SOPA: The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is a bill that was introduced late last year in the House of Representatives that is aimed at protecting intellectual property on the Internet. Supporters of the bill cite its ability to improve the enforcement of copyright laws as well as protect Internet users against scams aimed at convincing them to purchase illegal or counterfeit goods. Opponents of the bill have a differing opinion about SOPA, claiming it violates the first amendment and will create Internet censorship. There is also the fear that, if made law, it could have a chilling effect on user-generated content. This is such an important issue that several major Internet companies, including Google, Facebook, Twitter, PayPal, Yahoo! and Wikipedia, are planning a coordinated blackout in protest of the bill. They say this will give us “a taste of what we could expect from post-SOPA Internet.” This is quite the controversy, and regardless of what side you take, SOPA is a term we’ll be hearing a lot during 2012.

Past Words of the Week

Social Television, Flipboard, Social Commerce, Doximity, Troll, Healia, HealthTECH Live, Revolution Health, Buffer, Twilert, nptech, Taweet, MedicalCavity, DoAT, Turntable.fm, iMedix, Twylah, Masher, Proxlet, Geeje, Google+, SocialVisor, Scribd, Pinterest, Graspr, White hat, Screenr, dushare, MEDgle, PostPost, Deals, SPOT Healthcare, Evernote, dlvr.it, Bounce, iTriage, popurls, Trunk.ly, Dropbox, Storify, Newsvine, Layers, Thsrs, #tagdef, Check-in, MDJunction, Blekko, Healthline, Spindex, Vanilla, Twingr, Tweetbeat, Social Media Policy, infoMedMD, Health Care 3.0, Groupon, icyou, #MDchat, Quality 101, MedlinePlus, HITSphere, URL X-ray, Mashup, Blog Talk Radio, TweetedRanks, Ping.fm, Digsby, Qik, Posterous, Ning, API, Lifecasting, Crowdsourcing, Meme, Social bookmarking, Trackback, Twitter Grader, Authority, TweetBeep, Compete, Astroturfing, WEGO Health, BackTweets, PDR.net, socialmention, Twazzup, Health Exchange, Health Tweeder, DIDGET, Thoora, Google Buzz, bit.ly, E-patient, Alltop, mHealth, Augmented reality, OpenID, ROI, #hcsm, Medpedia, Almost.at, Hashtag, FollowFriday, Beta, Microblogging, Sidewiki, Meta tags

Once again something is exciting and new! Is Google+ just a fad, or does it truly have the potential to be a leading social media platform? What are the benefits to healthcare? From a PR, media relations and marketing perspective, what should you know? How should you get involved? Should you even get involved?

Here’s a bit of insight and a few of our favorite articles on the subject…

Overview

A quick look at all the hype, buzz and breaking of records:

• Google+ is also referred to as Google Plus or G+.
• G+ launched on June 28 of this year on an invite-only basis.
• The network gained about 25 million users worldwide in less than a month.
• The dominant age bracket is 25-34 and chiefly male.

Outranking the competition

• According to the Bloomberg/YouGov survey, G+ is poised to become the number two network in 12 months.
• After less than 24 hours of going live, the Google+ iPhone app reached number one.
• It took Facebook two years to gain the following G+ did in a month.
• Google+ has the potential to compete strongly with Skype.

While G+ has whooped the competition in initial stats, many surveys have also notated a drop in daily activity. This is not uncommon with social media networks—they’ve been discussing Twitter and Facebook “fatigue” for years—but it’s still worth keeping things in perspective. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn still dominate the social media channel.

Features to use

If you haven’t tried it, Google+ is relatively comfortable and easy-to-use, especially if you’re a Google junkie like me. It has a similar feel and interface as all of the other Google releases, like Google Documents, Google Wave (now defunct) and the most popular, Gmail.

Although, even if you aren’t familiar with other Google projects, it still combines recognizable features you know from places like Facebook – photo sharing, data stream, “friends” and chat. Take a look at this G+ cheat sheet from Mashable for a quick overview of features.

Regarding G+ for businesses, it is still a fledgling network, so there’s not a whole lot you or your organization should be doing right now aside from networking on your personal page. But, they do have some very intriguing plans for business pages coming later this year that are currently in testing stage.

Future potential: a healthcare perspective

Specifically for healthcare, Google+ is being discussed in two capacities: 1) as a way for hospitals and physician practices to reach consumers directly, and 2) as a new base for personal health records (PHR) and corresponding info.

• Communication – G+ allows organizations to sort contacts into groups, which means that organizations have a new way to directly send information to applicable audiences, such as patients, donors, etc. This helps companies to avoid inundating followers with unrelated information, which enhances reception, understanding and audience feedback.
• PHR – After the failure of Google Health, which was a good idea but possibly before its time, Google+ promises to be a much stronger PHR platform. Google Health was developed to help the general consumer manage health information, set goals, track progress, etc. Google+ is a more comprehensive platform with more potential for a large, long-term consumer following and longevity as a social media network. Therefore, an application similar to Google Health that integrates with G+ is very feasible, with a much higher chance of success. 

Bottom line: Google+ is definitely something worth keeping an eye out for in the coming year as you plan or build your social media campaign.

Want to take a spin on Google+? Leave a comment below with your email, and we’d be happy to send you an invite.

Google+: Last week, Google unveiled its new social network, Google+, which is being called the search giant’s answer to Facebook. It has been released on a very limited basis so far, presumably while they work out any last kinks. After the failures of Buzz and Wave, it’s tough to believe that Facebook users will switch their social networking over to Google. But Google+ is a fully functional social network that is integrated into the main forms of communication (Gmail, Gchat) used by the target audience (other than their Facebook, of course). Google is making a branding push to go along with the launch; soon Picasa will be known as Google Pictures, and Blogger will become Google Blogs. This rebranding, Google hopes, will help to reinforce the integration that is possible across all Google properties, including the new social network. Users only need to log in to one account, their Google account, in order to email, chat, video chat, share pictures, post a blog, share a link, connect with friends, etc. Google+ will host some interesting new features, as well. Circles are distinct groups of contacts to share information with. Hangouts are group video chats. Sparks will populate your profile with items of interest to you. And Huddle is group texting with the Circles that you have set up. Google has also added the +1 icon to its search pages. When users click this during their searches, it lets their friends know that this is something worth checking out.

It’s still too soon to predict whether or not Google+ will catch on, but after its full release, it won’t take long to learn the answer. The past doesn’t bode well, but it appears Google has put a lot more thought and a lot more features that users want into this latest project.

Past Words of the Week

SocialVisor, Scribd, Pinterest, Graspr, White hat, Screenr, dushare, MEDgle, PostPost, Deals, SPOT Healthcare, Evernote, dlvr.it, Bounce, iTriage, popurls, Trunk.ly, Dropbox, Storify, Newsvine, Layers, Thsrs, #tagdef, Check-in, MDJunction, Blekko, Healthline, Spindex, Vanilla, Twingr, Tweetbeat, Social Media Policy, infoMedMD, Health Care 3.0, Groupon, icyou, #MDchat, Quality 101, MedlinePlus, HITSphere, URL X-ray, Mashup, Blog Talk Radio, TweetedRanks, Ping.fm, Digsby, Qik, Posterous, Ning, API, Lifecasting, Crowdsourcing, Meme, Social bookmarking, Trackback, Twitter Grader, Authority, TweetBeep, Compete, Astroturfing, WEGO Health, BackTweets, PDR.net, socialmention, Twazzup, Health Exchange, Health Tweeder, DIDGET, Thoora, Google Buzz, bit.ly, E-patient, Alltop, mHealth, Augmented reality, OpenID, ROI, #hcsm, Medpedia, Almost.at, Hashtag, FollowFriday, Beta, Microblogging, Sidewiki, Meta tags

TweetedRanks: TweetedRanks is a free and easy tool that does exactly what it sounds like: it tweets the Google ranks of any site you’ve associated with your account. Updates are sent via direct message, and users can also choose to get update messages via Google’s IM client, Google Talk. On the TweetedRanks site, users set the domain(s) they would like to track along with any keywords that they want to associate with those domains. The site provides diagrams so that users can track their Google position between Twitter updates.

Past Words of the Week
Ping.fm, Digsby, Qik, Posterous, Ning, API, Lifecasting, Crowdsourcing, Meme, Social bookmarking, Trackback, Twitter Grader, Authority, TweetBeep, Compete, Astroturfing, WEGO Health, BackTweets, PDR.net, socialmention, Twazzup, Health Exchange, Health Tweeder, DIDGET, Thoora, Google Buzz, bit.ly, E-patient, Alltop, mHealth, Augmented reality, OpenID, ROI, #hcsm, Medpedia, Almost.at, Hashtag, FollowFriday, Beta, Microblogging, Sidewiki, Meta tags

How did “Google” become Google? What does “Canon“ really mean, and where did “Skype“ come from? This article delves into just that, revealing the less-traditional routes and unique naming conventions companies use to create their names and become household terms.
 
Facing the task of creating a company name within the healthcare space? Here are a few key takeaways to consider:

• Drill down and decipher what is at your company’s essence. “Volkswagen” literally means “people’s car.”
 
• Review objects, animals and places that could depict you. “Reebok” is an alternate spelling of “rhebok,” an African antelope.
 
• Try combining appropriate descriptive words. “Verizon” is a combination of veritas, the Latin word for “truth,” and the word horizon.
 
• Target a unique fact that differentiates your business. “Six Apart” co-founders were born six days apart, hence their company name.

Earlier this year, Google announced its latest product, Google Wave, and positioned it as a revolutionary way to communicate and collaborate on projects. Although not much was known about Google Wave in the first few months after the announcement, executives did share that Google Wave would give users the following features:

• The ability to share documents in multiple formats. Much like Gmail’s share feature, text documents, videos, maps and other files can easily be transferred without the worrying about file size;
• Real-time collaboration allowing users in different locations to edit documents simultaneously and discuss the edits;
• Replay options that allow new members to replay conversations and see how the project evolved over time;
• Natural-language capabilities which provide word suggestions and spell check; and
• Options to extend Google Wave invitations to others and to embed one wave in another.

With these features and the brand power of Google, hundreds of thousands of people signed up to beta test Google Wave and in late September the first 100,000 people were invited to join the Wave. From that invitation, Mashable published a short video about the features they had been able to test and how they predicted it being used.

Even though the platform is still classified as a beta, and it is not open to the general public, discussion has already started about how this platform will transform communication. So how will this new network change the way that healthcare marketers work? For all marketers, it means that edits and work can be done more instantly and with full disclosure about how the project got to the point that it is at that moment. With the replay feature, everyone who is invited to the “wave” will have a full understanding about the scope of the project, and a way to see what options have already been tested on the project. Since people can invite others to Google Wave, people who would not typically work on the project could be asked to contribute ideas, which could help take the project in a different direction.

These changes to healthcare marketing are certainly not going to be the only ones that occur because of Google Wave. As more comes out about the features and applications of the platform, people will continue to find new ways to use Google Wave as a marketing tool and develop new approaches to marketing because of it.

Beta – A beta version of a Web site or software is the first release to the outside community and typically used for evaluation and testing. Typically, beta means that the company and/or developer are still working on the site and software, and would appreciate feedback.

Although the terms “beta” is usually attached to a Web site or software only for a short period of time while the bugs and issues are worked out, some Web sites keep the tag line for a significant amount of time to excuse any issues that may arise with the Web site or to avoid offering full support.

Recently, Google made headline news by removing the beta label from Gmail and other services, but reminded users that Google would continue to upgrade and expand features offered through the e-mail platform.

As technology evolves daily, it seems that the jargon used to reference the industry changes just as frequently too. You probably don’t hear people around the office referencing dial-up Internet, beepers or floppy discs, since they have all been replaced by terms such as DSL, iPhone and flash drives.

Business Week has put together a humorous article – ‘12 Words You Can Never Say in the Office,’ – a refreshing read for anyone who wants to make sure they are up to date on the latest expressions for blogging (microblogging or Twitter) or how to refer to ‘surfing the Web’ (Google). This article is also useful for the 20-somethings in the office who may not always understand what their more experienced co-workers are talking about when they start mentioning ‘long-distance calls.’

Sidewiki – Google’s latest plug-in which allows Web site visitors to add commentary and notes to any Web page with this feature enabled.

Although these comments are largely uncontrolled and unmonitored, Google has built in a few features help users and Webmasters, including:

• More relevant comments are brought to the top of the page, based on an algorithm which factors in previous posts by the commenter, account feedback from the manager of the page and other indicators that Google has developed over the years.
• Users can rank the usefulness of the comments, and report any abuse or misuse of the comments feature.

As Sidewiki becomes more prevalent on the Internet, marketers will be able to use it to improve search engine ranking and to alter Web site content to fit their users’ needs and demands more appropriately.

In public relations, press releases aren’t really the Holy Grail, but they are certainly a meat and potatoes staple of the profession. That being said, many have speculated if this form of PR is moving toward extinction, especially as social media continues to gain momentum. A recent opinion piece from Bulldog Reporter highlights this exact issue and evaluates the press release’s vital signs. Currently, there is no true replacement for press releases, but surely there’s room for improvement.

So, what can you do to ensure your press release stands out from the rest of the healthcare IT vendors while keeping up with the changing times?

Minimize the marketing hype
For starters, and yes we are all guilty of it at one point or another, make your press release as straightforward and fact-based as possible by including the information that editors want.

• Try to minimize marketing language.
• Hone in on the news you are presenting and what it’s all about.
• Make sure the editors and – just as important – your target audiences understand what you’re highlighting.

Supplement with social media and other tools
While you may pay for wire distribution of press releases, social media sites like Twitter provide a free medium for disseminating your company’s recent news. By posting a compelling, brief overview of the content, you may gain the attention of individuals in your target audience and, depending on who’s watching, a news editor.

SEO-friendly content is another cost-free way to optimize visibility. You could even improve your ranking in Google and Yahoo searches. Think, key words that your prospects would type into a search engine when looking for a new solution in your sector.

Get it to the right person
While wire services are an easy way to send out a press release to numerous people, they don’t necessarily mean it is ending up in the correct person’s inbox. Make certain you are being as targeted as possible in your distribution. For example, national distribution may not always be the way to go.

Additionally, follow or befriend editors on social media sites like LinkedIn or Twitter as well as monitor each publication’s blog. This will keep you informed of what they’re covering and what might pique their interest. After you’ve done your homework, don’t be afraid to reach out and share your news if it’s a good fit.

Though this may seem like PR 101, going back to the basics with a few new bells and whistles will help you stay ahead of the competition and garner the attention your news deserves.