Health and social media are a good combination because health is a big issue while social media has a big influence. With those two fields working together, better health care is possible and so is advocating health. Although the main goal of hospitals and other health care professionals is to save lives, healthcare is still a business. In the United States in 2009, social media platforms were being used by more than 300 hospitals. Social media marketing expert Rohit Bhargava states that “Hospitals are responsible for 186 YouTube Channels which include over 5,000 videos and 267 Twitter accounts with more than 10,000 tweets.” According to http://ebennet.org, there are now 1,229 Hospitals that use social media with 575 YouTube Channels, 1068 Facebook pages, 814 Twitter Accounts, 566 LinkedIn Accounts, 946 on Four Square, and 149 Blogs.
Those in health care have realized that it is important for them to make their presence felt online. According to a recent study by the American Medical Association, nearly 80% of Internet users, or 60% of all adults, have searched online for health information. Also, in today’s digital age, one must be where their potential clients should be, and in the case of healthcare, potential patients are online.
Therefore, social media clearly has a place in healthcare marketing. Why? Because both patients and doctors are online and social media is an easily accessible platform that is available for both the companies and their current and future customers.
As patients search online about medications, treatments, providers and answers to their symptoms, businesses on the front line of health such as hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and other health related facilities like labs and clinics can provide consumers with helpful content, correct information, new programs, and updates regarding new treatments they have acquired. Hospitals can also use their social networks as a customer service tool. CNN reports that patients are using social media to compare hospitals and healthcare providers which is why there is a need for them to stay relevant and connected with patients.
Other than patients, who are potential clients, doctors and nurses or potential employees are also online. Surveys in the US have reported that 90% of physicians say that the internet is essential for them since about 40% of their research is done online. Health care organizations can tap social media and use it as a conversation or sharing tool among their staff, it is also ideal for employee recruitment.
As with all other industries, budget cuts are a problem in the health field which makes social media again an ideal marketing strategy due to its affordability and accessibility. The Mayo Clinic, has made use of social media campaigns since 2005 through regular release of their podcasts. The clinic also has a Facebook fan page, a Twitter account and a YouTube channel. Through the use of these free platforms, Mayo’s podcast downloads have increased by more than 8,000 percent. This has led to the need to put up its own Center for Social Media.
It is now time to consider how to make your healthcare organization’s presence felt in the digital world, to make sure that you are heard and recognized as an able facility where patients will be willing to get treated and where doctors will be willing to work, and to maintain your relevance as the rest of the world adapts to the advancing technology.
Learn more about social media marketing at our official website.
If you liked this article, you will enjoy: The Doc is Online: How Social Media Leads to Better Health Care and Advocating Health on Facebook
Sources:
http://www.toprankblog.com/2009/10/social-media-in-healthcare-marketing-5-tips-for-approval/
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/12/complete-guide-planning-social-media-presence-healthcare.html
http://scrubsandsuits.com/news/making-the-case-for-social-media-marketing-in-healthcare
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