The growth of social media as an influencing factor in our lives is truly significant and the healthcare industry is starting to take advantage of social media marketing’s potential. How important is social media marketing for healthcare organizations?
Social media has become an increasingly important channel for the healthcare marketers to attract and retain patients. 41 percent of people said social media would affect their choice of a specific doctor, hospital, or medical facility. (Source: Demi & Cooper Advertising and DC Interactive Group
So, what exactly is driving the appetite for social? One of the main reasons social media is an effective means of outreach for healthcare organizations is that patients (consumers) trust healthcare organizations and the information they provide. In fact, 60 percent of social media users are the most likely to trust social media posts and activity by doctors over any other group. (Source: Infographics Archive)
The reason some healthcare organizations remain hesitant in implementing social media marketing is because they feel it’s more about brand awareness and lacks clear measurability and ROI. If this is the case, you might not be going about social media in the right way!
Here at AIS Media, we have demonstrated clear ROI from social media marketing for both smaller medical practices, hospitals and large, regional organizations.
In collaboration with one of our clients, an urgent care company, we used survey cards to determine how patients were finding their centers. Our survey results showed a 2 percent conversion rate of new patients to the facilities from organic social media efforts since the beginning of 2015.
Healthcare organizations need to think of social media as an open dialogue. It would be a missed opportunity not to tune in and engage with your patients to discuss their lives and health.
According to Mashable, parents are more likely to seek medical answers online. 22 percent of those parents use Facebook and 20 percent use YouTube. Of non-parents, 14 percent use Facebook and 12 percent use YouTube to search for health care related topics.
It’s important to remember that there are many ways healthcare marketers can leverage the power of social media. Healthcare organizations can respond to this new marketplace dynamic by creating social posts that:
1) Answer common questions
2) Share helpful third-party content
3) Encourage patients to share their experiences
A vital aspect of social media marketing for healthcare organizations is also planning and consistency. At AIS Media, we can help you develop editorial calendars to plan content and assist with posting, monitoring and engaging with your patients through whichever mediums you choose.
This article provided a lot of information about the growing importance of social media in healthcare. However, there are three clear takeaways:
- You cannot ignore social media when it comes to your brand and building successful brand awareness
- A social media consumer is the best type of consumer
- Place importance on interaction and incentive
Ready to get started? Let the experts at AIS Media help craft a social media strategy that can produce a healthy stream of new patients.
The post Social Media and Healthcare: Navigating the New Digital Marketing Landscape appeared first on AIS Media.