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.

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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!