Presented this at the 2011 ISMTE North American Conference August 2011

1. Utilizing Social Media for
Journal Content
Distribution
Bob Sumner
Editorial Coordinator
Clinical Chemistry

2. “Social Media”
• The most efficient method to access
media
• Hundreds of millions of users:
– all interests represented (not just pop culture)
– number of users continues to grow
• More than marketing: Generating
interactions with readers
• Facebook and Twitter

3. Source: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/07/twitter-library-field-work-combined.html

4. Enormous potential audience
Source: http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2011/07/the-business-impact-of-social-media.php

5. Why bother?
• The audience is discussing your journal’s
material and data (really). By actively
participating in social media, your journal
can help steer the conversation.
• This is the future of content distribution.
Facebook and Twitter are where your
material will be discovered.

6. Initial steps
• Create detailed plan
– Cost (FREE)
– Paper distribution method
– Potential content
– Competition
• Expect concerns
– Negative feedback?
– Adequate interest?

7. Implementation
• Start following people
– Search twitter using terms relevant to your
journal
– Find those users discussing your material and
follow
– Follow who they follow
– Note their interests
– Follow competitors: see how they are
distributing their content

8. What material should be
posted?
• Journal material
– PAP papers
– marketing material
– turn your journal into a breaking source of news
• Material found via google reader searches
– Relevant blogs
• Material posted by members/contributors
• Material your audience would find interesting
posted by the people you follow

9. Tips on posting material
• Utilize posting applications:
– Hootsuite application
• Post to/monitor multiple platforms
• URL shrinking/tracking
• Post scheduling
• Post titles of journal papers with truncated link to
abstract or pdf
– If title is >140 characters, use abbreviations or running title
• Emphasize free content in posts
• Maintain journal’s scientific integrity
– Avoid controversial material/language, unless in debate
format
– All material posted will be associated with your brand

10. Create a robust timeline
• An effective Twitter feed/Facebook wall
has a variety of material that is constantly
updated.
• This material should be updated in a
staggered manner (don’t post all material
at once)
• More material = better chance of showing
up in searches and getting retweeted
• Be consistent

11. Timing
• When should you post your material?
– Peak usage time period usually after work
hours, but there are exceptions
• How often should you post it?
– More than once?
– Dedicated staff member?

12. Personal Touch
• Update your Twitter avatar/Facebook photo
routinely
• Try to tailor your material to both your Twitter
feed and Facebook wall
• Answer reader questions and encourage
feedback
• Always provide relevant sources for found
material
• Don’t make the feeds look automated. People
will notice!

13. Twitter distribution method
Emphasizing free content
Reposting material from
members
Posting material relevant
to journal readers

14. Facebook method
Readers discussing
journal material

15. Facebook vs. Twitter
Facebook Twitter
• Facebook wall does not • Repeat postings can attract
necessitate reposted material different global audiences
• Ideal for connecting with • Ideal for distributing a large
readers and answering amount of material to readers
questions
• Audience is exponentially • Smaller audience, but larger
larger than twitter pool of content
• 330-character posting limit • 140-character post limit
• Multimedia friendly • Only links can be posted
• Facebook ads/promotions can • Followers need to be drawn in
generate many followers with material. Although
regardless of content numbers can be increased by
following those who follow you

16. LinkedIn
• Fit for your content?
• Audience = job seekers
• LinkedIn Groups: great way to connect
with readers
• New features are embracing content
distribution strategies

17. Is your strategy working?
• Expect a slow initial growth
• Follower/Like numbers are not the only
metric
• Utilize free analytical software for Twitter
• Utilize Facebook insights

18. Our results
• Clinical Chemistry (est. 1955)
• Laboratory medicine journal ~10,000
subscribers
• 2010 Impact Factor: 6.886
@Clin_Chem_AACC
870 followers
Facebook.com/ClinicalChemistry
1740 likes

19. Twitter follower growth
Source: twittercounter.com

20. Re-tweeted material
Content re-tweeted by
users increases
impressions
Source: http://crowdbooster.com

21. Facebook „Likes‟ growth

22. Facebook demographics
Younger
audience
37% of users are
from United States

23. Other Facebook Metrics
• People view material posted on the
Clinical Chemistry Facebook news feed an
average of 840 times per day
• Average 2 new fans per day since
inception. 5 new fans per day since
January 2011

24. Creating new traffic
78 visits in one day
to our site via
social networks

25. Regional data
Material is accessed
globally
Open-access
material draws
impressive traffic

26. Promoting the networks
• Information included in print TOC
• Links to networks on journal-related blast
emails, staff email signatures
• Networks listed on journal homepage
(www.clinchem.org)
• Giveaways and Advertisements

27. Getting members involved
• Their input on your published material is
valuable to followers. Great for retweeting
• Adds legitimacy to your timeline (robust!)

28. Future growth is imminent
―It is very easy to invent reasons for not using Facebook,
Twitter or LinkedIn, and to build a case against the social
media based on unfounded allegations,‖ states Peggy
McKee, who recruits laboratory personnel in the U.S.
Nevertheless, the future is not difficult to predict. The
telephone and the Internet are now taken for granted; it is
only a matter of time before the social media will also take
their rightful place in the office and the laboratory.
Source: http://www.labmanager.com/?articles.view/articleNo/4496/article/Scientists%20&%20the%20Social%20Media

29. More future applications
―…the White House wanted to ask what the United
States’ technology priorities should be, so Expert Labs
put the question on Facebook and Twitter. Within 24
hours, they had received thousands of answers
including one from a student who suggested putting
textbooks on tablet computers—and another from actor
John Cusack, who advocated for the development of a
hot tub time machine.‖
Source: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2011/0708dash.shtml?sa_campaign=Internal_Ads/AAAS/RSS_News/2011-07-08/

30. Rising to prominence in healthcare
―Many physicians find it difficult to see the
benefit of social media, notes Dr. Montori.
They don’t have much time to spare. But social
media can be a time saver. He describes how
following people of interest on Twitter helps
―crowdsource‖ his own web browsing. The
people he follows send him interesting content
and links. ―It makes my time online more
efficient.‖
Source: http://www.newswise.com/articles/social-media-moving-medicine-forward

31. Educating consumers, engaging professionals
―It's important for doctors, nurses and other health
professionals to understand that Google, Twitter,
Facebook and other social media sites, health news
and information sites and online patient community
sites will not replace them. It's simply a tool that offers
additional information, and it allows the conversation
to get started between health provider and patient.
Doctors, nurses and other health providers need to
engage in social media platforms to help educate the
health consumer.‖
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-ficarra/social-networking-medicine_b_882128.html?ref=tw

32. Thanks!
• Email: bsumner@aacc.org
• Phone: 202-420-7678
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• @clin_chem_AACC
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