March 6, 2010
Television networks are using social media to enhance their audiences. And the ratings prove that it’s working.
Television networks have seen the audiences for their live shows declining over the past several years. In fact, some have suggested that shows like the Grammys, BET Awards, Golden Globe Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and the Oscars were a dying concept. The thought that these shows are tanking was a bit premature. The networks have started using social media to create buzz prior to and during the show to increase their audience. Twitter, Facebook and other online blogs are making a difference.
After a four-year decline, ratings in 2009 have been substantially up. Viewership for the Golden Globes was up 14%, MTV Video Music Awards were up 6% and the Grammy’s were up 35%. Pre-show hype was created for each show and live tweeting and Facebook updates were used to build audience. Andrew Hampp detailed how the networks used social media to successfully increase viewership in an article in Ad Age.
“Last June’s BET Awards became the highest-rated cable show of the year on the strength of an aggressive Twitter integration and fans tweeting about the show’s makeshift tribute to Michael Jackson,” cited Hampp. And Kanye West’s bum-rush of the stage at the Grammy’s to interrupt Taylor Swift’s acceptance as Best Female Performance created an online frenzy that caused many viewers to tune into the last 2 hours of the show to see what would happen next. The result was the show’s highest rating in 5 years.
So what does this have to do with healthcare advertising? The networks effectively used social media to ramp up their audience. Perhaps hospital marketers can use social media to enhance their traditional advertising. It would require a strategic integrated effort across traditional and social mediums. The rewards could be substantial. It could add more glitz, glamour and effectiveness to our efforts.
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Social Media | Tagged: Ad Age, Advertising Age, Andrew Hampp, BET Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Grammy Awards, Hospitals and social media, Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, MTV Video Music Awards, Nancy Siniard, networks using social media, Oscars, social media to promote traditional media | 
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Posted by Jimmy Warren
March 6, 2010
With the increased penetration of smart phones, consumers are becoming more and more dependent on their cell phones for just about every form of communication. 
This presents opportunities for companies, hospitals and brands to market themselves to consumers.
Over 82% of Americans now own a cell phone. And 60% of those phones are less than a year old. The increase in smart phones is growing exponentially. And smart phones are equipped with more and more communication and information options. Soon the cellphone will be used for almost all forms of communication and information gathering – texting, emailing, internet search, GPS, electronic coupons, and more.
Consumers are connected to each other and the world via their cell phones. This creates opportunities for brands to market themselves to consumers via mobile marketing. One of the compelling advantages for mobile marketing is its omnipresence. Frank Powell recently discussed omnipresence as one of the advantages of mobile marketing in an article in Mobile Marketer. He cites that mobile phone users are within arm’s reach of their phone 90% of their waking hours. And much of this time is when other media are not available. Mobile phones are not location-centric but are person-centric. They are where the owner is.
Powell cites in his article two main reasons why mobile marketing can be so powerful
1. Customers can always be reached.
2. Customers can almost always be interrupted.
Although the invasive nature of cellphones cause heartburn for many people, it is a medium that cannot be ignored. Just as social media has begun to be included in hospital’s marketing plans, we must turn our eyes to mobile marketing and be ready to take advantage of the unlimited opportunities it will offer. Never before has there been a medium that is so ever-present with our customers and patients. And there has never been a medium upon which our customers and patients have been so dependent.
Leave a Comment » | Branding, Hospital Marketing, Internet, Social Media | Tagged: Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, Mobile Marketer, mobile marketing, Mobile Marketing for Hospitals, Nancy Siniard, smart phones, smartphones | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
March 6, 2010
A recent study found that Facebook fan pages can increase store visits, dollars spent and customer loyalty. 
Facebook now has over 400 million accounts with 50 million of those created since last fall. We know people are on Facebook. And marketers are experimenting with ways to utilize it to their advantage. But is Facebook effective for marketing your business?
At least one study indicates that indeed it is. A recent study conducted by Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business indicates Facebook fan pages can be very effective in driving business. The study used a poplar Houston based bakery and café chain. The study initially included surveys of 689 customers. Then the café launched a Facebook fan page and invited customers to become a fan. The company updated the pages several times a week with product photos, contests, reviews, promotions and employee information.
Three months later the survey was conducted again with 1067 participants. The results found that Facebook fans increased their number of visits to the store by 36% and increased their percentage of dollars spent dining out with the café by 45%. The study also showed that Facebook fans were more likely to recommend the café to others. And the level of emotional attachment to the store for Facebook fans increased 14% and psychological loyalty to the brand increased 41%.
Although this is just one isolated study, it certainly indicates the potential value and usefulness of Facebook pages in building business and creating customer loyalty. The results are strong enough that they cannot be ignored.
Utpal M. Dholakia, associate professor of marketing, conducted the research and was quick to caution, saying, “We must be cautious in interpreting the study’s results. The fact that only about 5 percent of the firm’s 13,000 customers became Facebook fans within three months indicates that Facebook fan pages may work best as niche marketing programs targeted to customers who regularly use Facebook. Social-media marketing must be employed judiciously with other types of marketing programs.”
Facebook and social media are not marketing utopia but are becoming more significant in marketing effectiveness. The challenge for hospital marketers is to learn from research and success stories to discover how social networking can be used to increase business and increase consumer loyalty.
1 Comment | Hospital Marketing, Social Media | Tagged: effectiveness of facebook, effectiveness of facebook survey results, facebook increase loyalty, facebook increase revenue, hospital facebook fan page, Houston bakery and cafe chain, Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, Nancy Siniard, Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business, Uptal Dholakia | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
February 28, 2010
Social media provides the opportunity for dissatisfied customers to complain…. to a wide audience. It’s important when and how a brand responds.
A mom in Baton Rouge, LA, complained about changes to Proctor and Gamble’s Pampers Cruisers. Although P&G appropriately responded to her complaint, when she heard other moms make the same complaint she became a regular complainer on P&G’s message board and created a Facebook page to air complaints.
Johnson and Johnson ran an online ad for Motrin about moms who wear their babies in slings. After 45 days of the ads first appearance, a blogger posted a complaint. Soon another blogger followed and then thousands were involved in the controversy with as many as 300 tweets an hour.
Shiny Suds ran a television ad in which cartoon suds harassed a woman in the shower. Two feminist bloggers took issue with the ads claiming the ad condoned rape. Method, the manufacturer of Shiny Suds, began receiving thousands of email complaints.
And there are many other examples, some of which involved complete falsehoods. It shows that even as few as one malcontent can use the power of social media to create quite a storm. So when should a brand respond to an online complaint? That is not an easy question. It is an emerging science at best.
Jeff Neff in an article in Advertising Age cited the examples above and offered some factors to consider when deciding whether to respond to an online/social media complaint.
Among the factors to consider:
1. How credible is the source?
The tone and track record of the source is important.
2. How influential is the forum?
Is it a thinly read message board or someplace with a larger following? Does it have staying power?
3. How common is the complaint likely to be?
A common complaint has the potential to get traction and engage others.
4. How serious is the complaint?
Is it a matter of taste or preference or a larger issue, which may be more offensive?
5. How likely is a response to make things worse?
Sometimes a response adds credibility to the complaint.
6. How important is the issue to the brand’s customers?
Does it affect many or a few? How large is that for the brand’s customer base?
These are certainly not the only issues to consider for every case but it provides a start. All brands, including healthcare brands are subject to one person or a few persons who can use online/social media to try to tarnish a brand. How successful they are depends largely whether we respond and how we respond. We should however tread carefully, thoughtfully and strategically.
2 Comments | Internet, Social Media | Tagged: dissatisfied patients, hospital complaints, Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, Nancy Siniard, response to complaints, response to complaints on social media channels, Social Media, TotalCom Marketing | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
February 26, 2010
How often should we post updates to our Facebook page? Are we 
posting too often and thus annoying fans? Are we not posting often enough and losing opportunities to develop a relationship?
There are no hard and fast rules but a variety of factors to use as guidelines.
Goals: The objectives of a page differ in the life of the page. In the beginning, the goal is to add fans. In order to attract fans, we must have relevant, engaging, and most importantly updated posts. Whether invited to become a fan of our page or if they stumble upon us through another venue (search, another social medium, etc) we must have current info/posts on the site to make them want to be our fan. If there are only 3 or 4 posts that are six months old, the page and the company will be seen as out of date. As a result, fewer consumers will become fans and there would be missed opportunities.
As the page and fan base building starts to mature, the goal continues to be to add new fans but more emphasis is on getting the ones we have to return and engage. So while the goal is a little different, the way to obtain it is the same – relevant, engaging and updated posts. Make the fans want to come back to see what we have posted, participate in a poll, contribute to the conversation, etc.
Changes in Facebook also affect how often to post updates. Recently, Facebook changed the way that posts (whether by an individual or a page) are displayed. Until very recently, the posts were cached and then displayed for 15 or so minutes. Now, the newsfeed is live, in real time. As posts are made, they are displayed. This means that while we have more opportunity for our posts to be seen by more people, we also have less time that they are displayed. So in order to be seen, we must post more often.
Facebook habits by consumers should be considered. Consumers use different media in different ways. Email, we stay logged in most of the time. Radio we listen in our cars or at the office for periods of time (which vary depending on commute). Facebook – we jump on and jump off. We don’t stay plugged in constantly. Heavy users log on daily (but still not constantly) and light users only several times monthly. To be seen, we have to be present when they log on to their Facebook account. The more posts, the more likely that we will have an audience. Unless someone is sitting there with Facebook open all of the time watching it, frequent posts are fine.
Lastly, if someone truly is annoyed by our posts, then they have several options including no longer being a fan, or just changing their own settings so that they don’t see our posts.
Leave a Comment » | Hospital Marketing, Social Media | Tagged: facebook page for hospital, hospital facebook page, How often to post to facebook, How often update facebook, Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, Nancy Siniard, TotalCom Marketing | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
February 26, 2010
The American Red Cross has raised over $25 million with their “Text for Haiti Relief” effort. 
You may think texting is just for the kids. We see teens and young adults texting all the time. It is their primary mode of communication. But make no mistake about it, texting is a powerful force - even among adults. The Red Cross’s use of texting to contribute $10 to the Haitian Relief Fund has raised over $25 million thus far. At $10 per text, that translates into 2.4 million texts.
So texting is not just for the kids. The effort by the Red Cross effort proves that people in very different demos utilize test messaging. And it proves texting can be very useful for more than just social communication. In this case texting has even become a powerful force in fund-raising. About 20% of all the funds raised for Haiti relief by the Red Cross have come from texting “Haiti” to 90999 to make a $10 contribution.
Just a year or so ago, who would have thought that $25 million could be raised from texting? Texting is becoming more mainstream and is showing its usefulness in marketing.
This is a wake up call to healthcare marketers that text is emerging as a significant and powerful tool. Just when we decide to dip our toes in social media like Facebook and Twitter, along comes texting. The Red Cross demonstrates the impact and power smart phones and texting are becoming. It can no longer be ignored.
We are just on the front end of the learning curve of what cellphones and smart phones can do. Marketers must pay attention, learn and explore creative uses for texting. $25 million dollars is a lot of money, especially in increments of $10. A whole new adventure is in front of us. There will be countless possibilities and opportunities to effectively use text messaging to achieve useful and worthwhile objectives. What power we hold in our hands!
Leave a Comment » | Hospital Marketing, Internet, Social Media, Uncategorized | Tagged: Fundraising with Text Messages, healthcare marketing, Hospital Marketing, Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, mobile marketing, Nancy Siniard, Text Message Marketing, TotalCom Marketing | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
February 24, 2010
At least one hospital is now using Twitter to improve communications from the surgical suite to family members. 
Fawcett Memorial Hospital in Port Charlotte, Florida has begun using Twitter to send updates from the surgical suite to family and friends. Instead of the family waiting, sometimes for hours, with little or no information about the surgery, Fawcett Memorial has someone in the surgical room sending tweets updating the status of the surgery. Even family and friends who can’t be at the hospital can follow the status.
In most causes there is little information about the surgery until well after the surgery is completed. Sometimes a nurse will call the OR for an update for the family but the information is usually fairly sketchy. Tweeting renders an extra level of service to family and friends. They can know exactly what is going on in surgery and that provides a greater level of comfort and emotional connection to the patient.
Referring to the patient as “a patient of” and their doctor’s name and never mentioning the actual name of the patient prevent HIPAA violations. Both patient and surgeon have to give approval for the tweets. The tweets are sent only to persons who are given the appropriate Twitter information and approval to receive the updates.
Many hospitals would react to this by arguing that they do not have personnel to send tweets and the nurses in surgery are all concentrated on the patient. These are valid arguments. But for hospitals that are trying to get an edge in the marketplace, this could be a competitive advantage. It certainly has the potential to create positive buzz and build loyalty to the hospital.
And it’s just one creative example how social networking can be used to improve service and enhance communication. There are countless other ways it can be utilized. Fawcett Memorial is next considering using twitter in the ER for the same purpose. The availability and acceptance of social media and some creative thinking can truly break new ground in patient service.
Leave a Comment » | Marketing Ideas, Patient Experience, Social Media | Tagged: better communication between hospital and patient, Fawcett Memorial Hospital, HCA, HIPAA rules and twitter, Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, Nancy Siniard, patient loyalty, TotalCom Marketing, twitter in operating room, twitter in or, twitter in surgical suite | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
January 12, 2010
The best technological innovations of this decade in marketing and media involve the internet and social media. But they have not been fully embraced by healthcare marketers.
Adage recently published its “Book of Tens” which is a group of lists citing the best things of the decade. In the category of Best Tech Innovations in Media and Marketing, the majority of the items are some aspect of new media. Included in the list of the top ten are broadband penetration, search marketing, social media, iPhone, Twitter, Flash and open APIs. That’s 7 out of the ten!
Obviously, technology is changing the way marketing is done. It is changing the marketing landscape. It is requiring new strategies, new methods, and new tactics. It requires a new perspective. It engages consumers in ways never before imagined
But the fact is we healthcare marketers are hesitant or slow adopting these new technologies. There are many reasons for this. Some legitimate and some not so legitimate. Healthcare marketing is rarely if ever on the cutting age. And due to the nature of healthcare, it probably shouldn’t be out front. But it shouldn’t be pulling up the rear either.
The die is cast. Technology will not be reversed. Social engagement as a function of marketing will not change. Healthcare marketers must embrace new technologies and use them to promote and enhance their brand. Are we being responsive and even responsible marketers if we fail to utilize the best new technologies of the decade? In the least, healthcare marketers need to begin to explore and learn and experiment how these new technologies can be used effectively.
Who knows what technologies will appear in the new decade? As we enter a new one, lets make sure we take advantage of the best technologies of the last decade.
5 Comments | Hospital Advertising, Hospital Marketing, Internet, Social Media | Tagged: Ad Age, adopting new technology for marketing, Best Tech in Media and Marketing, Book of Tens, hospital marketing technology, Irresponsible marketing | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
January 11, 2010
Over half of national retail advertisers embraced social media as part of their media mix for the 2009 holidays.
Just two years ago, only 4% of national retail advertisers utilized social media in their marketing strategies. But in 2009 more than half embraced social media. According to a survey by BDO Seidman, of those retailers using social media, 76% are focusing on Facebook, 50% on Twitter, 14% on MySpace and 14% on YouTube.
Natalie Zmuda and Kunur Patel wrote in the December 7th issue of Advertising Age that Facebook was the second most visited site in the US on Black Friday. And on that day “4.3% of Facebook users and 2.3% Twitter users visited the website of a top 500 retailer immediately after perusing the social-network site.”
Some of the retailers Zmuda and Patel cited as successfully using social network sites were Best Buy, ebay, JC Penney, Toy ‘R ‘Us and Wal-Mart. These retailers used a combination of giveaways, support for traditional advertising, customer service, charitable donations and promotion of online specials. Amazon, Abercrombie and Fitch, Kohl’s, Old Navy and Target were listed as retailers who did not do such a great job utilizing social media. Their various sins were lack of coordination with traditional media, lack of holiday specials, unanswered consumer complaints and unchecked pages.
This gives a microcosm of how extensive social media is used both successfully and poorly by retailers. Lessons are abundant for healthcare marketers:
- Social media is a viable option and should be included in a hospital’s marketing strategy. As can be seen by the dramatic growth in the use of social media, retailers are way ahead in recognizing the value and importance of social networking.
- When done right, social media can be very effective. It can create and enhance relationships with consumers. It can create an ongoing conversation with consumers.
- When done poorly, social media can damage a brand. When a brand isn’t active and engaged and doesn’t respond to consumer comments it sends a message that it’s not consumer-focused.
Social media is growing. Brands are recognizing the value and benefits of engaging in social media. Hospital marketers can learn valuable lessons. Retailers have taught us that indeed the holidays are very social.
2 Comments | Hospital Marketing, Social Media | Tagged: Abercrombie and Fitch, Ad Age, Advertising Age, Amazon.com, bbdo, Best Buy, Black Friday, eBay, effective social media for hospitals, Facebook, JC Penney, Jimmy Warren, Kohl's, Kunur Patel, Lori Moore, myspace, nancy sinirad, Natalie Zmuda, Old Navy, retailers using social media, Target, Toys R Us, Twitter, WalMart, YouTube | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
January 11, 2010
Social media is moving from experimental stage to serious commitment for most professional marketers.
For many serious marketers, social media has thus far been mostly experimental. They have considered, explored, tested and sampled various social media options. But researchers at Forrester Research have concluded that now marketers are beginning to get serious about social media. 2010 “is the year social marketing gets serious” stated Forrester Analyst Augie Ray in a recent article by Laurie Sullivan in Online Media Daily.
Social media is maturing and is being taken more seriously by marketers. The growth of social media sites and the increasing use of such sites by consumers makes it very difficult to ignore. Significant audiences exist there and marketers are challenged to find ways to engage consumers on those sites. Social media is beginning to play a more significant role in marketing strategies and budget allocations are increasing for social media options.
Although the tide is moving toward more emphasis on social media, healthcare marketers are not embracing social networks at the same level as other industries. According to the 2010 Social Media Marketing Benchmark Report from MarketingSherpa, healthcare lags considerably behind other industries in anticipated budget commitments to social media. Only 43% of healthcare marketers anticipate increased budget allocations for social media in 2010 as compared to 79% in retail.
The trend is obvious. Social media is no longer just a fad. It is the place many marketers are engaging consumers and building brand awareness and loyalty. While many healthcare marketers are not yet fully embracing social networking, it provides a great opportunity and potential competitive advantage for those who catch the wave and commit to finding effective ways to use the media. It can be a place where healthcare marketers can dominant the competition and gain a significant advantage.
It is time to get serious about social media!
Leave a Comment » | Hospital Marketing, Social Media | Tagged: Augie Ray, Forrester Research, healthcare marketing, Laurie Sullivan, MarketingSherpa, Online Media Daily, Social Media Fad, social media for hospitals, Social Media Marketing Benchmark Report, Social Media Trends for Healthcare, Social Media Trends for Hospitals | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
Television networks have seen the audiences for their live shows declining over the past several years. In fact, some have suggested that shows like the Grammys, BET Awards, Golden Globe Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and the Oscars were a dying concept. The thought that these shows are tanking was a bit premature. The networks have started using social media to create buzz prior to and during the show to increase their audience. Twitter, Facebook and other online blogs are making a difference.
