Is Social Media a Fad? The Mayo Clinic Doesn’t Think So.

I use to believe social media was just a fad. I thought after everyone had his or her fill, it would fade away. I remember being angry with my public relations professor when I was told to learn as much as I could about social media to help further my career in public relations. I couldn’t figure out how people enjoyed using Twitter and writing blogs for everyone to see.

Well, you guessed it, I am now one of those “people” who use social media multiple times a day to connect with friends, check up on my favorite organizations and learn from the professionals in my field. I now understand that social media is not a fad, but the fastest growing communication platform. Who else knows this? The first and largest nonprofit medical group in the world does.

According to this article, the Mayo Clinic announced its plans to launch an Online Social Media Health Network that will be part of its new Center for Social Media. The announcement came at the Second Annual Social Media Summit hosted on the Mayo Clinic campus in Jacksonville, FL.

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What is the Online Social Media Health Network?

According to the Mayo Clinic Social Media Center website, the network is a group dedicated to using social media to help promote health, improve health care and to fight disease. The network will also provide health care practitioners with the resources needed to speed the adoption of social media in the health care field. The website for the network will launch Oct. 25.

Why is the Mayo Clinic implementing this network?

Health care has fallen short in adopting social media tools over other industries. Ed Bennett’s Hospital Social Networking List shows less than 900 of the more than 5,000 hospitals have engaged in social media.

Why should your organization learn from the Mayo Clinic?

Even if your nonprofit organization is not in the healthcare field, it is important to understand how social media is changing the way people communicate. With social media growing at such a fast rate, your organization needs to stay ahead of the game.

The Online Social Media Health Network is a great example of how your company can be a leader and help your industry learn how to incorporate social media externally and internally.

It is important to work together instead of working against each other. The Mayo Clinic is providing hospitals a place to learn and grow with social media. In a world that is rapidly changing, it is important for organizations to help one another. To grow together.

I love what the Mayo Clinic is doing. The largest medical group in the world is lending a helping hand for a communication platform that is still so unfamiliar.

Even if your organization already has the social media stuff figured out—take a stab at another area of interest and help other organizations in your field.

One more thing, if you don’t believe social media is becoming one of the fastest  growing communication platforms– check out this video!