By Madeline Tan
We may be far from a world of teleportation and flying cars, but a few years ago, no one would have believed they would soon be able to slip a computer into their pocket. (Fun fact: your smartphone has more computing power than Apollo 11 when it was launched to the moon in 1969). We live in an age where our eyes are constantly fixated on computer screens, our hands perpetually glued to mobile devices.
To the technologically un-savvy, this truth is daunting. The World Wide Web is boundless in its vast array of networks; it seems so easy to get tangled in such a saturated space. But as the technophiles already know, limitlessness is a good thing because it can make you limitless.
The internet (and social media, in particular) provides every business person, or marketing department, the opportunity to maximize their organization’s reach. Perhaps you want to create a more substantial prospect universe or advertise the opening of a new clinic. Of course, all these things can be done using traditional, tried-and-true marketing tactics, but social
media can make the process more efficient and just as impactful. Do you want to create a larger prospect universe? Message the whole list in one click, without leaving your office.
Advertise an opening? Snap some pictures and show the world your new digs in real time. As healthcare providers, we must learn to step outside the box and embrace the possibilities that new technologies are creating. Now, where to begin?
Due to the sheer number of available outlets on the web, organizations often fail to create an effective social media presence because they get lost in the process of laying the groundwork. Just because there are half a million social networking sites you can join doesn’t mean you should join them all. These sites are not made equal; while they all aim to get individuals connected, each site takes a different approach. Before delving into the world of social media marketing, define your organization’s social media goals and choose the social site/network that best suits your needs. If you are unsure of what those needs are, below is a basic primer of what’s available.
While Facebook is not the social network that started it all, it is certainly the most recognizable. Facebook is ideal for organizations that are enthusiastic about taking an active, multifaceted approach toward social media. You can post quick updates, and photos and interact with others all in one space. But in order to get the most out of Facebook, your organization will need to continually stay active. This means “Liking” other pages, sharing interesting posts, and providing updates almost daily. Cons: The success of Facebook depends on what they call “reach”–– that is, the number of users that see your activity. If you cannot dedicate the time or resources to staying active on Facebook, it will be as if your page doesn’t exist.
Twitter is Facebook lite. Like Facebook, it allows users to post real-time updates. But that’s it. You have 150 characters (including spaces) to state your case. Luckily, there are programs that help you slim down your message or picture link, but brevity is key. Twitter is ideal for organizations that aren’t fully committed to a full-scale social media marketing effort but still want to keep customers, clients, and prospects in the loop. Cons: space constraints make it challenging to give your followers the whole picture. Supplementing Twitter with additional social media outlets is the best option.
LinkedIn is Facebook without the entertainment component. It’s pretty much orientated to business and career aspirations. While not as popular as individual profiles, you can dedicate a LinkedIn page to your organization and interact with the LinkedIn community just as you would with your personal Facebook profile. LinkedIn is especially beneficial for acquiring sales leads, connecting with like-minded organizations, and engaging in industry-related discussions. As a healthcare provider, LinkedIn is most useful for posting announcements about upcoming events, such as clinic tours or wellness fairs. Reach all of your prospects at once! Cons: LinkedIn targets only a segmented portion of your market demographic––those involved in the business.
Youtube:
YouTube is the web’s go-to site for video streaming. Produce videos to engage your audience in ways that would be difficult on other social networks: create a promotional clip that provides a “virtual” tour of your hospital or walk patients through the process of identifying and treating some common maladies. Your videos will become a source of information, which will attract traffic to your YouTube account – and eventually, your doors. Cons: There is no way to track who is viewing your videos, which could make it difficult to follow up with prospective targets.
Others:
For organizations that enjoy posting pictures and graphics, Instagram is perfect. To take it a step further, join Pinterest, where you can categorize these visuals into distinct “boards.”
For distinctly healthcare-related social networks, consider Sermo, a site exclusively designed for physicians where they can connect with other medical professionals, access clinical tools, and comment on discussions, or Doximity, a healthcare-centered LinkedIn that nearly 40% of U.S. physicians use.
The hardest part of social media marketing is over once you’ve evaluated your options and identified the network(s) in which your organization wants to create a presence. The next step is where the fun begins. But let’s not forget the purpose of creating a profile for your organization––maximizing your reach. Consider the following takeaways on your journey into social media marketing:
- Connect, Connect, Connect. Don’t be afraid to connect with anyone that may be beneficial to your organization: for exposure, “Like” your city and Chamber of Commerce; add healthcare providers in other cities or states that mimic your organization’s business model; follow news outlets to get interesting information to pass onto your social media friends. Use social media to interact with multiple prospects at the same time. Not only will you reach more individuals in less time, but that preliminary online connection may help get your foot in the door when the opportunity arises.
- Personalize the Experience. Adding a prospect to a social media network opens the door to a mountain of information you may not have otherwise known. Find common ground to foster trust and meaningful conversations; identify challenges they may have based on the information they have publicly posted on their profiles. As with traditional marketing, tailor your pitch to the specific needs and wants of your prospect’s organization.
- Diversify Your Posts. The biggest mistake any organization can make in social media is to repeatedly post the same thing or things.
Keep your user base interested by posting a variety of content: an interesting industry-related article one day, a fun photo of your organization the next, then an event announcement. Do not fall into the trap of updating your social networks just because you need to; the obligatory posts can be identified by their dwindling quality.
Healthcare marketing is notorious for being slow to change. Don’t let your organization be limited to an Apollo 11-type marketing power. Use these new technologies to make your organization’s reach as unlimited as the web itself.
