Social Media for Healthcare

Tweak Paid Social Strategy to Improve Performance

With the multitude of social channels and options, continually fine-tuning your paid content strategy increases the chances of reaching target audiences. Effectively adjusting the strategy requires constant analysis of audience segments—what they’re reading, viewing and sharing—and tracking performance.

Everyone complains about not seeing posts from their friends, while having to scroll through one sponsored post after another. SurveyMonkey reports that 74% of respondents to a recent survey say they’re tired of social media ads.

However, paid content and social ads aren’t going away. The best way to make it work for your hospital is to post, boost or sponsor relevant content that followers want, answers their questions and prompts them to learn more. They don’t want feel-good brand messaging. They want to know symptoms of the latest Covid variant, how to reduce their stress, warning signs of stroke—messages important to their health.

When tweaking your paid social content strategy, keep these five points in mind:

1. Social media is where audiences spend their time.

Facebook and Instagram users log in more than six times each day. While users say they don’t like sponsored content and ads, they still engage with it. As many as 51% of Facebook users admit to having clicked on an ad with nearly half having bought something after seeing the ad.

2. Use social media statistics to inform your ads strategy.

Despite slower growth for some platforms, social media is still growing. Some five billion people across the world use social media, and the US emerges as the world’s largest social media advertising market. Ad spending is projected at nearly $270 billion in 2023, with social video advertising expected to reach nearly $80 billion in 2024.

However, keep in mind that user trust in all social media platforms declined in 2022 with Instagram experiencing the biggest digital trust drop. The verdict is still out on Twitter.

3. Know where audiences spend their time.

Before adjusting paid social strategy, identify your target audiences and where they spend their time. Here are some recent stats from the major channels.

Instagram

Fourth most popular social media platform; #1 downloaded app; 61% of advertising audience age 18-24—ideal for reaching Gen Zs and Millennials; advertising audience skews slightly more male at 52.4%.

Facebook

Nearly 3 billion monthly active users; ads reach more than 62% of all Americans ages 13+; almost 49% of users between age 25-44; Facebook Stories ad audience reach more than double the Reels audience.

Twitter

Despite the turmoil,still had nearly 64 billion monthly visits as of October 2022; more than 74% of ad audience identifies as male—viable channel to reach male audiences about prostate cancer screenings or other male-specific health messages.

LinkedIn

900 million members worldwide; top platform for career-oriented professionals; ideal channel for recruiting staff, with potential ad reach accounting for nearly 17% of total internet users.

YouTube

Top video-sharing site with potential reach of 2.5 billion users; 36% of users age 18–34 years old, 29% over 45; ad audience skews 54.3% male; almost 60% of viewers say YouTube ads are more relevant to their interests than those on television or streaming services.

TikTok

Potential ad reach of almost 110 million users in the US; active users view channel an average of 1.5 hours daily; 37% of ad audience female age 18–34 and 33% male in same age category. Two out of three shoppers on the platform say they are inspired to buy something even when they’re not actively shopping.

4. Keep content conversational.

Whether organic or sponsored, you gain the most leverage with audiences by delivering well-crafted content. Make sure the words, graphics or video resonate with users on the specific platforms. The message you craft for Facebook, with an older audience, differs from one to post on Instagram. All content across all platforms should be conversational. You leverage brand recognition with a broader audience by engaging with them through authentic content.

5. Improve performance by improving your ads.

For paid social to resonate with target audiences, take the user experience into account. Carefully critique the ads or sponsored content for frequency of placement, relevancy and diversity. More than half of social media users say that diversity in ads matter. Reflect your audiences in what you’re selling.

Remember the trust factor and deliver honest, accurate claims. Don’t overstate or inflate. Keep messages consistent with users’ experiences with your facility. 

By effectively adjusting social ad strategy and carefully tracking performance, you can reach a broader audience and target messages to what they want and expect from your healthcare brand.

TotalCom is a full-service marketing agency helping brands like yours tell their story to the right audiences. Email Lori Moore or call TotalCom Marketing Communications at 205.345.7363 to see how TotalCom may be the right fit for you.

What’s Trending: Marketing To Gen Z (Part 2)
the next big thing is marketing to gen z. 3 trends to marketing to gen z.

More Ways to Market to Gen Z

Despite their youth, Generation Z holds an immense $140 billion spending power. This economic strength, coupled with them being the first completely digital generation, is likely to disrupt several industries. That makes marketing to Gen Z—sooner than later—the next big thing.

While most healthcare marketing strategies still skews toward older demographic, don’t overlook Gen Z. However, know there are vast differences between them and other age groups.

Let’s look more closely at the Gen Z persona:

  • Values brands that have active communities—influencers and fandom;
  • Females mostly use TikTok and Instagram; Gen Z males prefer YouTube;
  • Video platforms provide them with outlets for social networking, entertainment, information, and discovering and buying products.

Gen Z is committed to improving their lives. But they’re looking for practitioners—or influencers—who give them tangible steps to improve their lives. This is the “life hack” generation—TikTok is filled with videos offering simple DIY ways, or hacks, for making their own two-for-one burritos at Chipotle; applying makeup; making snacks with five ingredients; and on and on.

Connecting with Gen Z is also necessary for recruiting and retaining the next generation of employees. Older members of Gen Z are close to, or have already graduated college. They’re looking for employers that align with their personal values. How your brand markets to Gen Z will serve as a strong first impression when recruiting the next generation of the work force.

What’s Trending: Tactics for Marketing To Gen Z

Use video on social media like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to market to a gen Z audience

Trend 1: Video

Gen Z lives in a world of video. TikTok is their preferred platform. YouTube is hot, and though organic engagement has decreased on the platform, Gen Z can still be found on Instagram . However, they are largely migrating away from Facebook. Here are some tips for planning effective marketing to Gen Z:

  • Check out other brands and what they’re doing on all platforms; you can download and scroll the TikTok app without ever posting a video; @chipotle, @washingtonpost and @fentybeauty directly target Gen Z with humor, hacks and even light-hearted takes on trending news;
  • Use hashtags to provide context, help viewers to find content that interests them and build community; branded hashtags encourage viewers to engage with your brand and create their own content around it;
  • Consider TikTok for Business, which guides businesses through top-views ads, in-feed ads, branded hashtags, brand takeovers and brand effects.

Experiment and show a different side of the brand. Post videos that are funny, personal, and relatable without being irreverent and flippant. Use tutorials, hacks, and how-to content to market to Gen Z.

Gen Z enjoys creating videos almost as much as they enjoy watching. Some 30% of 18-24 year olds and 40% of 25-34 year olds consider themselves content creators. Tap into this creative gold mine by recruiting interns and recent college graduates to help establish a social presence with videos marketing to Gen Z.

Trend 2: Audio. Use Spotify to connect with Gen Z's music interests. Join in the conversation by using trending audio on TikTok

Trend 2: Audio

Spotify’s Culture Next Report reveals that in the first quarter of this year, 18-to-24-year-olds had played more than 578 billion minutes of music on the streaming platform. As change makers, they consider music as an outlet for exploring their individuality. If marketing to Gen Z is a top priority for your healthcare brand, consider a Spotify Advertising campaign as part of your strategy.

For a lot of Gen Z, the isolation of COVID-19 impacted their crucial years of navigating social connections. Instead, they retreated into digital communities to foster connections. This also led to creating alter egos that let them be the leading characters in their own lives. One of Spotify’s most popular features allows them to create their own “My life is a movie” playlist.

Connecting with Gen Z’s audio preferences can be as simple as:

  • Listening to their playlists, ranging from K-Pop (South Korean boy bands) and Olivia Rodrigo to Lil Nas X, who ran a Nicki Minaj “stan” (super fan) account before earning his own fame;
  • Engaging with their creations; Gen Zs consider themselves creators, often producing their own beats and other audio;
  • Advertising on streaming platforms to reach the target demographic.
  • Use trending sounds on Instagram Reels and TikTok to join in on current conversations and hot topics

Trend 3: Podcasts

As Gen Zs transition from teens to twenty somethings, they are also exploring politics, gender, and their own fluid personalities. They often turn to podcasts as safe spaces to work through these complex issues.

The average podcast listenership among Gen Zs on Spotify increased by 62% between Q1 2022 and the previous year. More than one-third of 18-to-24-year-old Americans listen to podcasts at least weekly. Mental health ranks as the top podcast genre among Gen Zs globally.

The popularity of podcasts presents an excellent channel for marketing through paid and earned media.

  • Use Google to find “Gen Z’s top 10 podcasts;”
  • Place paid ads where they listen; consider host talent ads created and voiced by the show’s host in the style of the show;
  • Pitch to podcasts; use a media monitoring service to find contact information for the producer or host; some podcasts have guest submission forms on the website.

Once you get Gen Z’s attention, don’t lose it. Complete the connection by giving them a strong call to action, preferably with something interactive such as QR codes.

TotalCom is a full-service marketing agency helping brands like yours tell their story to the right audiences. Email Lori Moore or call TotalCom Marketing Communications at 205.345.7363 to see how TotalCom may be the right fit for you.

The Next Big Thing: Marketing To Gen Z
The next big thing: Marketing to Gen Z.

Marketing to Gen Z Requires a Whole New Strategy

Remember when everyone was trying to figure out how to successfully market to millennials? That conundrum is yesterday’s news. The next big thing on the marketing horizon focuses on connecting with Gen Z. Many brands see connecting with a new generation as a daunting task. But, figuring out how to market to Gen Z is probably easier than you think and can generate impressive results.

Why should you want to market to Gen Z? Below, we cover 6 facts about Gen Z to help you understand this new audience.

Generation Z—Gen Z or Zoomers—includes anyone born between 1997 and 2012. Why the attention on ages 10–25? Look at Gen Z’s numbers:

  • Represent 40 percent of US consumers;
  • Set to outpace Millennials’ earnings by 2031 with over one quarter of global income;
  • 48 percent non-white; nearly 22 percent with at least one immigrant parent;
  • 1-in-5 identify as LGBTQ+;
  • On track to be the best-educated generation with 57 percent currently enrolled in college and 44 percent living with a college-educated parent.

Brands across all industries clamor for the attention of this influential group that is regarded as the “disruptive generation.” As the first completely digital generation, they rule video and audio. Whether producing TikTok videos and podcasts or curating audio playlists, they prefer creating their own content rather than consuming what others create.

How does your healthcare marketing strategy connect with Gen Z? By identifying their rules and playing in their digital playgrounds.

TikTok: The Clock is Running

Several months ago, we asked if TikTok should be a part of your strategy. If you’re marketing to Gen Z, then the answer is yes. Gen Z now makes up 60% of TikTok’s 80 million monthly active users in the United States. However, slow down to carefully define the strategy and goals before moving forward.

Marketing to Gen Z means being active on TikTok. Gen Z makes up 60% of TikTok's 80 million active users in the U.S. and spend an average of 95 minutes per day on the platform.

Part of TikTok’s rapid growth and success is attributed to the platform’s unique algorithm that quickly adapts to show content users find interesting or entertaining. Users decide what they want to watch, not who they friend or follow. When marketing to Gen Z on TikTok, it’s important that brands prioritize creating content that grabs attention within a few seconds. TikTok users spend an average of 95 minutes per day on the platform, but TikTok says the best performing content is between 21-34 seconds. (Note: This is up from 11-17 seconds in 2020).

Gen Z lives in a video world, with TikTok, Instagram and YouTube the most used social media apps  for networking, entertainment and product purchases. It’s clear video marketing resonates with Gen Z. The 2022 State of U.S. Consumer Trends report shows that over three months 28 percent of Gen Zs and Millennials bought products directly on social apps. That’s compared to 18 percent by Gen X and 4 percent by Boomers.

This opens the door for healthcare marketers to make much-needed connections for successfully marketing to Gen Z. While most TikTok videos tend to be fun and entertaining, be careful that content doesn’t backfire. Healthcare is serious, and patients don’t want #dancingdoctors or #dancingnurses in the hospital hallways when they are pressing the call button. However, a choreographed dance with nurses in pink scrubs calling attention to #BreastCancerAwareness can effectively remind women it’s time for annual mammograms. Gen Z is quick to call out marketing that feels gimmicky or inauthentic. Young consumers expect brands to engage in corporate responsibility, but doing so without a strategic plan could result in a viral disaster.

Gen Z Fandom: Nostalgic and Quirky

Lockdown also left Gen Z looking to the past for emotional connections. Their throwback searches resulted in nearly 19 billion views for #nostalgia on TikTok. A resurgence of nostalgic pop culture has inspired fandom for TV shows such as “Euphoria”and “Stranger Things” and propelled “Maverick: Top Gun” and “Elvis” to being the summer’s biggest box office hits.

Consider using nostalgia to appeal to emotions. But it doesn’t always have to induce tears; it can prompt laughter just as easily. Thoughtfully adding a bit of nostalgia to the content mix can strengthen the connection with the target audience.

To market to Gen Z, try using nostalgia to appeal to positive emotions. There are 19 billion views for #nostalgia on TikToK57% of Gen Z like it when brands participate in memes. 80% of Gen Z like it when brands connect with their different personalities.

Gen Z audiences like memes. More than half responded to a recent YouTube survey that they like when brands post memes. So, get creative and create memes that promote service lines or shares relevant information for this target demographic.

Another part of the Gen Z persona is their uniqueness. They don’t want to fit in; they want to stand out and are perfectly comfortable with being quirky. Some 80 percent of Gen Zs surveyed for Spotify’s Culture Next Global Trends Report say they like when brands connect with their different personalities.

Experiment with fresh marketing tactics to connect with Gen Z. Use contextual targeting to place educational messages on unexpected sites—info about fashion on a pizza website. Whatever the message or the channel, include audio. In the first quarter of this year, 18-to-24 year olds played more than 578 billion minutes of music on Spotify.

Shared Brand Values: Honesty, Authenticity, Transparency

In terms of values, Gen Zs do not stray far from other generations. Honesty ranks as the most important value they look for in a brand, followed closely by transparency and authenticity.

Whether on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, video proves to be a useful tool for marketing to share values and personality while also promoting services and products. It is the ideal platform for storytelling that engages with the Gen Z audience.

Resonate with Gen Z by communicating honesty, transparency, and authenticity through video content.

In committing to short-form videos that connect with Gen Zs, remember that they see themselves as change makers ready to disrupt culture. Status quo doesn’t make the connection. Keep content meaningful, creative and different—just as if they created it themselves.

TotalCom is a full-service marketing agency helping brands like yours tell their story to the right audiences. Email Lori Moore or call TotalCom Marketing Communications at 205.345.7363 to see how TotalCom may be the right fit for you.

Is TikTok a Good Option for Healthcare Marketing?

You’ve seen the videos. Funny, dancing, lip-syncing, lots of kids—maybe your own or even your grandkids—just being cute and silly. TikTok is the shiny new thing. But should hospitals and healthcare organizations use the platform to hit marketing goals?

Short-form, user-generated TikTok videos, generally from 15 seconds to 3 minutes, engage users, particularly Gen-Z’ers, to show off their creativity. However, the video-sharing social media platform isn’t just for the young. It’s growing in popularity with older users tapping into their young-at-heart spontaneity. 

Launched in 2016, TikTok now has more than 1 billion users. The latest HubSpot Social Media Trends report declares it the #1 social media trend in 2022: “TikTok will take over social media, leaving other brands to adapt.”

Before trending on TikTok, slow down and consider the pros and cons. To go viral, a video should be fun, engaging and humorous—not typically synonymous with healthcare marketing. Also, ensure that you have bandwidth for another social channel that may minimally increase brand awareness.

What Is TikTok?

TikTok is the seventh largest social network, behind Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WeChat. It is app based and has been the most downloaded app for the past two years.

It is a US subsidiary of ByteDance, a Beijing-based tech giant. Chinese ownership and potential data breaches concern many businesses and the US government.

Aside from data security, TikTok critics complain about excessive screen time, suggestive content, negative comments and harmful challenges impacting children.

Michael Beckerman, a TikTok vice president, was among the tech giants recently grilled before a Senate Commerce subcommittee. Beckerman assured committee members that child safety tools are now in place to help parents manage screen time and monitor what young users see. But, he side-stepped data collection questions.

Who Is the Audience?

In the US, TikTok users are predominantly female (nearly 60 percent) and young with 60 percent between ages 16–24, the trendsetting Gen Z. But, the audience is aging up with Millennial and Gen X users, ages 25–44, making up another 26 percent.

TikTok’s growth parallels pandemic lockdown and quarantine when kids were bored with “nothing to do.” Then Mom has discovered the music video app. One of the fastest growing user segments is the 30-to-49-year-old female with children.

How Do You TikTok?

Step 1. Download the app and create an account.

Step 2. Or go to tiktok.com to view videos if you just want to check it out.

Step 3. Get creative.

Step 4. You can film something new or upload a video from your phone.

Step 5. Explore the video and audio editing tools; add a song, filters and effects.

Step 6. Finish up with privacy settings, hashtags and sharing the TikTok.

Step 7. Publish the video and share it on other social platforms.

Step 8. Wait for it to go viral!

Should TikTok Be Part of Healthcare Strategy?

Cleveland Clinic launched a TikTok channel in 2020 to spread public health message about COVID-19 and urge people to #MaskUp. Most of the videos are educational with interesting graphics and facts to engage viewers. There is a humorous video on how not to wear a face mask.

While Cleveland Clinic has done it right, other healthcare TikTok attempts may not be as successful. Dancing doctors, lip-syncing nurses in ICU hallways and messages that don’t align with the brand can cause quick backlash.

Define the strategy and set goals before moving forward with TikTok. Also, if you haven’t revised the company’s social media policy recently, consider employee use of the channel. Your organization can quickly lose credibility with unprofessional medical videos from employees.

Can You Use TikTok Effectively?

Changing consumer patterns demand changes in patient experience at every touchpoint. They want personalized content, faster service and better experiences.

Consider ways TikTok can be effective in the Age of the Consumer.

  • Educational content and tutorials. Consumers want short, fun, snack-able information. Break down robotic surgery, stroke symptoms, even basic procedures such as a colonoscopy.
  • Clear up misinformation.  Bust the myths of trending health misinformation.
  • Engage younger doctors to engage teens. Use physicians who are already active on social media to talk about dangers of vaping, STD risks and mental health concerns.
  • Wellness checks for women and men. Get creative with preventive health screenings for different age groups.
  • Challenges—Use TikTok challenges for New Year’s weight loss and fitness resolutions, or runs/walks and other fundraising activities.
  • Safety tips—Remind your audience how to avoid the ER with safety tips about frying turkeys, electric knives, fireworks and sunscreen. Address viral dangers such as the infamous milk crate challenge.
  • Resumes—#TikTokResumes gives you a new recruitment tool that allows users to post resumes and apply for jobs directly through the app; the highest conversion is the 25–34 age group.
  • Advertising—Run in-feed ads or create branded hashtags in TikTok for Business.

If you decide that TikTok can effectively increase awareness and relevance of your healthcare brand, engage your audience by:

  • Showing a different side of organization;
  • Experimenting;
  • Adding humor.

TotalCom is a full-service marketing agency helping brands like yours tell their story to the right audiences. Email Lori Moore or call TotalCom Marketing Communications at 205.345.7363 to see how TotalCom may be the right fit for you.

7 Ways to Make Your Hospital A Social Media Star

Featuring your state-of-the-art technology in your healthcare marketing helps educate your potential patients, but people relate to people. Featuring your staff in your hospital social media efforts is a sure bet to making your hospital a social media star.

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Favorite Sessions from SHSMD Connections ’18: How to Use Facebook Live for Your Hospital

Smiling businesswoman talking on camera - marketing your hospital on Facebook Live videoI realize there are many healthcare marketers that do not have the opportunity to attend SHSMD Connections (Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development annual conference). Sometimes it is budget, sometimes it is time away (and sometimes both). We are fortunate at TotalCom Marketing that we get to attend most years, so I thought I would share some of the highlights from several of the presentations at SHSMD Connections ‘18 held in Seattle this month. There were several that were really helpful, so this will be a multi-part series.

The first session I attended on day one was a “how to” for using Facebook Live. It was presented by the communications team at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. They have been successfully using Facebook Live since it launched and offered some helpful insight for getting started or just doing it better.

About Facebook Live

Facebook Live is a marketing tool that can prove quite helpful in meeting your organization’s social media objectives (and more). It is immediate, authentic, interactive and a great way to connect and engage with your audience.

Reasons Why You Should Consider Using Facebook Live

  • For now, at least, the Facebook algorithm favors Facebook Live. We have all seen a decline in engagement with our posts, Facebook Live is a way to help overcome this. Facebook will even send your page followers a notification when start or schedule.
  • You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make Facebook Live work for your organization.
  • Facebook Live is another way to connect with patients where they are spending considerable amounts of time each day – on Facebook.

Get Started with Facebook Live

  • woman in headphones sat laptop - engaging with audience by answering Facebook live questionsYou don’t have to have a special video camera, an iPhone works great.
  • Polish up your efforts with a few extra items including a camera mount, tripod, lapel mics to isolate sound and simple lighting. Also, Mevo (“a tv studio in your pocket”) is an app (and more) that allows you to look like you’ve got multiple cameras, allows for on-the-fly editing, is easy to use, requires no video editing experience and can really take your live stream to the next level. Learn more at getmevo.com.

Tips for Best Results

  • Always have two people to manage the live stream as it is more than one person can do alone, especially if you get a lot of engagement on your video.
  • Make sure you have a strong internet connection. VERY IMPORTANT.
  • Promote your live stream in advance. Promote not only on Facebook but Instagram and any other social channels you use. Ask your audience to sign up for a reminder.
  • As per social media best practices, don’t use Facebook Live to sell, but rather to establish your organization or employee as a thought leader and a resource to the community you serve.
  • Keep your production authentic. It is ok that your Facebook Live stream is not Spielberg quality.
  • Strategy first and tactics next. Use Facebook Live for the benefit of the audience, not just because it is fun and cool.
  • Engage with your audience. If people comment questions, answer them in your live video. After the video is over, respond to all of the comment questions so others have the answers, too.
  • Have a lengthy event? Don’t just “set it and forget it”. Best to break up the event into manageable snippets, do interviews in between highlights. Remember to announce often where you are and what you are doing for those who tune in later.
  • Lunch is a good time to go live, as are evenings. However, the majority of the engagement is AFTER the fact.
  • Look outside of healthcare at organizations and brands that are successfully using Facebook Live. Here are a few brands effectively using Facebook Live.
  • Practice, practice, practice… Use Facebook Live personally to learn how. But no worries, you can change the settings for Facebook Live so no one else sees it, in the “Select Privacy” mode, choose “Only me”.
  • Be sure to use Facebook analytics to provide insight and learn how you can fine tune and improve your Facebook Live efforts.
  • Facebook also offers these tips for using Facebook Live

 

Ways to Use Facebook Live

  • Use in place of, or in addition to a press release. News departments are short staffed and they can’t always cover events. For media outlets not able to attend, send them a link to the stream. They can then use some of the footage and include your event in their news report.
  • Interview physicians or demonstrate new technology and procedures.
  • Boost the value of your sponsorships so that you get more than just your logo on a flyer or t-shirt.
  • Appeal to your audience’s curiosity. The examples the presenters gave was about taking a tour of the electrophysiology lab or showcase a renovation.
  • Promote events at your hospital. But always ask, “Is this important to our audience? Is it relevant?” Don’t go live just for the sake of it.

Are you using Facebook Live for your hospital or healthcare organization? We would love to see how you are doing it. Share with us, won’t you?

Blog post written by Lori Moore, Senior Account Manager for TotalCom Marketing Communications. Reach Lori Moore by email or phone at 205.345.7363.

high quality web page

How to Improve the Google Ranking of your Healthcare Site

There’s a list of factors Google considers when grading your healthcare site’s pages as high or low quality. These range from page load times to grammatical mistakes. Top rankings are crucial to the success of your healthcare business. According to a study by Infront Webworks, the first page of Google receives 95 percent of web traffic, with subsequent pages receiving 5 percent of less of total traffic. Today, we’re going to unlock the secrets of how to improve Google ranking for your healthcare site.

What is considered high quality for Google?

  • Unique content
  • Valuable content
    • Google wants relevant helpful content. This is information that’s typically not found anywhere else. This also factors in design and the presentation of your content.
  • External links
    • High quality content links out to its references.
  • Internal links
    • Google likes to see you linking to another page on your website.
  • Searcher’s query
    • Google can tell if a user solves their search query using a page. For example, you type in “healthcare marketing,” and someone clicks your site. If they go back and visit a different site, or perform a new search, it tells Google that the page did not successfully answer that searcher’s query.  If they click on a page, go perform an unrelated search and then switch back to their email, that tells Google the page solved their query.
  • Load time
    • The page has to load quickly on any connection.
  • User experience and design
    • This means high quality design and accessibility on mobile, desktop tablet and laptop.
  • Grammatically correct and well-spelled content
    • Google analyzes pages for poor spelling and bad grammar. If your site includes these, you don’t qualify as a high-quality site anymore.
  • Non-text content needs to have text alternatives
    • This is why Google encourages use of the alt attribute or video transcriptions on non-text content.
  • Well-organized content
    • Content that is easy to consume and understand.

As you can see Google’s algorithms are sophisticated and there is more to a website than just hitting “publish.” Start by analyzing the pages on your website. Make a list of high priority edits you need to make and use this list to guide you.

If your website is not living up to your expectations and you want to improve it, contact us! Whether you need a few tweaks or just content added to your current site, or a completely new, mobile-friendly website design, contact TotalCom Marketing to discuss what the process looks like.

 

Hospital Social Media Strategy Checklist

Are you satisfied with your hospital’s social media efforts?  It might be time to revisit your social media strategy. Here, we delve into some crucial DOs and DON’Ts tailored for healthcare marketers.

Common Mistakes in Healthcare Social Media Marketing Strategy

Before diving into the right approach, understanding what not to do is crucial. Here are some don’ts for your hospital social media strategy:

  • Vague Initial Planning. Merely thinking, “We should be on Facebook,” isn’t sufficient. Hence, it’s imperative to define your goals, objectives, and metrics for evaluation. Recognizing the benchmark for success is pivotal.
  • Absence of a Content Calendar. Constructing a content calendar is vital. This calendar should harmonize with other hospital communication initiatives, local happenings, and even seasonal shifts.
  • Irregular Posting Schedule. Avoid sporadic posting. Instead, disseminate content systematically and during prime hours.
  • Exclusivity to the Marketing Team. Social media marketing strategy for hospitals demands engagement across the board. Engage service line managers, physicians, HR, and department leaders for a holistic approach.
  • Lack of a Response Protocol. With patients and the community aiming to connect with your hospital online, ensure you have a proactive system to manage these interactions.

Essential Elements of an Effective Healthcare Social Media Strategy

Your social media strategy should address these pivotal questions:

  • What is our end goal?
  • How will we define and measure success?
  • Who is responsible? Who is part of the team?
  • What are the priorities?
  • Who are the target audiences?
  • Where will we source our content and how will we archive it?
  • How can we actively involve physicians and other experts in social media?
  • What is the posting schedule?
  • Who will oversee community interactions and respond to comments?
  • What level of integration will there be with other communication efforts and channels?
  • Will we utilize boosted posts? If yes, what’s our budget?

In sum, if you’re aiming to bolster your hospital’s online presence, revisiting the foundational elements of a social media strategy for healthcare can be transformative. Avoid common mistakes healthcare marketers make by sticking to this guide.

ABOUT JIMMY WARREN
Early to bed, early to rise, work like crazy and advertise! Jimmy Warren is president of TotalCom Marketing Communications and has over 30 years experience helping many kinds of businesses build a strong brand. A large portion of that experience has been helping hospitals and healthcare organizations. He loves the ‘weird’, interesting and extremely talented people he gets to work with every day – that includes co-workers and clients. Outside of work he enjoys his grand kids, traveling and any kind of good ole fashion Alabama sports. Roll Tide!