Marketing Company Alabama

Healthcare Marketing: Biggest Challenge Keeping the Pace

The changing and fracturing of the media landscape is the biggest challenge and the greatest opportunity for marketers.

In a poll of marketers, 41% named the growth of marketing channels and devices as their biggest challenge.  Other challenges that top the list are customer collaboration and influence, financial constraints and ROI accountability.  These were findings of IBM in a survey of marketing professionals, The State of Marketing 2012.

The continued fracturing of the media landscape makes it increasingly difficult to reach consumers in large numbers.  Integration of marketing and information technology are now required over a multitude of channels.

The same report indicated that marketers are turning their attention to mobile.  Mobile is viewed as the next big opportunity as a larger share of the population own and is dependent on mobile phone devices.

Traditional media is not dead.  But marketing effectiveness in the future will include the integration of campaigns over across numerous channels  – especially mobile and social.

Healthcare marketers that I know share the same challenges and concerns indicated in the survey.  It is more difficult to reach a mass audience. And to truly have effective reach in the future there will have to be integration over both traditional and non-traditional mediums.  Social media will have to be included and mobile websites, applications, email and messaging will increasing become important.

There will continue to be great challenges for healthcare marketers.  But also great opportunities.

Healthcare Marketing: 6 Recommendations for a Social Media Policy

The National Labor Relations Board issues guidelines for social media in the workplace. 

The NLRB may not be the ultimate authority on social media for healthcare marketers but their recommendations can be very helpful.  After reviewing social media policies of businesses, they discovered that many businesses were risking infringing on employee free speech and labor rights and issued guidelines and recommendations.

Mikal Belicove reported some of the agency’s findings in an article for Entrepreneur.  Here are six recommendations that should guide a hospital’s social media policy.

1.    Know and follow the rules. 

Employees should be encouraged to read and understand the social media policy.  The policy should clearly indicate what is not appropriate and what will not be tolerated in regard to the use of social media.

2.    Be respectful.

The policy should state that employees are expected to be “fair and courteous to fellow associates, customers, members, suppliers or people who work on behalf of the employer.”

3.    Be honest and accurate.

Never post anything based on rumor or assumption.  Make sure all posts are accurate and true.

4.    Post only appropriate and respectful content

Always be respectful and maintain confidentiality.  Never represent yourself as a company spokesperson or speak for the company unless specifically authorized.

5.    Use social media at work for only work related activities.

Don’t use company equipment and time for personal messaging.

6.    Don’t engage the press.

Don’t speak to the press or engage the press in any social media activity without prior approval.

Certainly this is not an exhaustive list for a social media policy but it’s helpful in regard to what’s permissible without restricting employees’ work-related rights.