Social Media Marketing Moves Needle for National Healthcare Brand

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation is having wild success in its social media channels. Learn more from Social Media Leader Amanda Todorovich at an IABC Cleveland lunch program, Thursday, January 30. Todorovich will talk about CCF’s Health Hub blog as an anchor for content strategy.  She’ll discuss how her team leverages content across multiple platforms even beyond social channels. She’ll share data and results as well as provide examples of the different types of content that Cleveland Clinic utilizes in its robust content marketing strategy.

Lunch and networking begin at 11:30, with the professional development program running from noon - 1:30 p.m. The program will be held at the Crown Plaza Cleveland – South at 5300 Rockside Road, Independence. Parking is free.

Early-bird registration is $15 for IABC Cleveland members, professionals-in-transition, and students; $20 for non-members. It runs until January 20. After that prices go up $5 to $20 for IABC Cleveland members, non-members, and professionals-in-transition, and $25 for non-members. Registration closes Monday, Jan. 27. 

When registering, be certain to make your lunch selection in the "Additional items" option.

Storied Lessons from Non-Profit Expert:: Kim St. John-Stevenson

When Rosa was dying of cancer, she had nowhere to turn. No money, no home, no family.  Donor-supported Malachi House on Cleveland’s near Westside gave Rosa a place to spend her final months and die with dignity.

Non-profit organizations like Malachi House need donations to keep operating. And, showing their human side, through story, is a way to engage people and, quite frankly, get them to open their wallets.

Storytelling expert and non-profit consultant Kim St. John-Stevenson talked about marketing to donors  at IABC Cleveland’s November meeting. Many of the tips in her presentation could  apply to for-profit businesses as well. St. John-Stevenson is President and Chief Communications Strategist for Cleveland-based Ink+ LLC.  

Numbers are part of the story for donors. To really catch people’s attention though, she said, “Communicators should help tease out the messages and tell the stories. Stories must be unique to your organization because you’re in competition with other organizations. Funders [customers] will ask, ‘What’s the difference?’”

To frame those stories, St. John-Stevenson offered simple, but compelling reminders

• What is the core issue?
• What is the story about?
• What makes it interesting?
• Have you included details?
• Is the meaning clear?
• What’s the “look?”
• Where is the emotion?

“It doesn’t need to be fancy, it needs to be out there,” she said sharing case studies from a number of clients. “You don’t want to be the best-kept secret.”

For those who want to learn more, St. John-Stevenson recommended additional resources: Storytelling as Best Practice by Andy Goodman and causecommunication.org.

If you missed St. John-Stevenson’s presentation you missed additional tools that can help attract donors/customers to your organization. For more information, find her at www.inkplusllc.com, Twitter @inkplusllc and Facebook.com/inkplusllc.