--- title: "Membership Hack: Social Ambassadors" id: "39910" type: "post" slug: "membership-hack-social-ambassadors" published_at: "2017-09-29T20:49:21+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T16:15:18+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/09/29/membership-hack-social-ambassadors/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/09/29/membership-hack-social-ambassadors.md" excerpt: "The Society for Simulation in Healthcare tapped members as social ambassadors to promote a week-long online advocacy effort." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Advocacy" - "AssociationsNow" - "Membership" - "Social Media" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Membership Hack: Social Ambassadors **How to hack it?**Thanks to the power of social media, associations can rally and advocate on issues using members as social ambassadors. The Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) leveraged this approach recently when it launched its [Healthcare Simulation Week (opens in a new tab)](http://www.ssih.org/Events/HcSimWeek) using the hashtag [#HCSimWeek (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/HcSimWeek?src=hash) . The week-long online advocacy effort celebrated medical professionals who use simulated exercises to improve the health, safety, and effectiveness of healthcare. The effort tapped dozens of social ambassadors who posted and shared videos, photos, and messages emphasizing the importance of healthcare simulation. The week’s events included an online photo contest, Facebook Live video chats, and even a cake baked at a medical school in Dubai. > [#HcSimWeek (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/HcSimWeek?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > This is ‘not’ a ‘Simulated’ Cake! A real cake from [@MBRUniversity (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/MBRUniversity?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > Dubai . A great Sim Week [pic.twitter.com/cacsGRojED (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/cacsGRojED) > > — Meghana Sudhir (@symphony23771) [September 14, 2017 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/symphony23771/status/908279680503074816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Why does it work?** Social media can turn your members into remote and vocal advocates. The #HCSimWeek hashtag made more than 14,000 individual impressions on Twitter. “Engaging our members as social media ambassadors was key to establishing our first Healthcare Simulation Week,” says Jennifer Manos, SSH’s executive director. “Through the course of the week’s activities, we saw a more than 100 percent increase in our Facebook video views and a more than 835 percent increase in our Facebook page views.” **What’s the bonus?**Social ambassadors can also help you experiment with new technology. One of the biggest hits of the Healthcare Simulation Week was the use of 360-degree-view cameras, says Kevin Helm, associate executive director. “We were able to use this [camera] as a test and see if our members would invest in it. Given the great response, we’re hoping to use that at our annual conference too.” (PeopleImages/Getty Images Plus) [Tim Ebner](https://associationsnow.com/author/tim-ebner/) Tim Ebner is communications director and press secretary at the American Forest & Paper Association in Washington, DC. He is a member of ASAE’s Communication Professionals Advisory Council and a former Associations Now senior editor. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/tim-ebner/) Tags: [#Advocacy](https://associationsnow.com/tag/advocacy/) [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/) [#Social Media](https://associationsnow.com/tag/social-media/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: More Than Marketing: The Power of Strategic CommunicationsJuly 30, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/30/associations-now-presents-more-than-marketing-the-power-of-strategic-communications/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Powering Advocacy-Why PACs Matter for AssociationsNovember 20, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/11/20/associations-now-presents-powering-advocacy-why-pacs-matter-for-associations/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Why Slower Marketing Can Drive Stronger Member Engagement (Episode 27)June 25, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/25/associations-now-presents-why-slower-marketing-can-drive-stronger-member-engagement-episode-27/) - [VideoASAE Legislative 2025 Fly-InApril 4, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/04/04/asae-legislative-2025-fly-in/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2017%2F09%2F29%2Fmembership-hack-social-ambassadors%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !