already more mobile phone accounts than people! Half of these accounts were smartphones. Since then, there has been a steady upward trend of dumb phones being traded in for smart phones. The writing is on the wall (or should I say mobile wallpaper), so companies that want to stay visible will need to accommodate the mobile customer.
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Hospitals and practices will start using social technology.
As healthcare providers are forced to care for more patients with less money (especially where ACOs form), they will turn to social technologies. They will start to use these tools to educate and inform patients, and to communicate better in hopes of improving patient satisfaction scores.
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Big Data will be big business.
We are just starting to realize all the knowledge that can be gained from tracking people online. Google impressively predicted the flu outbreak and now everyone is imagining the possibilities. Businesses that lose social marketing business will turn to data collection and analysis as a new service. Information will be tracked and sold at a premium to predict all kinds of trends and responses.*
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Privacy will have to be bought.
It’s no secret that our privacy is for sale, as sites like Facebook and Google track our moves and sell our data to the highest bidders. Built-in private browsing and permission prompts won’t be enough. We will have to purchase apps and gadgets to assure our privacy is safe. We will have to pay to block our whereabouts and encrypt our activity to lock down our personal information much like we subscribe to antivirus software today.*
* may be 2014 before we see anything fully baked.
Category : Across Platforms &Blog &Blogging &Facebook &Google/Google+ &Healthcare &Pinterest &YouTube
Facebook Crosses the Line with Selective Censorship
November 29th by Kathi Browne // No Comments
Facebook has been in the news several times for removing posts for questionable reasons. Over a year ago, Facebook was under fire after it removed a post by Roger Ebert. Then in early 2012, a supposed list of Facebook censorship guidelines was leaked, followed by a controversial case of Facebook removing the anti-Obama post (but not similar anti-Romney posts) which it later apologized for. More recently, Facebook removed a photo the woman in the bathtub after mistaking her elbow for a breast (you have a BIG imagination, Facebook), and last week I was the victim.
That’s right, I signed onto Facebook from my phone and received a notice that my account had been temporarily frozen to remove a post that wasn’t in line with its community standards. I can’t quote them exactly because once the notice appeared on my phone, it disappeared. I didn’t receive any email and Facebook isn’t responding to my inquiry. They simply removed it. Here is the post:
I think I just spotted Rhonda’s doppleganger!
Now it’s no secret that I disagree with Facebook’s self-serving practices and that I object to being deluged with DealDash promotions, but to think they would censor me for my outspokenness is a bit of a reach. So what IS the problem? Has Facebook gotten so full of itself as to cultivate god-complex attitudes among its staff? Or maybe the Facebook censor lacked appreciation for the humorous reference to Doppelganger as it relates to How I Met Your Mother? Perhaps someone at Facebook felt my bad spelling deserved punishment.
Whatever the reason, such abuse of power deserves serious questioning. Where will society be if sites like Facebook and Twitter can simply dial up or turn off a message based on preference and personal beliefs? Isn’t this akin to bullying others who aren’t of like mind? As a public, we need to be speaking out when this kind of censorship takes place. We may even have to start canceling accounts to make them listen.
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