Are you ready to go agile to match the pace of digital transformation in the healthcare industry? Healthcare providers have no choice but to adapt to their marketing strategies with the new reality brought about by this generation of digitally empowered healthcare consumers.
The healthcare industry has witnessed a “tech-tonic” change with the proliferation of social media. It has expanded the sphere of social life of health. The reputation of a physician not only travels with the word-of-mouth, but goes far beyond that through social media. People chose the best physician for themselves based on thorough research and analysis on the Internet and social media. Hospitals and healthcare providers are now left with no choice but to embrace this change and use integrated communications to build brand equity in the aggressively growing, vast and competitive online healthcare market.
If channeled strategically, an integrated communication strategy including major social media platforms can be the most effective and cost-efficient way for physicians and hospitals to market their practice to healthcare consumers. There are endless opportunities to interact directly with your patients, analyze their needs and figure out what really matters to them when it comes to healthcare services. Also, by providing them scientifically accurate content through various social media channels about various health conditions, treatment options, prevention tips and new drug developments, providers can become a trusted partner in patients’ health journey.
Developing and implementing an integrated communications strategy enables healthcare providers to better control the content which is posted across various social media platforms. Pre-planning for careful selection of the channels helps optimize the impact of the message. Messages can be customized to address the need of the target audience. To change and influence consumer decisions, an integrated strategy for social media marketing can be used as a powerful tool.
Every effort you put into a social media platform is an opportunity to convert potential patients. Whether you post some informative health tips on Facebook, initiate group discussions on LinkedIn, tweet with some general fitness tips, post a blog on some advanced treatment options all of them will help you connect better with patients. When people like what you have posted, they will share it with others, so you’ll have access to communicate with more people while interacting with your existing patients. Your brand will be visible and your active online presence will help develop a sense of credibility.
It’s high time for healthcare providers to embrace the change and leverage it as table-turning dynamics to add value to their practice and attract new patients. An integrated social media marketing approach will provide an opportunity to increase online visibility, create brand equity and develop a positive online reputation — the key essentials to outperforming competition and sustaining consistent growth.