Healthcare Digital Marketing

Hospital Marketing: Online Display Ads Improve Search Performance

Recent studies indicate that online banner ads dramatically improve search results for both paid and organic search.

Significant money is now being spent on internet display advertising.  Many have questioned the effectiveness of such expenditures.  However some recent studies have shown that online display ads are very effective and  in ways that were unexpected.

A recent study by the Atlas Institute, “Where Can You Find Your Customer: The Intersection of Search and Display” indicate that internet visitors who are exposed to both search and display advertising convert at a 22% percent higher rate than by search alone.

Similar results were revealed in a study by Comscore, “The Silent Click: Building Brands Online”. Comscore found that internet visitors exposed to display ads spend surprisingly 55% more time on the site and viewed 51% more pages than those not exposed to online display ads.

Yes organic search is still better than display ads for search but when display ads are combined with organic search the results are significantly better than with either one alone.  This means to maximize a brand’s effectiveness on the web, both search optimization for organic search and online display ads are essential?

Just like in traditional media, multiple exposures  over different media or venues increase effectiveness. The same is true for the web. A combined, integrated, coordinated marketing approach will yield the maximum results.

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Healthcare Marketing: When Social Media Goes Bad


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.

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Healthcare Marketing: The Power We Hold with Smart Phones

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!


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Hospital Marketing: Online Video a Turn Off?

Research indicates that up to 25% of web viewers click off of pre-roll video.   Consumers do not want to watch a video before they can get to the information they want.    

A recent study by video analytics firm TubeMogel finds that nearly 16% of viewers click away from a pre-roll video ad rather than watch it before getting to the content they are seeking. And on newspaper and magazine sites, where interruptive advertising isn’t the norm, the percentage goes up to 25%, according to an article in Ad Age by Michael Learmonth.

Consumers just don’t want to want to watch a video before they can get to the information they are searching for. They consider it a nuisance and become annoyed by it.  Yet the easiest thing for marketers to do is to place a: 30-second TV spot on the web.   It’s already produced, it’s available, and it’s easy.  But they may be doing more harm than good.  Annoying the consumer may be what you’re doing.

“Consumers have so many choices that 16% are going to leave your content just because you put an ad in front of it,” stated Brett Wilson, CEO of the video analytics firm.  “That’s a big paradigm shift – people don’t have to watch your ad”

Learmonth also cited research by YuMe that shows a completion rate of only 61% for 30-second video ads on the web. So clearly, using TV spots or videos as an ad, like a pop-up screen, is not highly effective.  Most people go online to gather information and do not want to have to watch an unrequested video ad before they can get to the content they are seeking.

Web advertising requires it’s own unique strategy and approach. While the brand must be consistent across all mediums, it’s not effective to just take traditional media and stick it on the web.  The audience expectations and tolerance levels are entirely different.  When you turn on your online video ad, you may just be turning off the consumer.

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Healthcare Marketing: Slow to Adopt New Tech Make us Irresponsible?

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.

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Marketing Your Hospital: How to Engage Consumers

Social media  is about “engaging” and “interacting” with your market.  It’s not like days gone by where a brand image was crafted and dictated to the consumer, but rather a relationship is built. A two way conversation of sorts that is built with engaging information.  And a great way to engage them is with useful info.

The BBC recently reported on a study in the UK linking depression to a diet high in processed foods.  They split participants into two groups – those who ate a diet largely based on whole foods, which included lots of fruits, vegetables and fish, and those who ate a mainly processed food diet, such as sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high fat dairy products.  No one would be surprised that the latter diet led to obesity, diabetes and risks of heart disease but I doubt most people would connect it to depression.  

Another example came in an article from the Washington Post.  They reported on a study that concluded chewing gum may help reduce cravings, particularly for sweet snacks and spur people to cut their daily intake by about 50 calories. 

This simple, but interesting info would make great choices for “useful info” that most consumers would find beneficial.  Using recent study results is a way to give your market something worth “engaging” with your hospital, creating a relationship and keeping them coming back to your site.

Hospital Marketing: Relevant Issues Can Be Addressed with Social Media

Hospitals are effectively using social networking sites to provide relevant health information and to engage in an ongoing dialog with consumers.

There was been much talk about the H1N1 virus.  It’s hard to miss it as you read the newspaper or watch TV news or listen to the radio or visit the internet.  But with all the talk, there is still a lot of misinformation.  And consumers certainly have lots of unanswered questions.  How can a hospital address health concerns like the H1N1 virus with factual and relevant information?  Some are effectively turning to social networking sites to connect with consumers and share information. 

Rockford Health System in Rockford, Illinois is one hospital that uses its Facebook page to communicate information and updates about the H1N1 virus.  Not only does the hospital provide pertinent information about the virus, it uses one of it’s doctors to post information about the virus and to answer questions posted on the site.  The doctor answers questions 2-3 times per week.

Katie Nilsson, a reporter with WREX, quotes Rockford Marketing Director Westor Wuori, “There’s so much information out there, we wanted to find a way to distill it down to where people can get it in one central location”. 

This is an excellent example of how hospitals can effectively use social networking sites to be relevant and provide a useful and meaningful service to their community. Consumers have concerns. They want reliable information they can trust.  They want to have a dialog where they can receive answers to specific questions.  Facebook and Twitter are tools that should be utilized by hospitals for such purposes.

Hospitals are expected to be the local source for reliable health information.  Traditionally hospitals have relied upon press releases and the local media to disseminate relevant health information.  But with social media sites, hospitals can provide the information directly to the consumer as well as actually engage in an ongoing dialog.  And by so doing, the hospital enhances it’s brand and builds loyalty and trust.

Using social networking sites to deal with the public’s health concerns is a great opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.  But even more than that, it’s the right thing to do.  It is one viable means to fulfill the hospital’s mission and its responsibility to the community.   

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Hospital Marketing: More Patients Turning to Social Media for Advice

Hospitals should be proactive in using social media to connect and engage patients about their healthcare issues and concerns.

As much as healthcare officials are concerned about privacy and protocol, it’s not stopping patients from using the web to gather information concerning their health issues.  A Pew Internet  and American Life Project study shows that 61% of adults indicate they look online for health information.  Most of these e-patients go online to gather information about specific health conditions.

The study also indicates that as many as 20% of adults go online and use social media sites to gather and share health information.  “The Internet is now not just information,” says Susannah Fox, with the Internet and American Life Project.  “There is a social life of information online.  And people are using these tools to connect with friends and family, to connect with health professionals.  And they are accessing a much deeper level of information than they were five years ago.”   

As consumers take to social media and use it more, it’s only natural that they will use it for their health concerns.  Patients will reach out on social media sites to find others who share common experiences and learn from others.  There is a great sharing of information about symptoms, treatments, side effects and results.  And there is great encouragement by sharing experiences with others who are having similar experiences.

Hospital marketers perhaps can learn from this to establish Facebook pages and/or Twitter accounts for patients in a local area to share and gather information.  It would provide a great service to the patients and also extend the hospital’s brand to these sites as a facilitator and a sharer of pertinent information.  It’s not a place for the hospital to push it services or “advertise” but a place that allows patients to honestly share information with others and the hospital to provide helpful medical and health information.

There could be Facebook pages or Twitter accounts set up for special interest groups like diabetes, cancer, maternity, young mothers and children of parents who are aging.  The list is almost endless.  Where ever there is a health condition where patients seek to gather and share information, there is an opportunity to use social media.  There could be social media uses for just about every patient support groups that already exists so patients can do online what they do in periodically face-to-face meetings.  And medical specialists in those areas could provide frequent and pertinent information that would be useful to those who visit the social media site.

Such efforts would provide a very useful service, build engagement and loyalty while enhancing the hospital’s brand.

Joseph Shapiro writing for NPR on November 16,2009  quoted Jamie Heywood, who established Patients Like Me, “The amazing shift is that we’ve pushed out this concept of sharing.”  She continued, “you can find another patient who knows what you are going through, someone who is on the same treatments, is dealing with the same side effects…. whatever variable matters to you at the moment.  To find out whether your concerns are justified, they make sense, whether you’re doing the right thing – that’s the transformation.”

There are great opportunities for hospitals to use social media to connect and engage consumers as well as provide useful and meaningful information. Consumers will find each other and engage in conversations. Shouldn’t hospitals join in that conversation?


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Healthcare Marketing: Video and Social Media Not Good Together

Research indicates that video enhances online ads and emails but is not effective when used on social media sites.

Online video has proven to be a very effective tool increasing the engagement levels of online ads and emails.  But according to a study conducted by Eyeblaster, online video is not very effective when used on social sites.  Mike Shields, writing for the Nov 18, 2009 issue of Mediaweek, cited the research reporting that online video increases both Dwell Rate and Dwell Time when compared to other forms of online advertising but it performs better when adjacent to content or email.

Eyeblaster examined data from thousands of campaigns encompassing millions of impressions over the past year measuring user engagement (Dwell Rate) and the length of the engagement (Dwell Time).  They found that consumers browse social sites differently than they do websites and emails. “What we found is that people browse social networks really quickly”, stated Ariel Geifman, research analyst at Eyeblaster. “People spend a lot of time in social networks, but it’s not on the same web page”.

Even though the use of video on social sites has significantly increased, consumers browse social sites very quickly and do not take the time to view video.  This is in contrast to content rich websites where consumers stop and linger and become more engaged. “It’s the browsing habits”, added Geifman who concluded people have more time to look at an ad and become engaged when searching content oriented websites as compared to social sites.

As healthcare marketers experiment with social media, it’s important to learn as much as possible about consumer online habits.  Although maybe not obvious at first, the research from Eyeblaster makes sense.  People browse social media quickly and therefore are less inclined to take the time to view video as compared to content oriented sites where consumers are searching for information and therefore are willing to spend more time and become more engaged.  

Video has proven to improve the effectiveness of websites.  They increase Dwell Rate and Dwell Time.  But videos have a smaller chance to be effective on social media sites where consumers quickly browse to get caught up with friends and gather quick bits of information.     

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Hospital Marketing: Social Media as Customer Service Tool

Hospitals and doctors are using social networking as a means of delivering a higher level of customer service by providing more communication with patients and their families. 

Every fifteen minutes the patient’s family receives an update on a Blackberry from the operating room, which gives them a status report and informs them how the patient is doing.  Surgeons use Twitter to report the details of an ongoing surgery.   Patients receive educational information from their doctor concerning the health issue they face. Prospective surgical patients watch a webcast of the surgery they are considering. Instead of going to the doctor’s office, a patient receives answers electronically to her health questions.

All the above are real examples of social media being used by healthcare providers as cited by Nirvi Shah in a November 9th article in the Miami Herald.  Social media tools are increasingly being used to provide information, and a higher level of customer service.

Many hesitate to use social media due to concerns about patient privacy.  But users avoid those concerns by using just one of a patient’s initials or just the age of patients. Messages are generally vague so that they would only make sense to the patient’s family.  And public posts are simply educational or very general in regard to details. 

Many patients consider the use of social media tools as modern day bedside manner.  It’s a way to make a stronger connection between the healthcare provider and patient.  It’s a means of making patients and their family more comfortable.

The tools of social media provide a wide range of opportunities to improve and enhance customer service.  Educational information and one-to-one conversations delivered through social media venues can be an extremely valuable asset to hospitals and physicians.  In a very competitive environment, the adoption of such tools can create a very significant advantage.     

 

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