The benefits of engaging with a vibrant online community around local health and social care issues are clear – people can voice opinions on an open platform that is transparent and non-partisan. Established social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, blogs and YouTube offer an excellent and effective way to achieve a public dialogue. They are not without risk, however, and should be evaluated carefully.
These guidelines are aimed at local Healthwatch. Their purpose is to help avoid common pitfalls.
If you can answer ‘yes’ to the following questions, you’re ready to get involved in social media.
Do you have a clear purpose for using social media?
Do you have a clear idea of who your audience on each social media platform is and how you want to engage with them?
Do you have a member of staff who is empowered to speak on behalf of the organisation, and is able, and willing, to engage in and monitor your social media interaction?
Do you have clear policies in place for dealing with angry and vexatious people?
Do you have a clear escalation process for issues that affect the reputation of the organisation?
How can social media help with your role to allow people to ‘get the best out of local health and social care’?
Have you collected all passwords and log-ins centrally?
Does your designated social media spokesperson understand the etiquette of Twitter and/or Facebook?
Have you turned off commenting in YouTube?
1. Do you have a clear purpose for using social media?
Every local Healthwatch will have its own priorities and resource issues. Consider whether the platform (eg Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and blogs) can deliver a clear and useful outcome for your organisation that everyone understands. If you can present your aims for social media in a clear statement, then it’s worth considering. For example:
We’re going to use Twitter to engage with young people over their experience of GP care.
We’re going to commission a series of short videos for YouTube to explain how to use our services. The videos will also be used on our website and in our outreach work.
2. Do you have a clear idea of who your audience on each social media platform is and how you want to engage with them?
Consider who you want to talk to and use the appropriate tone and language to reach them. Local Healthwatch communications should ‘feel approachable, practical and dynamic and … act on behalf of local people.’
3. Do you have a member of staff who is empowered to speak on behalf of the organisation, and is able, and willing, to engage in and monitor your social media interaction?
These days the public (and the press) are more likely to encounter an organisation through their Facebook and Twitter pages than they are in ‘real life’, so the voice of your social media should be synonymous with your public image. The two most common reasons organisations fail to make social media work for them is that the task is given to someone who has neither the time nor the experience to do the job well, or the staff member does not have the judgement necessary to be the public voice of an organisation.
4. Do you have clear policies in place for dealing with angry and vexatious people?
It is almost inevitable that at some point or another individuals, or groups with specific agendas, will attempt to disrupt your social media conversations. This may provoke unwelcome discussions and regrettable comments. Anyone representing the organisation through social media should have clear training and instruction on how to respond to problematic discussions of this type.
5. Do you have a clear escalation process for issues that affect the reputation of the organisation?
Discussions around topics that relate to how your organisation works should be carefully monitored for slander or libel. They could escalate into a major media story. The social media team-member should be the first to respond to such a scenario. It is essential that there is a speedy and clear procedure for reporting any issues of this nature.
6. How can social media help with your role to allow people to ‘get the best out of local health and social care?’?
‘Local Healthwatch is all about local voices being able to influence the delivery and design of local services…’ Social media provides a valuable outlet and potential source for those voices. Have you got a plan for how to encourage those voices, collect them and make them count? Does it include social media? If people are tempted to use your public platforms to disclose their personal details, or information about complaints that should not be in the public domain, move the conversation onto email as soon as possible.
7. Have you collected all passwords and log-ins centrally?
Everyone in the organisation should be clear that no social media presence can be created without approval from the top of the organization, and without all the passwords and log-in information being collected centrally (ideally in a spreadsheet).
8. Does your designated social media spokesperson understand the etiquette of Twitter and/or Facebook?
Using @twittername will address a remark to a person directly if it’s at the start of a tweet or will include them if it occurs later in the tweet, whereas using a hashtag (eg #somethingexciting) will include your tweet in a general conversation about a hot topic.
Twitter users respond well to short, timely remarks about topical issues, whereas Facebook content tends to be visible for longer and can focus more on images, events and general discussions. Remember that while it’s technically possible to delete a tweet, there’s always a record: so if in doubt, don’t tweet it.
9. Have you turned off commenting in YouTube?
Comments in YouTube can be harsh and deliberately provocative. Unless you’re staffed to monitor and respond to any commenting on your YouTube videos, it’s almost always best to turn off commenting as a feature when the video is uploaded.
If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to all of the above you should be in a position to avoid the most common pitfalls associated with social media. Hopefully this will allow you to make the most of these exciting opportunities to engage with the public.
Please refer to the Branding Guidelines, for guidance on logos and naming and further tips before setting up an account on Twitter or Facebook. If you do set up accounts on social media, make sure they have lots of links back to your website, as this will help your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Social media strategy
Social media can be extremely useful in spreading your message and building connections with your service users. But always bear these points in mind:
Plan: to engage in a social media campaign target those services that are most commonly visited by your audiences. Make sure you know: (a) what message you want to convey, and (b) how you will convey it – don’t make it up as you go along.
Update: social media needs constant attention to thrive. One blog update every few months won’t work. Plan for regular updates. Make sure you can deliver.
Be responsive: social media isn’t a one-way street, so be prepared to get involved in discussions and answer questions.
Be consistent in tone and style: although social media is a different method of communication, all the crucial website tips apply here (and perhaps even more so), especially developing a tone of voice, a reliable style and an understanding your audience.
Social media healthcheck
Avoid social media completely unless…
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1a
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You have a clear purpose for being on each platform.
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1b
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You have a clear idea of who your audience on each platform is and how you want to engage with them.
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1c
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You have a member of staff who is authorised to speak on behalf of the organisation, and is able, and willing, to devote time to social media.
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1d
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You have clear policies in place for dealing with angry and vexatious people.
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1e
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You have a speedy and well-understood escalation process for issues that affect the reputation of the organisation.
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Making the most of social media
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2a
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Beyond reputation management and public profile, have you considered how social media can help with your role to allow people to ‘get the best out of local health and social care’?
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2b
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If you’re creating a new channel, have you followed the logo and naming guidance in section on Branding Guidelines to the letter?
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Smooth running
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3a
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Have you collected all passwords and log-ins centrally?
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3b
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Does your designated social media spokesperson understand the etiquette of Twitter and/or Facebook?
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3c
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Have you turned off commenting in YouTube?
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Setting up your Twitter and Facebook accounts
Please refer to the brand guidelines for logos, colour schemes and the latest branding information.
Twitter
Twitter name
The maximum length is 20 characters, including spaces. If you don’t have space for your local area name, eg Healthwatch Northumberland, use HW Northumberland.
Twitter handle/URL
The limit is even tighter, just 15 characters; no spaces are allowed and punctuation should be avoided. Use HW in place of local Healwatch, and underscores instead of spaces eg HW_Berkshire. Longer place names can be abbreviated eg HW Hammersmith & Fulham would be HW_HF.
Biography
Healthwatch Berkshire is the new local champion for patients, the public and everyone using social and health care services [optional: in Berkshire]. Tweets are mostly by Angela MacRobbie.
Website
Link to your local Healthwatch website ie: http://www.HealthwatchWakefield.co.uk
Voice and tone
Tweets (including links) cannot exceed 140 characters. Be brief but clear. Always use plain English and avoid jargon, business speak and passive sentences: eg say ‘patients’ not ‘local hospital service users’.
In all your dealings with the public your tone should be open, approachable and flexible.
Twitter-specific protocol
If you hit ‘reply’ on a tweet, only you, the recipient and your mutual followers, will see the reply. It will, however, still be visible on your account webpage.
Example: @mrfly thanks for your suggestions!
Hashtags (#) introduce subjects such as #NHS and will be visible to anyone following that subject. For suggestions about popular and topical hashtags on subjects you want to tweet about try http://www.twazzup.com
Example: What single thing would you change about the #NHS in Lincoln?
Facebook
Page title
Use your local Healthwatch name eg Healthwatch Cornwall.
The ‘About’ section
This section allows you to include a brief description of what your page is about. Use the following text, but amended to include your own name:
Healthwatch Merseyside is the new champion for patients, the public and health and social care users in our local area.
Healthwatch Merseyside will provide you with information and advice to help you make independent, informed choices about your health and social care. We will also gather your views and ensure they are listened to when local health and social care services are designed and delivered.
Voice and tone
Facebook updates can be as long as 420 characters but only the first line or two will be seen my most users in their live stream, so make sure that your updates are short – or at least that the key information is at the top.
Always use plain English and avoid jargon, business speak and passive sentences: eg say ‘patients’ not ‘local hospital service users’.
We are on the side of local people at all times. We should be open, approachable and flexible in all our dealings with the public. Make sure anyone who updates Facebook on behalf of the organisation knows that this is the tone we’re looking for.
Check regularly on any comments to posts. If a question comes up, respond in an open and conversational manner. If the subject could involve private information be sure to take the discussion somewhere more confidential, such as email.
Deleting comments is heavily frowned upon. Only delete those comments that could be harmful because they’re sexist, racist, homophobic or libellous. If in doubt, seek guidance from a senior member of staff.
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