Lori Moore

Healthcare Marketing: Facebook is Getting Old!

People over the age of 65 are adopting Facebook faster than any other age group.

Social media is for young people.  Right?  Well yes but they are not the only ones.   Older people are becoming frequent users of social media.  At alarming rates.

People over 65 are the fastest growing demographic users of Facebook with over 6.5 million joining in May of 2010 alone.  And that is three times more than May of 2009.

Also surprising is the fact that the fastest growing demo on Match.com is adults over 50.  Now a total of over 4 million.  Men over 55 who have become members of Facebook since last fall has increased 138% and women over 55 has increased 175% over the same period.  And overall, 47% of 50-64 year-olds are using social media.  An 88% growth in the past year.

So what does this mean for healthcare marketers?  Social media is not just for the young.  Those older people, boomers, senior citizens who are frequent users of our healthcare system are very active on social media.  And the numbers continue to grow.  Exponentially.  Our paradigm about social networking needs to change to include older adults in our social media strategies.   Social media is beginning to show it’s age.  A much older age.

Share

Healthcare Marketing: Why Aren’t We Seeing More Traditional and Social Media Integration?

Traditional and Social Media should be integrated, sure. How much has been written and said about integration of traditional and social media?  How often have we been told integration is essential and is the   true test of effective advertising today?  Most healthcare marketers have struggled with this and have wrestled with ways to integrate the two. Some of us have made attempts at it but generally we haven’t been that successful.

Well healthcare marketers aren’t the only ones.  Even on advertising’s largest stage, the Super Bowl, integration did not occur. With all the talk about the necessity of integration you would think Super Bowl spots would have been loaded with such.  But not so.  Basically the only integration was the listing of a website or Facebook URL.  That’s it.

Lightspeed Research indicated almost two-thirds of 18-34 year-olds planning to watch the Super bowl have smartphones and intended to use them during the game.   Of those, 59% were planning on sending emails or text messages about the game, while 18% planned on checking out ads on their phonies.  With over 106 million watching the game there was a tremendous opportunity to forge new relationships.  The opportunity was missed.

Ian Schafer in a recent article in Ad Age discussed the irony of the situation.   Brands who ran ads in the Super Bowl, looked to social media to gauge their audiences’ reaction.   They carefully monitored how many views the spots received on YouTube, checked what was tweeted about their ads and monitored Google alerts for mentions.   While depending on social media to tract reaction, they failed to integrate social networking into their ads. In fact, practically every ad could have been aired prior to Al Gore’s invention of the internet.

Part of the reason is that’s it’s difficult to integrate the two in :30 secs.  Especially when you are being judged for creativity.  It’s difficult to get high marks for creativity when you take precious seconds to integrate social media. You can make an impression in :30 seconds but it’s difficult to start a relationship much less build one.

Yes, we should explore ways to integrate social media and traditional media. But don’t be so discouraged because, as healthcare marketers, we haven’t done such a great job with it.  Despite all the talk, the largest, most powerful brands in the world generally haven’t mastered the art (or science) of it either which says marketers are still trying to discover effective methods of integration.  We all agree it’s what we need to do, but finding effective and creative ways to accomplish it isn’t easy. Especially when we are being graded on creativity, immediate impact and instant effectiveness.

So we are not the only ones who are struggling to find ways for successful integration.  The big boys are too.  We all have to watch and experiment and learn.  The talk of the “experts” is good.  Their philosophy makes perfectly good sense.  We all agree.  But it will take time and experimentation to do it in practice.


Share

Healthcare Marketing: Seven Rules of Social Media

Social media success, like most everything, requires mastering the basics.

Social networking can be very helpful to hospitals and healthcare organizations.  And healthcare marketers have used it with varying degrees of success.  But there are some basic rules, which must be followed to build online relationships and leverage the power of social media.

Here are seven fundamentals for social media success:

1. Listen – Social networking for marketers is more about listening and less about talking.  Listen to discover what’s important to your target audience.  Only by listening can you create quality conversation that’s relevant and adds value to your friends and followers.

2. Quality – It’s not about quantity…how many online connections you have.  But more about quality.  It’s better to have a few relationships that value your content and who are loyal than to have thousands you connect initially but never become engaged.

3. Focus – You can’t be everything to everybody.  It’s more important to be narrowly focused providing specifically directed content.  A focus intended to build your brand instead of being too broad and general.

4. Consistency – It’s like any relationship; you can’t be a friend just every-once-in-a-while.  A friend is there consistently.  To have meaningful relationships you need to have frequent contact and dialog.  If you disappear for a while, your followers will leave you for a more reliable relationship

5. Value – People don’t like others who talk about themselves all the time.  A friend must care and bring something worthwhile to the relationship.  You can’t use social networking to always promote your brand or services. It must be about providing something of value.

6. Acknowledgment – People don’t like to be ignored.  If they are ignored for very long, they will find better friends elsewhere.  So when someone reaches out or participates in a conversation, acknowledge them.

7.  Patience – Strong relationships are not built quickly.  And social media success doesn’t happen overnight.  It takes a commitment for the long haul.

As we swim into the waters of social media it’s easy to be overwhelmed and begin to sink.  But as healthcare marketers if we adhere to these basic rules, our likelihood of long-term success is greatly enhanced.

Reference:  Susan Gunelius writing for Entrepreneur Media

 

Share

Healthcare Marketing: Mistakes Can Speed Thru Social Media at Warp Speed

But mistakes handled correctly can lead to stronger consumer relationships.  

There have been some pretty notorious mistakes that have raced across social media networks.   BP’s response to the gulf oil spill dug a hole that they are still trying to crawl out of.  Response in social media caused Gap to go back to its original logo within days of announcing a new logo.   And one of the latest was Kenneth Cole’s twitter that the real cause of Egypt’s uproar was due to the announcement of Kenneth Cole’s new spring collection.  The tweet was deemed insensitive, inappropriate and self-serving.

The latest snafu prompted Rupal Parekh in Ad Age to outline the “Seven Stages Of Committing A Social Media Sin”.  And she indicated how quickly the stages occur within social space.  Here are the seven stages she outlines:

1.     Gaffe – some brand makes a critical mistake.

2.     Outrage – public anger is expressed via the internet.

3.     Apology – the brand realizes their actions are perceived very negatively and offers an apology.

4.     Parody – unflattering imitations appear.

5.     Humor – consumers go from criticizing the actions to making fun.

6.     Indifference – nobody seems to care anymore.

7.     Repeat – some other brand makes another snafu and moves to center stage of social networks.

One of the amazing things about this outline is that with the Kenneth Cole incident – it sped through all the stages within just 7 hours.  A very short cycle.

The other amazing thing is that at the end of the cycle, the brand had 10% more followers than when the gaffe occurred.

So what can healthcare marketers learn?  First of all mistakes happen.  And sometimes they blindside you.  Consumers sometimes react in very surprising and unexpected ways.  But the most important thing to remember is quick, sincere, authentic responses is usually well received and will lead to dissipating the issue.

Healthcare marketers are not very likely to commit social media sins that will reach the magnitude of negative responses directed toward national brands.  But the lessons learned still apply.  Any gaffe that is addressed in social media, even if in limited local circles, can cause much concern and fear.  But just as we have learned from national brands, timely, honest and transparent responses will reap positive results. In fact, they may provide the opportunity to improve our brand and build even stronger consumer relationships.

Share

Hospital Advertising: Creative and Effective Ads are Not the Same

The ultimate goal of our advertising efforts is to provide information that will ultimately lead to more sells.  

The results are in.  It’s the talk of the advertising community.  The most liked spot in this year’s Super Bowl was a spot featuring a little Darth Vader.   You know the spot.  The five-year-old boy who’s dressed like Darth Vader wanders around the house trying to conjure up The Force to help him.  He has no success until he goes outside and calls on The Force to affect his dad’s car.  And to his surprise The Force is finally with him and the car comes to life.  Of course the viewer sees The Force is actually his dad using the car’s remote ignition button.

It’s a great commercial.  It was ranked as the most liked by Nielsen research.  It has created a tremendous viral following having been viewed on YouTube over 10 million times.   And it has been one of the hottest topics on Twitter and Facebook.  What a success!  But was it?

Do you remember the brand of the car?  The model?  Did it impart any information?  Did it sell anything?  Bob Garfield pointed out in an article in Ad Age that the vast majority of the conversation in social media was about the ad but not about the car.  So was it a great commercial for the brand?

David Ogilvy said, “I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information.  If it doesn’t sell, it’s not creative.” And there has to be some truth to that principle.  What did we learn about the car in the adorable spot?  That it has a remote ignition system?  Now that’s old news in the car industry.  That is hardly an advantage.  What else did the spot tell us?

We have to be careful we don’t make the same mistake in hospital advertising.  We need to communicate information.  Useful information.  Information that heightens the brand.   Selling is not a bad thing.  After all it is what all our advertising and marketing must ultimately accomplish. It’s not enough to be adorable.  We must sell.

The spot most liked in the latest Super Bowl could have been for any product.  Insert any brand you like.  Yes it’s well liked.  It has become a viral success.  But is that really what Volkswagen wanted to accomplish for its Passat?  If the American consumer remembers who the spot was for maybe they will rush out and buy one.  But then again probably not.

Share

Healthcare Marketing: Most Popular Ads Not Necessarily Most Effective

A list of most liked commercials that aired in the Super Bowl was very different that the commercials with most recall.    

This year, like every year, there was much anticipation for the spots that would air during the Super Bowl.   A lot of talk and fanfare.  And certainly a lot of money spent by the advertisers who paid over $3 million per spot.   Not only do we look forward to viewing the latest collection of creativity for some of the world’s largest brands, we are also interested in seeing how the spots fared with the viewers.

Nielsen always conducts research immediately after the game to test the commercials.  This year two of the things they tested were likeability and recall.  And that’s where it got interesting.  Because the two lists were very different.  In fact, the top three most liked spots did not even make the top ten list for most recalled.  And even more confusing, only one spot made both lists.

Surprising indeed!  What does this say?  I think it says we can sometimes create advertising that’s clever, cute, funny, creative and well liked but never make a connection to the brand. And when that happens what have we accomplished?   This can also be true about the many creative award shows.  You’ve seen it.  Judges grant top honors to ads that are highly creative but upon further review communicate little or nothing about the product or the brand. They are creative competitions and beauty pageants and it’s so nice to be honored for great work.  But many times these very ads that are highly decorated never progress the brand.

In healthcare advertising we can make the same mistake. We can create cute, warm, emotional ads that never sell anything.  Sometimes we can win awards for such creativity but we haven’t sold anything.  We haven’t increased market share at all.  This is not to be critical of creativity.  I have written many times about the need for creativity in our healthcare advertising.   Without it, we seldom get seen or heard.  But creativity alone is not the answer either.

Effective advertising occurs when our creativity is used to actually sell a product or service or advance the brand.  When it’s used to effectively position the brand, to build a strong relationship to the brand.   When it increases market share.

And that is the challenge for all of us in healthcare marketing.  To create advertising that breaks through the clutter and has high notation.  But what it communicates is not just creativity but the benefits of a service line or brand.  It should be advertising that communicates rationally and emotionally and actually moves the needle.

Yeah it’s nice to be recognized for creativity.  But the real satisfaction comes when that recognition is more than an award, it’s recognition for advertising that actually works!


Share

Healthcare Marketing: 10 Tips for More Effective Social Media Marketing

Scientific research indicates that certain proven strategies can enhance social marketing efforts.

Healthcare marketers are striving to improve their social media efforts.  There are a lot of varying strategies espoused, making it difficult to know which ones are most effective.  Social networking is certainly not a proven scientific endeavor.   There are some basic competencies required, but it also involves some degree of art, intuition and luck.

Dan Zarrela describes himself as an award winning social, search and viral marketing scientist.  He is the author of several books and numerous articles about social media.   He is a noted student of social marketing and is recognized as a knowledgeable expert.

Zarrela posted an article discussing how to make social marketing more scientific. His points are excellent and are the basis of the ten tips listed below:

1.  Experiment with different strategies to discover what works. Conduct your own research.  Try different things and learn what is most effective for your hospital.

2.  Audience size is important. Certainly you want a quality audience but quantity is very important.  Hospitals need engaged followers but also need a large number of them.

3.  Find and target your influencers.  Among your fans/followers there are key influencers.  Usually it’s those who were early adopters of social media.   Extra attention and care should be given to them.

4.  Bigger and louder works – to a point. It’s possible to yell over the social media clutter but only for a limited time.   If you yell too much, you will be tuned out.

5.   Personalize the conversation with your audience.   Make it personal and authentic.  Everyone likes hearing his or her name. And to be the center of attention. Know that!  And use it to your advantage.

6.  Avoid link fatigue.  Don’t wear your audience out with too many links.  Your audience will grow tired and lose interest.

7.  Make your brand cool. I know that’s somewhat difficult for hospitals but find ways to help your audience improve their reputations and status by being associated with your brand.

8.  Avoid information voids. Rumors and misperceptions form when there is a lack of information.  Always get out in front of every potential crisis.

9.   Don’t talk too much about yourself. Take it easy on yourself.  No one wants to be engaged in conversation with someone who talks about himself all the time.   How boring is that!

10.  Use call-to action.  As is true with every type of marketing, you ultimately want your audience to take action. Compel your audience to do so.  And make it easy for them to do so.

Healthcare marketers are  still learning when and how to do social marketing effectively.  And we are learning more and more everyday.   Trial and error and experimentation will teach us a lot.  But learning from those who  have experience and who are avid students of social media can certainly improve our learning curve. That’s why tips listed here are so very helpful.

Share

Healthcare Marketing: Moms Have Changed… Has Our Marketing?

Today moms are older and more likely to be Hispanic and single.  And because of that our marketing to them has to change.

A key segment for healthcare marketers is women.  Women who are giving birth.  Women with young children.  And today this segment of the market is very different than they were just a few years ago.

In 1970 one in a hundred births were to women 35 and older.  Today it’s one in twelve. According to the National Center for Healthcare Statistics that continues to decline with the number of births falling another 2.6% last year.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports the medium age of marriage for women is now 25.9 years old compared to 22 years old in 1980. But marriage is becoming less of a prerequisite for having children.   Everyday Health cites that almost 40% of births were to unmarried women.  And unlike what one may think, only 23% are to teenagers.    Women in their 20’s made up 60% of unwed mothers and 17% were women in their 30s.  Just 64% of moms are married – leaving over one-third of moms as single.

Additionally, one in four births are to women who are Hispanic. The number of Hispanic births has risen 95% since 1985 while the births of non-Hispanic women has fallen 3%.  A full 20% of moms in the U.S. were not born or raised in this country.

Very interesting stats.  And especially interesting to healthcare marketers.   Traditional stereotypes of moms are basically out the window now.  The faces of moms have dramatically changed and this impacts how we market to moms and potential moms. Who we need to reach and what we need to say is changing. Mediums, tones, styles and content should be re-examined. According to the Marketing to Moms Coalition 42% of moms found ads to be ineffective and 28% found ads directed to moms as fully unappealing!

This creates a tremendous challenge to healthcare marketers.  We have to be sensitive to the changing landscape.  We have to explore new and different ways to speak to these moms.  Their needs are different.  Their perspectives and attitudes are different.  And our marketing should also be different.


Share

Healthcare Marketing: Internet is Woman’s Best Friend

Women turn to the internet for health information over family, friends or doctors.

Women are uncomfortable discussing health concerns with other family members, friends, doctors or even spouses.  And as a result they turn to the internet for information and answers.  iVillage conducted an online poll for Harris Interactive, which revealed women’s dependence on the internet for health concerns.

Some of the results from the survey are:

  • 82% of women are uncomfortable discussing health concerns with family and friends
  • 62% are twice as likely to turn to the web over their own mothers about health issues
  • 64% use online communities to discuss health concerns
  • 49% stated that online would be the first place they would go to research health issues.  More than twice the amount who would go to their doctor first (25%) or family (15%) or friends (6%).
  • 30% gather information from online communities to prepare them for their doctor’s visit.

These results verify women’ s dependence on the web for health information.  Healthcare marketers must recognize this and develop web strategies for communicating to women. Robust web sites, web advertising and the development of social networking sites are some of the tools that may be used to reach women.  Even directing consumers to existing websites can be helpful in creating relationships and building strong brand perceptions.

Women are traditionally viewed as the primary influencer and decision maker in regards to their family’s health.  As they increasingly turn to the web for valuable information, healthcare marketers must recognize it and create ways to meet them there.


Share

Hospital Marketing: Boomers’ Use of Social Media is Booming

Baby Boomers who provide care for aging parents are heavier users of social media than boomers in general.


Baby boomers are embracing social media.  Faster than any other segment. According to Pew Internet the number of 50-plus who use social networking sites grew 88% during the past year.  Now practically half of the adults over 50 regularly use social media.   In the more narrow 50-65 age group its almost three fourths.   Healthcare marketers are learning that social media can be a very effective way of reaching and connecting with baby boomers.

But those boomers who are caregivers to aging parents are even more likely to embrace and use social media. Age Lessons partnering with Comscore found that approximately 15.5 million of the 78 million boomers are caregivers.  They are split 60/40 female to male and the level of care ranges from daily phone check-ins to live-in help.

As reported by Matt Carmichael in Ad Age these boomer caregivers use social media an average of 150 minutes a month and view 70% more pages than average internet users. They are dependent on social networking sites for information because they have so little time for other types of socializing.  Their free time is limited and they are often restricted by the demands of caring for their parent(s).  It is often the easiest and fastest way to stay connected with family and friends.  They also use social media to validate and reinforce their feelings by finding others in similar situations and communities that provide support and encouragement.

The study also found this group is more likely to use the internet to find information, conduct research and make purchases.  The top sites for boomer caregivers are Facebook with a 91% reach, Amazon with 76% and Wal-Mart at 41%.  Twitter has 21% reach.

These caregivers are important influencers and decision-makers for not only their own immediate family’s health concerns but also for their parents.  This makes this group especially important to healthcare marketers.

Marketing to niches can be very effective.  They are more easily identifiable and the message can be very focused.  The use of social media, especially Facebook – whether in the form of a page or ad, can be extremely useful tools reaching this key demographic.