Social Media for Hospitals

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.

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.

Stay Relevant with “Pay to Play” in Digital Marketing

Even if you’re new to marketing, you’ve probably heard the term “pay to play.” This phrase basically means that you’ll need to spend money to get ahead. Think of the cliché “spend money to make money.” The “pay to play” strategy dominates digital marketing. With shifts in online behavior and channel updates, you can expect to reassess your digital marketing budget to stay relevant. The bottom line? If you want to reach as many potential or returning patients as possible, especially with a high frequency, you’ll need to allocate more of your budget toward advertising and marketing.

The Rise of “Pay to Play”

traditional marketing and digital marketing utilize your advertising budget differently.

The concept of “pay to play” isn’t new. In traditional marketing, larger budgets typically mean more impressions and a greater impact on your audiences. In digital marketing, CPMs have been on the rise, requiring marketers to dig deeper into their pockets to stay relevant.  Largely gone are the days of an organic social post going viral and driving interest in a brand. Algorithm updates and shifting consumer expectations require strategic evaluations and budget reallocations.

Though “pay to play” has its drawbacks, it’s here to stay because it’s effective. With digital marketing in particular, search engine marketing and social media platforms give businesses more ways to reach potential customers, build brand awareness, and show ads when they’re ready to buy. Plus, with more people cutting the cord and opting into video streaming, there are more opportunities than ever to reach new audiences—if you’re willing to invest.

Digital Dives and Doubts

The growing turbulence within social media isn’t something marketers can ignore. In April, Meta—the company formerly known as Facebook—reported a 21 percent drop in profits for the first quarter of 2022 compared to the prior year. In the same week, Elon Musk purchased tech giant Twitter for $44 billion, causing many users to leave the site within a day of the announcement.

Growing turbulence from social media platforms makes digital marketing uncertain for some.

On top of business concerns, ever-changing algorithms have users and marketers alike frustrated. Facebook’s organic reach has been dwindling since 2018 and a recent Instagram update reportedly decreases the reach of reposted content. For healthcare brands using digital marketing, recent health and privacy advertising policy updates can result in erroneously rejected ads that require practices to spend time submitting appeals and making creative changes.

there are 3.96 billion social media users world wide. On average, adults spend 95 minutes per day on social media

Despite all the concerns, social media marketing is still one of the best ways to reach potential customers. As of January 2022, there are reportedly 3.96 billion social media users. Adults are spending more time than ever on social media, averaging 95 minutes of use per day.

The Value Of Influencer Marketing

According to Nielsen, 56% of global audiences trust influencer marketing

A marketer with Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw, Mich., recently shared that he wished influencer marketing would go away. He prefers using knowledgeable healthcare professionals to influence patients and the public about decisions involving their health. According to Nielsen’s 2021 Trust in Advertising Study, 56 percent of global audiences trust influencer marketing. Changing consumer patterns demand changes in patient experience at every touchpoint. That means connecting with them where they go for information. Expectant and new mothers reach out to mommy bloggers. Someone diagnosed with cancer may look for support from someone on social media who shares that experience.

Finding and partnering with influencers aligned with your brand can reach new audiences. But don’t forget that you’re expected to pay for their influence. Influencers are no longer just social media users and bloggers that accept and review gifted products. As with other media agreements, you’ll need to negotiate the cost, execute a contract, set goals, and measure results. Keeping your brand relevant now means paying to play across all channels.

If you need to update your social and/or traditional media strategy, we welcome a conversation. Email Lori Moore or call TotalCom Marketing Communications at 205.345.7363.

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.

Who’s Influencing Patient Choice?
Influencers exist even in healthcare and can help boost your hospital marketing strategy

Just when we thought things were settling down, COVID came back with in a fury. We’re again balancing the need for disseminating crucial health information to COVID-fatigued audiences.

Despite an urgency to target your audience with the “mask up, socially distance, wash hands and vaccinate” message, now can be a good time to determine who’s actually influencing patient choices—from vaccinations to hospital selection.

If it’s not already part of your hospital marketing plan, consider influencer marketing. By definition, an influencer is “a person who inspires or guides the actions of others.”

Influencer marketing spending in the US is estimated to exceed $3 billion this year.

While celebrity influencers with millions of followers may not align with your marketing plans, look for voices of authority in your community. A Gen Z TikTok star probably doesn’t sway many of your patients’ choices, but a mommy blogger, Instagram “granfluencer” or Facebook group for cancer survivors can deliver targeted, authentic messages to audiences.

Reach your patients where they are.

Changing consumer patterns demand changes in patient experience at every touchpoint. That means connecting with them where they go for information.

Expectant mothers look to other moms. Find an influencer in your community posting about birthing centers, pediatric services or child-rearing experiences.

One of your primary targets is probably the Boomer generation, which controls some 70 percent of all disposable income in this country. Boosted by financial power, baby boomers and older Gen X’ers have added their voices to the space. Someone talking about health, wellness or nutrition can influence brand preference among followers. Consider your current hospital marketing strategy to help identify influencers that speak to your target audience about topics relevant to your services and strategic goals.

Partner with influencers to increase patient loyalty.

“Build brand preference and loyalty to drive action” is a typical hospital marketing plan objective. Finding and partnering with influencers aligned with your brand can help accomplish it—and reach new audiences.

However, be strategic with influencer partnerships. Some things to keep in mind:

  • Look for influencers talking about your brand; search for tagged posts, branded hashtags or comments;
    • Follow your followers; select about a dozen to see who they’re following;
    • Share content from a potential influencer (get permission first) on your social accounts to gauge audience interest;
    • Monitor newsletters, blogs, events, Pinterest boards, media coverage and the competition to find out who’s speaking with authority in your market;

Set a budget.

An influencer posting about brands in exchange for complimentary products or services is rare now. Unfortunately, there are no standardized rates. Partnerships can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

A commonly used pricing calculation is one cent per follower—or $100 per 10K followers. Macro (10K—100K followers) and nano (less than 10K followers) influencers often post about niche topics, which might better fit your hospital marketing strategy.

When negotiating with influencers, consider:

  • Reach and engagement; larger reach doesn’t necessary mean more engagement;
    • Influencer time and resources required to create content that fits your needs; share information or resources in advance to lessen their time requirement;
    • Length and terms of campaign—number of stories or newsfeed posts, blogs, mentions, photos, number of channels, etc. that you expect;
    • Contract—as with any paid media, execute a written contract that specifies terms of the agreement including usage rights, deadlines, approval processes and exclusivity clauses.

Set goals and measure results.

Effective hospital marketing depends on results. Closely review the authenticity of posts when researching influencers who could potentially affect patient behavior. Content that reads as “sponsored or salesy” probably won’t deliver the intended results.

Set and clearly communicate goals on the front end. Measurable results may include:

  • Engagement—comments, likes, shares
    • Brand sentiment
    • Website traffic from campaign
    • Conversions, such as attendees at a baby or seniors fair, increase in health screenings or uptick in COVID vaccinations

Connectivity to your audience through an outside trusted voice can influence their patient choice and solidify loyalty to your brand.

5 Digital Connections for Hospitals

Over the past year, we’ve learned that to reach our audiences, we need to connect with them digitally 24/7–365. Making digital connections for hospitals, however, requires constant learning mode, as the digital landscape changes from one day to the next.

Two people reaching out and connecting through digital means

In this new digital norm, consumers get information, products and services when, where and how they want. It requires flexible and agile marketing tactics to reach your audience and generate demand.

For instance, TikTok might not have connected with your audience a year ago. But with video growing exponentially during a year of remote work and quarantines, it’s no longer just a platform for pre-teens. A number of major brands now integrate TikTok into their digital marketing strategy.

To maximize customer reach, digital strategies should include all the PESO media areas—paid, earned, shared and owned. Our past advice has looked at the digital ad spend. But first, consider these 5 digital connections to reach your audience:

1. Digital Connections for Hospitals Should Include Video

Recent reports predict that the average person will spend 100 minutes each day watching online videos in 2021. So, we know where audiences are part of the day.

Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or the website, include video in the marketing strategy. Today’s video collection can be less “produced” than previous broadcast video. But to capture quality video that boosts the brand:

  • Invest in a good digital camera for still and video
  • Invest in a tripod, basic lighting equipment and a neutral backdrop
  • Always outline or script content
  • Keep content concise and simple

Digital connections for hospitals utilizing video should be kept short. Humans have an average attention span of eight seconds—one second less than a goldfish! As a rule of thumb, limit social media videos to less than two minutes for TikTok and X (formerly Twitter). To increase audience retention, add a “subscribe” CTA to the end of YouTube videos.

2. Make Strong Social Connections

When you think you’ve identified the best social media channel for your audience, it will probably change. There are new algorithms, new features from the big three—Facebook, Instagram and Twitter—and shifts in audience preferences to consider.

Despite changes, the key to solid strategy remains quality content. In 2021, your audience wants engaging, transparent and empathetic content. Nearly 4 million people worldwide are active on social media. Besides keeping up with family and friends, they’re also looking for trusted sources of health and wellness information.

Not all social media channels yield great results for the brand. For example, the trending new Clubhouse invitation-only, audio-only app causes concern for HIPAA compliance. But set up profiles and test new options for digital connections with your hospital’s audience such as:

  • Short inspirational videos on Instagram Reels and Stories
  • Facebook Live educational Q&As with doctors and nurses
  • LinkedIn content positioning CEOs as thought leaders
  • Pinterest boards with recipes, fitness plans and wellness information

3. Optimize to Reach Your Audience

SEO is crucial for connecting with digital users. Increasing organic search rankings—primarily with Google—is ongoing and long term.

Reaching the audience requires knowing the topics they’re searching and how to best serve content that answers their questions. Anyone crafting content has to also be a SEO expert. Otherwise, the content doesn’t reach the intended audience.

Consumers want informative rich content from healthcare providers that helps them stay healthy. Also, remember to optimize your Google My Business listing as local SEO is increasingly important to reach people searching “Near Me.”

Numerous SEO platforms offer useful tips and even free training for content creators. Search “SEO platforms” to find these options.

4. Blogs and Podcasts Can be Effective Digital Connections for Hospitals

Considering you’re reading this blog, it seems to be a good digital channel for reaching our audience. However, blog popularity declined worldwide over the past few years while the popularity of podcasts rose.

It isn’t an either/or option. Both blogs and podcasts can be effective digital connections for hospitals, drive traffic and elevate the brand. However, blog content requires more than just good writing skills and subject knowledge. As mentioned above, it also requires SEO to rise in search results.

Many healthcare marketers choose both channels to reach audiences. Both are particularly effective for humanizing communication and sharing trustworthy healthcare information. Both also offer opportunities to engage providers in content.

5. AI Connects to the Future of Healthcare

With a growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, 90% of hospital executives report in a recent survey to having an AI strategy in place. Consumers drive that demand by turning more frequently to AI for healthcare needs—from wearing digital health monitors to asking Siri about vaccine side effects.

Whether it’s a new chatbot on the website or an automated diagnostic tool, let audiences know what AI innovations are available to enhance their patient experience.

Also, consistently update information across all digital platforms. Accurate information is critical for voice-activated AI assistants when someone asks “Siri” or “Alexa.”

While digital media may add more hours to healthcare marketers’ days, it keeps us better connected to our audiences and able to respond quickly to their needs.

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.

(more…)
Medical staff on phone creating healthcare social media plan

Boost Your Healthcare Social Media Marketing Presence with These Tips

If you don’t think that healthcare social media marketing is important, think again – because patients do. According to one survey, half of all Internet-using patients surveyed said they use social media to check out a doctor, which plays into their decision on the provider they choose.

Potential patients use social media a lot. And a lot of the healthcare information they receive on an ongoing basis comes from social media. Facebook and the like aren’t just to connect to friends and family; they are there to provide information. (more…)

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.

iPhone X Facial Recognition

Could the iPhone X Change Digital Advertising?

You took the plunge about the iPhone X and you’re not even sure if you’re supposed to say iPhone X or iPhone ten.

But what’s the big difference between this model and the one you had before collecting a new monthly payment added to your stack of bills?

Facial recognition is the big difference. Are you unlocking your phone or is it unlocking you? This could bring in a new era for marketers. Since the announcement of the iPhone X, facial recognition has quickly become the topic of dinner conversations everywhere. Facial recognition used to be reserved for top secret labs or something you saw the President use in a movie. But now we have access to it as well (celebrities, they’re just like us!)

While this feature is marketed as a security function for unlocking your phone, a consumer device used by the masses is a seriously powerful technology.

It is said 90% of personal communications is nonverbal. Every day there are instances where we don’t understand the nonverbal cues of the person on the other end of our screens. We use emojis and GIFs to try and share emotion within our digital interactions.

For all of us in the communications business, we know good experiences lead to trust and loyalty while bad experiences lead to brand rejection. So what could we do as marketers if we were able to obtain real-time reactions from a consumers? Imagine a world where we have access to consumer’s facial expressions and emotional cues in reaction to products and brands?

If we could access the facial cues from patients waiting for an extended time in the emergency room? The excitement on someone’s face when they try out a restaurant’s new dish. Or the skepticism on your face when you’re indulging in a purchase you shouldn’t be.

Currently, Apple is keeping detailed facial recognition data local on the phone and not storing it on its servers. App makers can use the iPhone X, with the user’s permission, to read a rough map of a stream of facial expressions. While Apple may never store this information for public use, it’s interesting to think about a world where we design advertisements based on the most unique human feature. This technology would tell us more about our consumers than we’ve ever known before.

Digital advertising can be hard to keep up with, let us do the work for you. Contact TotalCom today.