Is it HIPAA-noia? A fear of lack of control? Whatever the reason, most medical marketers have been late to the social media party. All that, however, seems to changing according to a recent article on Portfolio.com: “This is new territory for medical marketing. Ten years ago, it was innovative if hospitals had websites. Now, medical institutions area tweeting, creating Facebook pages, making videos for YouTube and posting photos on Flickr.”
While we cheer this growing acknowledgement of social media as a marketing tool, we wonder about the effectiveness of most hospitals’ efforts as they “dip their toes into the water.” Are they building engagement? Are they forming communities? Are they advancing their brand and differentiating?
The Media Logic Team
06.28.10
A trend our team has witnessed for the past nine months is the growing prevalence of cause-related marketing efforts from financial services institutions. A recent article on Slate.com focuses on American Express’s most recent “dogooder” initiative, the American Express Members Project.
Without question, these efforts are in part attempts by banks and other financial institutions to generate some goodwill after being publicly flayed by consumers, the press, the federal government, state governments and on and on. But it is also related to what Katherine Fulton, president of the Monitor Institute” labels “Moral Hunger,” a nationwide uptick in empathy summed up this way by our own Paige Fleury:
What was a society of consumption, collection and live-for-today is now a more pragmatic, empathetic and forward-looking group whose behaviors from spending and saving to brand choice and outlook add up to a new moral hunger – a desire to do good.
Media Logic is working with Atlantic Medical Imaging (a multi-site radiology/imaging practice based in New Jersey) to establish thought leadership, create engagement and preference among patients (and prospective patients) and referring physicians, and ultimately drive utilization. At the center of the strategic social marketing effort is a blog featuring information on the benefits of low dose radiology, a key differentiator for the practice. We also use Facebook and Twitter to create a fan base, encourage interaction and drive traffic to the blog.
Even though the effort has just recently launched, we have used “best practice” techniques we have learned through our work with highly regulated industries such as banking and insurance to build-in security while optimizing engagement. Here are three key elements we believe are important in using social media for medical practices.
How much is a Facebook fan worth?
There has been a lot of discussion about this topic lately, among brands and marketers alike, that are struggling to quantify the value of social marketing efforts. Here in Albany, a local car dealership has been advertizing a $50 incentive to become their fan on Facebook. Another company has come up with a formula that they consider to be a scientific method of putting a dollar value on a fan, while other marketers rebut this formula as inaccurate.
So, who is right?
Here at Media Logic, we’ve been busy working out social media for older adults…
In our recent work with Healthways SilverSneakers Fitness Program, we’ve discovered that older adults are readily embracing social media – to share health, fitness and life goals –by increasing engagement among a mature audience by twenty-fold in just a few months.
Through our recent work with Healthways SilverSneakers, Media Logic is proving the value of strategic social marketing for membership-based organizations. In partnership with us, SilverSneakers has employed a nimble social media content development strategy and our revolutionary social media management suite, Zeitgeist & Coffeesm, to enhance its engagement with members – increasing participation, fostering loyalty and stimulating new membership growth.
Watch as our conversation manager, Michelle, provides a behind-the-scenes look at how Media Logic and SilverSneakers are using social media as a marketing tool for collaboration and interaction with an active community of older adults.
