This month we’re exploring Social Etiquette and the fine line walked by online engagement specialists across industries. It takes a certain type of person to manage online communities as we’ve explored previously. Here to share her expertise and experiences with us is Leigh Garster, Online Engagement Specialist at Nutricia in the UK.

Hi Leigh, great to speak with you! Can you tell us a little bit about your role at Nutricia?

Hi, great to speak with you too! Nutricia is a medical nutrition company that develop nutritional supplements along with specialist tube and sip feeds for patients who are suffering from a wide range of conditions. I joined the company a few years ago as a nutritionist and an important part of my role has always been to support patients that have been prescribed Nutricia products with any queries or concerns that they may have. We use social media to provide support to patients at the source of online conversation. We have taken our first steps in to social media fairly recently therefore the online team is still quite small so I manage all of the online monitoring and engagement myself.

It’s great to see brands engaged online but I can imagine it’s a big undertaking. How do you come up with a strategy and how does this translate to your day to day?

I agree it is a step in the right direction, I think it’s about time brands took a more proactive approach. Our business is very different to some others because we deal with patients with quite rare conditions. All of our products are prescribed to patients therefore we cannot directly market to patients. Providing quality information that is accurate and of value to patients is our ultimate aim with all of our online activity.

A social strategy doesn’t just happen; it requires good groundwork in preparation. Before starting to engage we monitored and listened to what was being said about our brands online. It was eye opening to listen to patients talking to each other about quite specific areas of their treatment with such strong emotions; worryingly, we discovered inaccurate information along with misleading advice too. We were quickly able to identify which brands needed the most support and they became my focus.

Due to the nature of our business (and me being a one woman team!) we made the decision to engage only in specific circumstances to begin with; for example if there was a specific question being asked about products or if we had found information that was incorrect and may mislead a patient. It was important to make sure we were only engaging when necessary and not seen to be intruding unnecessarily in what can be quite sensitive discussions. Each day I spend time identifying where support is needed and then engage based on the initial guidelines we agreed. This is on both external forums and on our own Facebook pages which are a main focus of my day to day activities.

Nutricia has done really well in its online engagement but I can imagine it’s not always easy. What problems have you faced? And, more importantly how do you encourage those that are passionate about your brand?

It isn’t always easy, because we are in a regulated industry all of our communications have to adhere to specific guidelines; this includes support given to patients online. I have to ensure that all online engagement is in keeping with this. We obviously advise responsibly and encourage anyone with specific concerns to check them out with their health care professional.

There have been occasions when people have been suspicious of Nutricia’s intent to engage online, so we have worked with forums to identify where we can support them and what level of engagement they feel appropriate. I think more and more forums are becoming aware of the benefits of linking with companies to provide expertise in areas they may not feel comfortable moderating. We also set up our own mini communities using Facebook so we were not solely relying on external forums to engage. There are many people who are now aware of our online presence and seek out our support, which is great; the Facebook Pages have been a real social success for us.

We’ve found that parents of younger patients in particular are passionate about helping others that are going through similar experiences. I engage with these parents on a regular basis and encourage them to respond to fellow member queries to add value to the support we provide on our own Facebook pages. These parents have become very knowledgeable about their children’s conditions and advice from their perspective is highly regarded. I’ve worked to build relationships with those who have been advocates of the brands and this lead to some being interviewed on film to create short video testimonials which are such a powerful tool for a brand. Without social media we wouldn’t have identified these or been able to amplify their brand testimony.

Your previous experience as a nutritionist is specifically applicable to your role at Nutricia, how has this helped you in your current role?

It has been essential. Although there is lot of basic support you can give to patients about the product or brand, you do need an understanding of the conditions to be able to empathize with the patient and recognise the magnitude of their situation. If you start engaging without the background knowledge it is very easy to lose credibility with patients in the online community. It also helps that I have been with the company for a few years; if I am unable to answer a question I usually know who within the business can!

What have you found to be the single most important skill to have when charged with engaging on behalf of a brand?

Listening. I listen to what has been said previously within the thread so I have full understanding of the situation and what advice has been given before so I am not duplicating information.  As I deal in specialist areas I want to give information that is valuable without blinding people with science but at the same time no one appreciates being patronized! Social is a form of communication so I take into account everything I would if I was having a conversation face-to-face. By listening I can gauge the level of knowledge the person has about the brand and the condition in general therefore I know what information they need and what language is best to communicate it.

So in conclusion, what does Social Etiquette mean to you?

Engaging honestly, openly and within your knowledge remit is the basis of what you communicate, how you do this is the most important part. Social Etiquette to me personally is engaging in a manner which will be welcomed by those you are engaging.  This can only be achieved through transparency. Being open about your goals with all online activity is the most important thing for me to ensure Nutricia is seen as a trusted and credible information source. There is so much inaccurate information available out there, it is essential we create a reputation online as highly regarded as it is offline.

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We would like to thank Leigh for this fantastic interview and for sharing her experiences in such great detail. It has been a pleasure! Now, what do you think? Is your industry heavily regulated, and if so, how does that impact your social media practices? Do you deal with privacy concerns among your community? Is online etiquette a different beast when dealing with more sensitive issues within a community? What would you like to add? We would love to hear from you!

Tags: Social Etiquette, Social Media