Tuesday, May 26, 2015

What is Kevin Spacey doing on the Health Train Express ?

My colleagues know I am involved in social media and author two of blogs.  I realize I am no expert on social media (contrary to some of my physician colleagues on #hcsm) I have no certificates on my wall.

Kevin Spacey was invited to speak at a   'Content Management" meeting as a keynote speaker. He was as brilliant as he is  on "House of Cards".

What I do here on Health Train  Express and Digital Health Space is tell a story about health reform and health information technology.

Story telling is an art form. Spacey outlined the three necessary components of a story.


The story is everything

"1. Create Conflict

First and foremost, in order to tell a riveting story it must include a good conflict. Conflict creates tension and tension keeps people engaged, according to Spacey. “Our stories become richer and become far more interesting when they go against the subtle order of things to achieve something different and effective,” he said in his Content Marketing World 2014 speech. When it comes to conflict though, it must be genuine. The conflict should drive the overall story and affect how characters react. It should also inspire an audience to engage and react with the storyline.

2. Be Authentic

The second most important part of good storytelling is authenticity. He even quoted a fictional man well-known for speaking his mind to emphasize the importance of being authentic, House of Cards’ Frank Underwood: “There is no better way to overpower a trickle of doubt than with a flood of naked truth.” Spacey said when marketers embody a certain honesty they are more likely to create great campaigns. In order to be successful in content marketing, we must stay away from what’s predictable and already been done before. We have to be honest, genuine and stay true to our brand and voice. We also shouldn’t be afraid to take a risk and have a strong voice.

3. Value Your Audience

Finally, good storytelling can’t happen without valuing and understanding your audience. “As storytellers, we are nothing without our audiences. We must constantly strive to build our audiences and give them content worth sharing,” Spacey said. Good content marketers should always be listening and responding to their audience’s wants and needs. If we aren’t doing this, we’re just creating content to create content and contributing to the rest of the noise."
So.....what does this have to do with blogging and Health Train Express ?
" Content Marketing" has flipped the model. It has created a space where Hollywood is coming to it rather than producing it's own content, innovators and forward thinkers are being asked to use their facilities to produce content for YouTube, Scripted,  and other platforms such as Copromote

How

Does Health Train Express fit this model?

1. Conflict is everywhere in health. It has increased exponentially, exploding into the most common form of health news, Health Reform, Health Information Technology, and Health economics. 

2. Authenticity has been a pillar of Health Train Express, beginning in 2004 when our first articles were on the development of Health Information Exchanges, and Regional Health Information Organizations. Articles based  upon credible sources, other blogs, established print media and content from professional meetings, government sources. It must be newsworthy and preferably 'breaking news'.

3 Value your Audience, goes without saying but must be mentioned.
            
          a. Who is your audience and  understanding your audience.
          b. Interactivity with your readers and open to comment.
          c. Provide linkage to other important and related information.

There are no more enthusiastic sources for your blog than enthusiasts who follow you.

How to Find Evangelists in Your Audience

1. Excel at Your Service

Think about the best steak dinner you ever had in your entire life. In all likelihood, you told a bunch of people about it. Had it only been an average steak dinner, you probably would tell no one about it. It was okay, but not up to a recommendation. Whatever your product or service is, excel at it first.

2. Show Appreciation to Your Repeating Readers (ie, interact with commentary)

Find your customers and show them how much you appreciate them. If you have a “fan page” or a Google+ page, offer your followers a special deal every now and then. A steak restaurant may offer a free dessert to anyone who mentions the page or blog where you announced the special deal.

3. Listen & Respond to Complaints

Do all you can to make the situation right. Admitting that an article contained a mistake or was challnged, then fixing it for the reader will enhance your reputation on social media and convert a disappointed reader and follower into an evangelist, along with others who read your reviews. You must maintain a positive reputation on social media.

4. Leverage Your Readers

Your employees can be evangelists or at least emissaries. This requires a two-step method that authors needs to implement. First, they need to love where they work because they are treated with respect and feel valued by their readers. The second is that they need to be well-trained in social relationshiops and praised when they have done something routine that makes a follower happy.
.
5. Quality Over Quantity

It’s better to focus like a laser on a small number of topics in order to make it manageable for you to build a personal relationship. Communication with you for any reason should be easy, so make sure they know how to reach you if they believe they need to. Publish less, and publish with authority.

Evangelist marketing is one of the few marketing efforts that start with the reader
rather than yourself. It is a form of word-of-mouth marketing. When you identify a potential evangelist, ask for a testimonial. When you do this, you are letting these key people know that you appreciate them as your customer.
Evangelists are credible with their peers and can be more influential than a celebrity endorsement. They are underused resources that, if nourished and developed, are the key to growing your business.

The final words from Kevin Spacey,

"Hunt, or be hunted"
        


No comments: