Resident presenters enjoy a lighter moment during an OREF Resident Research Symposium Q&A session
Case Study: Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation
Sector: Nonprofit
Project: Social Media Audit and Same Page Content Planning Session
Sarah Best Strategy (SBS) helped the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) achieve confidence with a social media content plan that utilizes a time-saving framework, enabling them to meet their digital media goals while also tackling the rest of their marketing work.
The Challenge
OREF supports excellence in orthopaedic research by serving as the leading grant-making resource for early career investigators across orthopaedic disciplines. This critical early support enables new investigators to collect pilot data that may help them to secure larger grants in the future, strengthen their research, and develop connections with well-respected orthopaedic surgeons.
Reaching current and new donors and grantees is critical to OREF’s marketing strategy, but they weren’t sure which social media efforts were effective, nor which could be improved. SBS was thrilled to help the organization’s small but mighty communications team develop both a digital media vision and an efficient social media content plan.
Reaching current and new donors and grantees is critical to OREF’s marketing strategy, but they weren’t sure which social media efforts were effective, nor which could be improved. SBS was thrilled to help the organization’s small but mighty communications team develop both a digital media vision and an efficient social media content plan.
The Idea
SBS developed a plan for services that would empower OREF to shine in the digital media space by clarifying their vision and goals, then creating a roadmap for how to achieve those goals.
First, SBS conducted a Social Media Audit, which encompassed:
Then SBS and OREF met virtually for a Same Page Content Planning Session covering all the
Initially, the OREF marketing team expressed concern about developing enough content for all of its social media channels. During the planning session, they were introduced to the SBS framework: FEEL-THINK-DO. By the session’s completion, the team had planned 3 full months of content that was balanced between awareness and loyalty, decision-making, and action.
First, SBS conducted a Social Media Audit, which encompassed:
- Interviews with OREF leadership about their digital marketing vision and the current challenges that get in the way of achieving their goals;
- A review of OREF’s social media channels for metrics and best practices;
- Research on the social media programs of OREF competitors within the orthopaedic funding and medical foundation space; and
- A set of recommendations that included best practices, a draft vision statement for OREF’s social media program, and a detailed plan that describes how to achieve their vision.
Then SBS and OREF met virtually for a Same Page Content Planning Session covering all the
- major components of social media content, including:
- The types of content to discuss on an ongoing basis;
- Milestones in audience members’ lives at different points in the grantmaking year;
- Actions OREF wants its audience to take after seeing its social media content;
- Metrics to measure audience engagement;
- Hashtags related to orthopaedics, orthopaedic subspecialties, and health awareness days to better tap into global conversations; and
- Other organizations that can help get the word out.
Initially, the OREF marketing team expressed concern about developing enough content for all of its social media channels. During the planning session, they were introduced to the SBS framework: FEEL-THINK-DO. By the session’s completion, the team had planned 3 full months of content that was balanced between awareness and loyalty, decision-making, and action.
With his OREF grant, Ryan D. Ross, PhD, studied biomarkers that might enable earlier diagnosis of osteolysis.
The Results
SBS believes strategy is useless unless it can be implemented in a time-efficient and cost-effective manner. Within days of their planning session, OREF team members reported already using the tools and structures presented by SBS, yielding:
- A time-efficient process that can be repeated monthly or quarterly and be integrated into the team’s workflow on an ongoing basis;
- A blueprint and templates for robust content development that ensures a balance between awareness, decision-making, and action;
- A sense of “same pageness” essential for a small team to coordinate content across social media channels; and
- Increased staff confidence in their ability to develop effective content, coordinate consistent messaging, and reach their target audiences.
"Working with Sarah and her team on OREF's social media strategy has been a true pleasure. I was impressed by how thoroughly she researched our mission and the competitive landscape. In addition to helping us understand how our current program was performing, Sarah provided us with the foundation for content strategy that will allow us to create more impact and value with fewer resources."
