Technology-Enabled Business Solutions

It’s no secret that social media has opened up a variety of new ways to reach potential customers. However, social media doesn’t have to mean just sending tweets and posting pictures to Facebook. There are a variety of creative ways that organizations are now using social media as part of their marketing strategy.

One example is Indiana University Health. On Wednesday, June 13, IU Health (@IU_Health) hosted the state of Indiana’s first “Twittercast” of a live surgery. In addition to using Twitter to provide the public a “virtual all-access pass” of a kidney transplant, IU Health created a digital marketing campaign to support this program.

Marketing campaign components included:

• A traditional press release
• Traditional media relations
• Twitter updates including: facts, “play-by-play” commentary, answers to questions, and even pictures
• A designated Twitter hashtag (#CalebsKidney)
• YouTube videos
• A designated page on the IU Health website
• A portal designed to allow individuals to send messages to both the kidney donor and recipient

IU Health’s creative use of social media, as well as their integrated digital marketing strategy provided notable results including:

• 1,363 new Twitter followers
• 1,754 Twitter mentions
• 100 earned media hits
• 1,700 visits to an IU Health webpage about being a kidney donor

SOUND OFF: Is your organization utilizing social media as part of your digital strategy? Have a success story about a creative campaign? Share it with us by leaving a comment below.